California’s duck population on the rise
June 22nd, 2005 by Administrator
California’s duck population on the rise- California’s breeding population of ducks increased during 2005, according to a Department of Fish and Game breeding pair survey.
The breeding population increased by 49 percent from last year to an estimated 615,241 ducks and mallard population increased by 21 percent to 317,869 birds. The mallard numbers, DFG biologists say, are still below long-term averages.
“We expect better production and a larger fall flight this year because of the late abundant spring rains,’ senior biologist Dan Yparraguirre said.
The population estimates are for the surveyed areas only in the northeast, throughout the Central Valley, the Suisun Marsh and selected coastal valleys.
Glendora’s Chris Abalo, who recently helped his Army team to the national shooting title as a freshman, placed seventh in the prone rifle competition of USA Shooting’s 2005 National Championships in Fort Benning, Ga.
Recent University of Alaska-Fairbanks graduate Joe Hein won the competition with a score of 1,297.4. U.S. Naval Reservist Eric Uptagrafft was second and Sgt. First Class Tom Tamas was third. Abalo had a score of 1,286.7.
Special dove and quail hunts, in which no hunting fee will be charged, will be held at three sites by the Department of Fish and Game’s Game Bird Heritage program.
Hunts will be held on the opening weekend of the dove opener and the opening weekend of the quail opener.
There will be morning and afternoon hunts Sept. 1-4. They will be Sept. 1 and 3 near Gorman and Frazier Park, Sept. 1-2 near Tehachapi and Sept. 1, 3-4 at the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve in east San Diego County.
A quail hunt will be on the opening weekend of Oct. 15-16 near Gorman. A combined dove-quail hunt will be held all day Nov. 19-20 at Rancho Jamul.
The deadline for a random drawing for hunting spots is Aug. 3. Applicants should send a postcard with their name, mailing address, day and night phone numbers and 2005-06 hunting license number to the DFG Special Dove/Quail Hunts, 4665 Lampson Ave., Suite C, Los Alamitos, Calif., 90720. One guest, with their hunting license number, can be submitted on the card.
Applicants must indicate which hunt they are applying for may apply once for each hunt. Separate postcards must be sent in for additional hunts.
For more information, call (562) 342-7145. Keith Lair can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2272, or by e-mail at keith.lair@sgvn.
By Keith Lair , Staff Writer