"Hunting success in the coastal zone of Louisiana was far better than anyone ever suspected," Reynolds said. "After Katrina and Rita, we were surprised at the hunting success in some areas. In our aerial surveys, we've had very poor counts for the past four years, but we received a series of good, hard cold fronts in late November and early December. The December count showed a big increase -- the highest counts in five years. Many marshes were full of ducks."

When birds arrived after the cold fronts, they found poor habitat across many areas. This forced ducks that would normally scatter over thousands of square miles to concentrate in pockets with good habitat. In addition, fewer hunters in the marshes greatly reduced the pressure on ducks. In many areas, nobody hunted for the entire season, so birds found some sanctuaries from hunters. However, sportsmen lucky enough to gain access to pockets with good habitat conditions experienced some of the best hunting in decades.

"Everybody we talked to shot ducks," Stansel said. "I heard that people who hunted around Pecan Island also had a good season. We shot the most mallards we've ever killed down here. It was incredible. We'd see flocks of 25 to 50 mallards come over the blinds. I've never seen mallards like that. We also shot a lot of pintails, gadwalls and widgeons, but few green-winged teal. Normally, we're covered up in teal and don't even shoot them. We also shot a lot of geese in the marshes."

In coastal marshes, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal and gadwalls compose about 60 percent of the harvest, according to LDWF sources. Mallards tend to prefer freshwater impoundments, river marshes or flooded timber to salty or brackish marshes. Mallards typically make up about 10 to 15 percent of the total Louisiana duck harvest. Most fall to hunters in freshwater swamps, along rivers or lakeshores and rice fields.

This year, good habitat conditions across Canada could produce more migrating ducks, according to experts from Ducks Unlimited. Spring rainfall recharged many water basins and produced "good to excellent" conditions in Saskatchewan, where many ducks that arrive in Louisiana hatch. Researchers reported good numbers of nesting blue-winged teal, pintails, mallards and shovelers.

Southwestern Manitoba received good run-off from snowmelt. DU biologists reported "very good to excellent" habitat conditions in many prime waterfowl production areas. Researchers found high pond counts and abundant waterfowl, with an exceptionally large number of pintails nesting in the region south of Brandon. Abundant grass made good natural cover for nesting birds.

Habitat conditions improved in southern Ontario and southeastern British Columbia, said DU experts. Parts of Alberta came in better than expected. Some people described conditions in southern and eastern Alberta as "the best in 30 years."

Spring habitat conditions looked good in the Northwest Territories as well. Habitat conditions remain good across Quebec with above average temperatures and rainfall. The Atlantic coast of Canada, though, received below normal precipitation that could have affected breeding ducks.

Baring any major environmental catastrophes, ducks arriving in coastal Louisiana this fall should find improving habitat conditions, especially in areas with abundant freshwater supplies. Of course, the state could still use more rain to replenish supplies. Access to some areas remains difficult, though.