The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey shows that mallards in the Atlantic Flyway have increased by 15% since 2019.  Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer

Another waterfowl season is upon us and all indications are it should be a good one. The forecast is positive with populations of many species up over recent years, or at least over the long-term average. Weather is always a factor but the ducks should be there and so should the hunters.

Much of the forecast comes from the annual Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey. The largest and longest running wildlife survey in the world, it’s been in place since 1955, though it was suspended for two years during the pandemic. It involves airplane, helicopter, and ground surveys over 2 million square miles of the U.S. and Canada. Its primary purpose is to evaluate breeding habitat conditions and provide information on spring population size and trajectory for most North American waterfowl species.

Of greatest interest to Maine waterfowlers are results from the Eastern Survey Area, which estimates abundance on breeding grounds in the Atlantic Flyway. There, mallards were up 15%, black ducks up 9% and green-winged teal numbers up 7% percent from 2019, the last year the survey was conducted. That’s good news as these species represent the bulk of our harvest.

Other positive signs came from the habitat survey, which showed habitat conditions to be good to excellent throughout the northeast and eastern Canada. While the survey doesn’t include wood ducks, that also bodes well for them and for hunters as they too are a staple in many Maine bag limits. Migrant Canada goose populations are still struggling but the proliferation of local (temperate nesting) Canadas will more than make up for their scarcity.

The survey also doesn’t include sea ducks (scoters, eiders and long-tailed) but hunters should expect things to be status quo, at least as far as duck numbers are concerned. There will be one notable difference. Traditionally, Maine had separate seasons for “regular” ducks and sea ducks but this year they’re combined. That means those who prefer hunting coastal waters can get a crack at sea ducks in October, when weather and seas are more pleasant. It also means more opportunity for scoters, which are often scarce or absent later in the season.

Seasons vary depending on which zone you’re hunting in so be sure to check the regulations. North Zone hunters got an early start on Sept. 26 while those in the South and Coastal Zones had to wait until Oct. 1. The North Zone remains open through Dec. 3 while South Zone hunters get two weeks and Coastal Zone hunters only a week before a temporary closure. The South Zone reopens Nov. 1 and the Coastal Zone on Nov. 8, but by then many hunters will have shifted their sights to deer hunting, leaving plenty of room for hard-core waterfowlers.

Until Opening Day, the birds – mostly locals and a few early migrants – have been relatively undisturbed, though Youth Day and the early goose season factor in. They wise up quickly though and the hunting often slows down unless there’s a good weather front to push more migrants down. The brief break in the South and Coastal Zones is probably a good thing as it allows time for more migrants to move and settle in, setting the stage for another Opening Day of sorts.

Bob Humphrey is a freelance writer and Registered Maine Guide who lives in Pownal. He can be reached at: bhunt@maine.rr.com