Ducks Unlimited Podcast

For the first time in decades, American duck hunters will have the opportunity to legally harvest three pintails during the 2025–26 season due to a new interim pintail harvest strategy that was approved in 2024. On this episode, Dr. Mike Brasher is joined by state migratory bird managers Brandon Reishus (Oregon) and Mike Szymanski (North Dakota) to discuss this new strategy and what it means going forward. Duck hunters have been asking lots of questions about the new strategy, and this episode aims to answer them. Why was a new strategy needed, and how did hunters contribute to the data that made it possible? Why are liberal regulations being offered when the pintail population is near historic lows? What are the objectives of the new strategy? How will it be evaluated? Why does the new strategy not include sex restrictions? How and when will the strategy be evaluated? Lastly, why is habitat conservation ultimately more important than harvest regulations for the future of pintail populations?

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