The North Carolina Waterfowl Association’s Mallard Restoration and Research Program (MRRP) has become an important tool in the southern waterfowl manager’s tool box. The mission of the program is to restore wintering mallard populations and to preserve our mallard hunting heritage in North Carolina. The MRRP also encourages the creation of waterfowl habitat. The MRRP is designed to complement and enhance other waterfowl conservation programs.
The Mallard Restoration and Research Program’s mission is accomplished by partnering with private landowners across the state who fund the annual release of mallards into well managed waterfowl habitat. All mallards released in the program are of excellent genetic quality and are health certified according to USDA guidelines. Funding from each project cooperator enables NCWA to provide a waterfowl management plan for each project. The NCWA Mallard Program Coordinator, Mitchell Blake oversees the banding and distribution of ducks to each project cooperator. Mitch provides continued assistance throughout the year to help project cooperators with the creation and management of waterfowl habitat along with ensuring a successful release of mallards.
NCWA MRRP assistant, Chris Zawacki, records and manages banding data and harvest records from projects in order to create an annual MRRP report. This report provides information on harvest rates, movements and habitat preferences of released mallards. NCWA also conducts periodic surveys of project cooperators to determine the impact of the program on habitat development, hunter opportunity and rural economic impact.
The Mallard Restoration and Research Program has become an essential component of waterfowl management in North Carolina. Its importance is based on the fact that wintering mallard populations in North Carolina have declined drastically over the past 20 years. The primary reason for this decline across North Carolina has been a change in mallard behavior over the past 20 years. Mallards have adapted to wintering farther north while utilizing available open water habitats and abundant grain supplies in flooded and dry grain fields. This change in migratory patterns is similar to that experienced with North Carolina’s once abundant wintering Canada goose populations that now winter farther north.
Habitat degradation has also played a role in reducing wintering mallard numbers. Improvement of habitat should increase wintering numbers during cold winters, however, it is doubtful that we will ever reach historic population levels. NCWA is focusing its habitat efforts on enhancing Lake Mattamuskeet, increasing the amount of flooded grain available for mallards across the state and promoting the restoration and development of bottomland hardwood habitats that have been severely degraded over the past sevral decades.
In the coming year, NCWA looks forward to working with over 30 project cooperators who will fund the release of more than 27,000 mallards across North Carolina. These mallards will provide hunting opportunity for all North Carolina duck hunters. Banding data from released mallards shows that 50% of the released mallard harvest comes from hunters on public and private habitats not associated with mallard program cooperator sites. If you are interested in learning more about the program visit the mallard section of our web site. The site contains numerous articles and reports that will answer any questions you may have about the program.
For more information on becoming a mallard project partner or if you have further questions about the program contact Mitchell Blake at 252-752-0273. In 2003, we look forward to a successful program that will provide increased hunting opportunity for all duck hunters while also improving waterfowl habitat across North Carolina.
