Waterfowl habitat bounces back

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita made a wreck of the Louisiana coast line last year. But field reports gathered by Ducks Unlimited waterfowl experts indicate that waterfowl habitat in the state has made a good comeback, which should add up to good hunting conditions.

"Strictly in terms of waterfowl habitat, Katrina and Rita had both good and bad effects," said Dr. Tom Moorman, director of conservation planning at DU's Southern regional office. "On one hand, a recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wetlands Research Center suggests the storms caused significant transformation of coastal lands to open water. On the other hand, the flooding of the closed marsh with salt water from the storm surges set back plant succession and reinvigorated large areas of marsh. So, while the storms caused some direct habitat losses, they also improved the quality of some areas in terms of waterfowl food production."

Texas waterfowl experts say things are setting up nicely for the upcoming duck season opener on November 4, especially along the Texas coast.

The region received heavy rains periodically throughout summer and some areas saw as much 10-12 inches in mid-October. Some are saying conditions are as good as or better than last year.

East Texas hunters won't be so lucky. Habitat critical to attracting and holding ducks is in poor shape in most areas.