What hunters should know as Utah's duck, goose and swan hunts begin

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah wildlife experts say local duck populations are "great," but they add hunters may notice fewer birds this year because of trends elsewhere in North America ahead of the state's general season waterfowl hunt, which begins this weekend for a good portion of the state.

Experts with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources also acknowledge that geese populations may be down this year in Utah, but out-of-state trends should bring "plenty" of birds this fall.

The agency is also warning hunters to be mindful of harmful algal blooms because there are still 24 bodies of water under some form of advisory as the hunt gets underway.

Utah opens its duck and geese waterfowl hunts to anyone with a valid hunting license. Although, hunters are required to have a Harvest Information Program number from the state, and those who are 16 or older are also required to have a federal duck stamp.

The state's general season hunts for the two species begin on Saturday within some of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' hunting zones. A map of all the zones can be found here.

Utah's tundra swan hunt also begins Saturday, but that is only open to hunters who acquired a permit earlier this year.

Here's what waterfowl hunters should know this year.

Duck, geese and swan trends

Jason Jones, migratory bird coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, says that Utah's duck populations are "doing great" with favorable conditions reported across several management areas, but hunters may come across fewer birds than in recent decades because of trends happening elsewhere in North America.

Duck populations continue to drop across the continent as a result of several factors, ranging from drought to avian flu. Ducks Unlimited estimates that there are now about 32.3 million ducks in North America, a 7% drop from last year and 9% below the long-term average, the organization reported in its annual waterfowl population survey.

"These conditions have persisted over several years, so generally waterfowl production was below average last year," Jones said, in a news release last month. "Utah waterfowl hunters may experience fewer birds coming through Utah this hunting season compared to the last 10 years."

The reverse is expected when it comes to geese.

State wildlife biologists reported that Canada geese didn't fare as well in Utah this spring, likely as a result of Utah's record snowpack. They believe many nests were flooded during the spring runoff, which resulted in fewer goslings hatching in the state.

But Jones said trends outside of Utah are strong, so hunters should have no problem finding geese this fall.

"Migrating geese will begin showing up around mid-to-late November. Geese continue to increase in the Pacific Flyway — which includes Utah — and hunting should be good this year," he said. "Snow goose numbers have also continued to increase in the Pacific Flyway."

Meanwhile, there were major changes made to swan hunting in the off-season. Utah dropped its trumpeter swan hunt in an effort to stop the swan hunting season from ending early because it ends when a federal quota of 20 trumpeter swans is taken.

The change means swan hunters will have to do their homework on the difference between trumpeter and tundra swans.

Hunters are required to bring any harvested swans to a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources office. If it turns out they killed a trumpeter swan, the bird will be seized and the hunter could face a citation and swan hunting ban that could last "several years," the agency warns.

Jones said thousands of swans are expected to fly through Utah along the Pacific Flyway, much like geese. Tundra swans typically start making it to areas like the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge starting around late October or early November, lingering until the region's marshes freeze up.

Those with a tundra swan permit are only allowed to harvest one swan during the season.

Utah agencies to hunters: Watch out for algal blooms

Utah wildlife and environmental officials are also reminding hunters to be on the lookout for harmful algal blooms as the waterfowl hunting season begins, noting that there are still 24 bodies of water with confirmed algal blooms in the state, and algal blooms can last throughout the fall and winter.

"It's essential to know that these blooms can continue in colder weather. People should know what to look for, and when in doubt, keep your pets and hunting dogs out of the water," said Dr. Hannah Bonner, an environment scientist for the Utah Division of Water Quality, in a statement Tuesday.

Hunters are advised to avoid areas with blue-green algae and keep pets out of the water, too. These algal blooms can produce several toxins that can lead to illness and kill pets.

The state monitors algal blooms through the end of October. All areas experiencing algal blooms in Utah can be found here.

Tips about how to spot algal blooms and what to do if you are exposed to them can be found here.

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