Nesting Conditions

NDHunter

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2011
1,166
25
North Dakota
I personally don't think it's quite as bad as they make it out to be. I see that article was from March but there is still a lot of water in ND right now. Yea, some of the smaller potholes have been drying up a bit but I think numbers will still be very, very good this fall.
 

D.Turvey Jr

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Feb 11, 2014
171
1
Powell, WY
I personally don't think it's quite as bad as they make it out to be. I see that article was from March but there is still a lot of water in ND right now. Yea, some of the smaller potholes have been drying up a bit but I think numbers will still be very, very good this fall.
Have you been getting consistent rains over there?
 

brianboh

Active Member
Jun 4, 2015
396
1
Powell, Wyoming
Good thing this article is from March 8. Hopefully things changed. I know in Wyoming we were below average but in may we hit the average snowfall.
 

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,796
2,162
Eastern Nebraska
Our pothole region is drying fast. The good news is that we had a pretty wet spring so we started the drought with all marshes 100% full. I have seen an above average number of little ones this year so I think our local population will be in great shape. My worry is that the teal won't stop here in mass quantities like last year during their migration south...
 

D.Turvey Jr

Eastmans' Staff / Moderator
Feb 11, 2014
171
1
Powell, WY
Our pothole region is drying fast. The good news is that we had a pretty wet spring so we started the drought with all marshes 100% full. I have seen an above average number of little ones this year so I think our local population will be in great shape. My worry is that the teal won't stop here in mass quantities like last year during their migration south...
I shot more green wings last year than any year in the past 18. It was an amazing teal flight here, average for mallards and fair for widgeon. Saw a couple woodies early and some goldeneyes late when the anchor ice started coming on.
 

NDHunter

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2011
1,166
25
North Dakota
Here's another report from six days ago...is this something you guys have observed over there? Not that we get many lateral flights over here so the Canadian conditions affect us more here in Wyoming but something to keep an eye on.

http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/news/article/2016/06/17/breeding-duck-numbers-pond-count-down-in-north-dakota-spring-survey
I feel like that is a little more pessimistic than what I've been seeing. When they say the water index is down 50%, I just don't see that. Maybe the tiny, super seasonal ponds that hold water for 2-4 weeks before they dry up were down that much but not the rest of the sloughs. Yea, some sloughs are definitely lower but most of them still have lots of water. I think it will be a very good year again in ND.
 

NDHunter

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2011
1,166
25
North Dakota
The northwest part of ND is very wet right now. Was up there this weekend. In general, as you go south and east, it gets drier.