Migration Alert: Low Survey Numbers, High Tides Impacts Louisiana Hunters

While Louisiana was spared throughout much of the 2024 hurricane season, Francine came ashore in Terrebonne Parish just before teal season. Thankfully, there was not a lot of destruction, and the quick-moving storm caused little habitat damage. On the eve of the West Zone opener, a rare November hurricane, Rafael, entered the central Gulf as a major category storm, only the second ever recorded during the month. Fortunately, the storm rambled on and dissipated, bringing only heavy rains to areas along the coast. Nevertheless, coastal hunters encountered high tides throughout the weekend, and temperatures were unseasonably warm, with highs in the low 80s.

Hunters went into opening weekend without the benefit of the always anticipated Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) November aerial survey. Bad weather hindered the survey flights and delayed the compilation of the report until after the season opened. It may have been a good thing.

“The 2024 November survey estimate of 510,000 ducks in Louisiana’s coastal region and Little River basin (Catahoula Lake area) was the lowest on record and 12.7 percent below last November’s previous record low estimate of 584,000 ducks,” said LDWF Waterfowl Manager Jason Olszak. “Increases from 2023 were observed only for blue-winged teal (+48.7 percent) and pintails (+44.9 percent). All other species regularly and historically reported showed annual declines of greater than 20 percent.”

Of note, and not included in the overall duck number listed above, were “an estimated 107,000 black-bellied whistling ducks across the coast, a 600 percent increase from the 15,000 estimated in 2023,” Olszak added.

The majority of ducks were surveyed in southwest Louisiana, which had an estimated 284,000 birds. The southeast count was 107,000 ducks, and the Little River Basin was 118,000. Bad weather prevented survey flights from being conducted in northwest Louisiana. Overall, improved marsh conditions were noted along the coast in contrast to last year’s drought-plagued habitat. However, there were still some lingering effects from the drought.

Diehard duck hunters were out for opening day regardless of the conditions. “For the most part, I think hunters did pretty well in southwest Louisiana,” says Rod Haydel, president of Louisiana’s own Haydel Game Calls. “Most bags consisted of blue-winged teal mixed with other early migrating species. We did not see much in the way of geese. With the recent rains, a lot of the birds may be in scattered sheet water.”

In southeast Louisiana, Captain Jay Ruiz’s opening weekend strategy worked out as planned. “We had a great time,” Ruiz reported from the field. “We had a three-man limit by 6:45 on opening morning with a great number of birds, and we got limits by 7:30 on Sunday, with some lagniappe.”

Another diehard duck hunter, Mike Herrmann, manages several duck leases in the Hopedale, Delacroix, and Reggio areas of southeast Louisiana. “We had one of the best youth hunts we’ve ever had,” Hermann said. “The key to finding birds is finding the grass. Our youth hunt was in one of the few ponds holding wigeon grass in our area, and it made all the difference. There were not a lot of birds around, but almost all that we saw wanted to come into our pond.”

While the overall number of birds surveyed in Louisiana was very low by historical standards, hunters are reminded that the waterfowl season is a marathon and not a sprint. As always, hope springs eternal for duck numbers and hunting success to improve in the days and weeks ahead as the season progresses and new birds arrive from the north.