Scaup and pintail populations continue to decline. Could predator control help these species recover?
No, simply because their low numbers are not caused by predation. Biologists have reached a consensus that the pintail decline is mostly caused by changes in farming practices. In the prairies of the U.S. and Canada, farmers have greatly reduced fall tillage to control soil erosion, conserve moisture, and reduce fuel costs. The “stubble” that is left from the previous crop is actually attractive to pintails for nesting as it is structurally similar to the short-grass prairie that they favor. Pintails are the earliest nesting species and, in some years, hundreds of thousands of hens establish nests in the stubble only to have farm machinery destroy them when spring planting begins. Since they don’t re-nest as well as other ducks, most of the year’s production can be lost in just a few days each spring when farming begins. Predator control will clearly not solve this problem, but DU is working hard with farmers to incorporate more pintail-friendly farming practices (such as fall-seeded c
