Ducks might not be in a row for Missouri hunters in the upcoming season.
Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates North American duck numbers to fly around 49.5 million, Missouri weather could be at fault for foul play.
The number of waterfowl present during the hunting season depends on climate changes, current weather and food supply, Doreen Mengel, a resource scientist specializing in wetlands and waterbirds at the Missouri Department of Conservation, said.
Summer flooding is making some hunting grounds unappealing to waterfowl as it created a habitat not ideal for moist soil vegetation, which provides the seeds that many of the birds eat, Mengel said. The lack of these plants also mean there isn't much cover for potential hunters.
However, a late summer dry spell made it possible for some of the hunting areas to recover and grow the necessary vegetation. Typically, land managers overseeing intentionally managed wetland areas remove excess water in the spring to allow those plants to germinate and then reflood the land closer to duck hunting season to give them somewhere to land, Mengel said.
"If you're waterfowl hunting, you may have to be flexible," she added.
During last year's season there was one large migration movement in November caused by a cold front, but a mild December meant little to no movement for the migrating birds. This year, long-term forecasts expect both a mild fall and winter, according to a press release.
"Dry and mild conditions are not good hunting conditions for duck hunters," Mengel said. "If your local habitat conditions aren't great and we're not getting cold fronts that spur migration, then it could not be the best season for a successful harvest."
A supple supply of food keep birds happy, while regular cold fronts keep them moving south, which brings new birds to the hunting grounds.
"If you go to a wetland and start getting shot at, you don't tend to stick around," Mengel said.