RSS Feed

In a press release issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on Aug. 19, the department sighted a letter sent to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service by Gov. Jeff Landry and LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan. The letter requests the expansion of harvest opportunities for black-bellied whistling ducks (BBWD) for the sportsmen of Louisiana.
The letter addressed to Martha Williams, Director of the USF&WS in Washington D.C., says, “The increasing presence of BBWDs throughout the Sportsman’s Paradise presents a variety of agricultural, nuisance, health, and management challenges that we firmly believe additional harvest opportunities could solve.”
The letter also opines, “that expanded harvest opportunities would be most desirable and effective if done in conjunction with the long-established teal season.” It goes on to note that additional species included in the daily bag limit authorized in other states were approved contingent upon a reduced season length. What’s more, the letter makes the case for additional BBWD harvest by pointing out a two-decade exponential growth in population, particularly in agricultural areas where the species has caused losses, especially newly planted rice fields.
Lastly, the letter points out that the most recent 5-year (2020-24) mid-winter survey estimate to be 140,275 BBWDs, up 4000% from the 2015-19 estimate of 3,005, which they conclude is undoubtedly an underestimate.
The press release was extremely well received across all media, but particularly on social platforms like FACEBOOK and Instagram. For waterfowl hunters, the idea of additional harvest opportunity is like a kid receiving an extra present under the tree for Christmas.
In reaching out to Taylor Brazan, Communications Director for the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, I had several questions for Sheahan pertaining to the press release and subsequent letter sent to the USFWS. Brazan referred me to Jason Olszak, Waterfowl Program Manager for the LDWF.
My first question was when the regulatory change was being considered was the fact that BBWDs are still nesting into September considered and noted there are also cases of them nesting well into October.
Olszak replied, “Yes, this is something that the department has taken into consideration. Although BBWD will nest into October, the majority of BBWD nesting occurs prior to September. Other species, such as mourning doves, also continue to nest past the opening of hunting season, but due to the fact that the number of young added to the population is minimal after the peak breeding it is believed that any harvest of breeding birds has little to no impact on the population.”
Olszak mentioned that an ongoing research project may give insight into the proportion of BBWD nests, and hence young, that are vulnerable during a September harvest.
My second question to Olszak was, has there been any data or studies showing BBWDs can withstand additional harvest that includes the early teal season and regular waterfowl season that may have contributed to making this announcement?
Olszak said, “There are ongoing studies looking into harvest rates and potential. A study published in 2019 in the Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies found that in the Southeast (Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana) survival rates of BBWDs were comparable to or higher than other waterfowl species. They also found that recovery rates (harvest of banded birds) were low.”
One of the things there’s no doubt about concerning BBWD is they have a high tolerance for human activity and therefore are comfortable in urban settings like Audubon and Lefreniere parks, where they are known to spend the winter. A trip to Westwego across the Mississippi River from New Orleans is an eye opener. Literally thousands of BBWD roost on the Cargill grain elevators and rest during the day on the walking trails around the facility.
Olszak went on to say that there are certain behaviors that BBWD have that may make them less vulnerable to harvest than other waterfowl species.
Olszak said, “BBWDs often forage at night, making them less likely to encounter hunters. BBWD also commonly occupy urban and suburban areas where hunter access may be limited. In addition to low recapture/return/harvest rate estimates of BBWD, growing abundance and density of BBWD in urban and suburban areas suggests little harvest pressure and potential for increased take.”
A third question I asked Olszak was that the letter to the USFWS notes the winter survey notes a 4000% population increase and is it possible that what we’re seeing is not necessarily BBWD migration, but an actual easterly shift in population due to habitat loss from its historic range of Mexico and South Texas?
Olszak responded by saying, “Although studies haven’t conclusively determined why BBWD numbers have increased dramatically, in the winter surveys, the same 2019 BBWD study did conclude that the BBWD population has expanded eastward. We know that by the early 2000s, breeding populations had been established in Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and South Carolina.”
“And since then,” Olszak continued, “BBWD have been documented breeding as far north as Wisconsin and Nebraska. All of this suggests that although the population increase may be due in part to the range expansion undoubtedly the increase in breeding range has likely resulted in an increase in the BBWD populations.”
Olszak noted that the LDWF is currently funding a project to examine the extent of long-range migrants in BBWDs captured in Louisiana.
Finally, I noted to Olszak we have four species of year-round duck species in our state that includes wood ducks, mottled ducks, fulvous whistling ducks, and black-bellied whistling ducks. During the early teal season in September many wood ducks are mistakenly identified and subsequently killed. Fulvous whistling ducks (FWD) are a duck species that has been on the decline for quite some time. I asked if any thought was taken into consideration that in the 30-minutes before sunrise, where it’s legal to shoot, FWDs could be easily mistaken for BBWDs.
Olszak said, “Currently, FWD harvest is minimal at best. They do not show up in the harvest reports. We know that FWD breed in Louisiana in the spring and by December they have migrated southward. We do not see them on our winter waterfowl surveys. If BBWD are allowed to be taken during early teal season, we realize that it is likely that some FWD may be harvested as well. We believe that the harvest will be minimal but is something that we are prepared to investigate.”
Olszak went on to say that if opportunities to harvest BBWD are expanded, an evaluation of the effects on non-target species will be a prerequisite to continuation of such a season.
With the opening of the 2024 September teal season only one week away, there’s no chance of a last-minute change in regulation being approved by the USFWS this year, but clearly the wheels are in motion for future consideration.
However, for the harvest of an additional species of migratory game bird to happen, the scientific data will have to be there to convince the federal government to allow it. And we all know how fast the federal government moves.
John Flores is the Morgan City Review’s outdoor writer. He can be contacted at gowiththeflo@cox.net.

The Morgan City Open Fishing Rodeo and Golf Scramble has donated $10,000 to Nicholls State University Department of Petroleum Engineering Technology and Safety Management and $2,500 to support Nicholls Veterans Services.
This is MCOFR’s 12th year donating to the university’s PETSM program and the fourth year donating to Nicholls Veterans. 
The donations have been used to renovate and expand classrooms, improve technology and build a state-of-the-art well-control simulation lab, the university said in a press release.
The portion donated to Nicholls Veterans, many of whom are PETSM students, will help supplement vets whose monetary benefits for education have ended, with a panel to select the candidates based on criteria like GPA. 
“Since South Louisiana has such a wonderful landscape for outdoor activities, MCOFR was created to foster a community-spirited fishing rodeo in support of higher education and other noteworthy causes that surround our community,” said Joey Cannata, vice president at Tanks-A-Lot.
“We are pleased that this annual event has held the support of the community for more than a decade and has grown to also include an annual golf tournament held at Atchafalaya at Idlewild in Patterson. On behalf of Morgan City Open Fishing Rodeo, we’re happy to present Nicholls with $12,500 this year, bringing our total contributions to Nicholls since 2013 to $111,500.”
“MCOFR values the Nicholls PETSM program for providing the energy industry with skilled personnel to drive our domestic energy needs into the future which is great for our local economy.
"We expect next year to be a great year as we look forward to growing the Rodeo with an offshore fishing division for 2025.”
MCOFR is a nonprofit corporation founded in 2013 by Tanks-A-Lot, a deepwater container specialist, for the purpose of promoting community spirit in the local oil and gas industry while benefiting notable organizations for future growth within the community. The corporation seeks to provide a family-oriented environment where the community can gather and enjoy the camaraderie and sport of fishing and golf, making the event best representative of the Morgan City area. 
The 2024 Morgan City Open Fishing Rodeo was held in June, with proceeds from the events donated to Nicholls PETSM, South Louisiana Community College and other charitable causes to enrich the tri-parish area and encourage the pursuit of higher education. MCOFR has donated over $200,000 to its tri-parish area and seeks to contribute more. For more information on MCOFR, click here. 
Nicholls’ unique PETSM program caters to non-traditional working students in the energy industry, particularly for Gulf of Mexico operations and beyond, offering flexible courses that accommodate rotational work schedules including 7-days-on, 7-days-off or 14-days-on, 14-days-off. For more information on the Department of Petroleum Engineering Technology and Safety Management, visit www.nicholls.edu/petsm. 

Submitted photos
Central Catholic's volleyball team turned Tuesday's home opener against Berwick into an opportunity to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Players decorated the CCHS gym with signs bearing messages of hope. By the way, Berwick won the match 25-23, 27-25, 25-19.

FRANKLIN — On Aug. 19, the city of Franklin held a live virtual wreath laying-flag raising ceremony in honor of Army Ranger, 2nd Lt. Edward V. Loustalot, the first American solider to die in Nazi occupied Europe during World War II.
KQKI 95.3FM collaborated with the city of Franklin and Petite Caux, France to livestream the ceremony.
The French government and its citizens have commemorated and memorialized Lt. Loustalot annually since Aug.19, 1946.
The city of Franklin and the Loustalot family were made aware of this in October 2019, when the city was contacted by Diane Boutier, an American board member of the Memorial du 19 Aout 1942 Museum in Dieppe, France.
Boutier and a small delegation from France traveled to Franklin in January 2020 to help usher in the city’s bicentennial celebration and to tell this amazing Louisiana story.
During the presentation, Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard and Public Relations Director Ed “Tiger” Verdin were presented medals of honorary citizenship from the Mayor of Berneval Le Grand, France.
Lt. Edward Loustalot was one of the first 50 select U.S. Army Rangers embedded with British and Canadian commandos in what is now known as Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid of August 19, 1942. Unfortunately, Loustalot was killed in action during the raid.
The raid ultimately gave U.S. and Allied forces a blueprint for the invasion of the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.