A yearly survey of duck populations show encouraging statistics for northwest Missouri’s duck hunters and resulted in a 16-day early teal season.

The North American Duck Breeding Population Survey shows an increase in breeding populations of seven percent. The U.S. And Canadian fish and wildlife services estimate the total duck numbers at 48.6 million.

Mallards, the mainstay species for Missouri waterfowl hunters, is estimated at 10.6 million, up 15 percent from last year.

The length of Missouri’s early teal hunting season is set according to the number of blue-winged teal recorded in the annual survey. Blue-winged teal numbers this year are estimated at 9.2 million. That is similar to last year’s population. This year’s early teal season will open Sept. 8 and run through Sept. 23.

Doreen Mengel, a resource scientist with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), notes now it’s important to track the weather.

“It would have been difficult to imagine that we would see these kinds of waterfowl numbers 20 years ago,” says Mengel. “Having near-record duck populations is a testament to the hard work hunters and conservation groups have made to restore wetland habitat on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border. It’s reason for celebration. However, remember that weather, local habitat conditions, and migration timing will play major roles in shaping the 2012 teal and regular waterfowl seasons we experience in Missouri.”

The Missouri Conservation Commission will set opening and closing dates, bag limits and other details of the regular waterfowl season at its August meeting.