Teal are at all-time record highs. Mallards increased dramatically. Pintails bounced back.

Canvasbacks counts soared. The Dakotas are drenched with ducks.

The 2009 fall waterfowl forecast is in, and it looks just plain ducky. Buoyed by vastly improved spring water conditions across key duck production areas in the northern United States and Canada, spring breeding survey and pond counts indicated a breeding population of 42 million ducks, up from 37.3 million in 2008, a 13 percent increase.

Further, pond counts were 6.434 million, an astounding 45 percent increase over last year's tally.

Recharged water conditions should mean more ducks over your decoys this season, as well as increased opportunities to shoot more of them. Liberal season frameworks are in place in all four flyways, so duck hunters will have 60 days in the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways, 74 days in the Central Flyway and 107 days in the Pacific Flyway.

After closure in 2008, canvasback hunting is offered in all four flyways, and daily bag limits have increased for bluebills. The daily limit on pintails increases to two in the Pacific Flyway, and Central Flyway hunters will have the option of a third wood duck in the bag this season.

"We've seen some resurgence in the numbers of pintails and scaup, which has given us the opportunity to provide more hunting for those species," said Paul Schmidt, assistant director of migratory birds for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. "We've seen the canvasback population rebound well. It's sufficient for us to offer a full canvasback season this year."

Goose numbers are not as glowingly positive, However, most Canada goose and snow goose populations are comparable with 2008 numbers, and hunting season structures are similar to last year.

Following is a more detailed look, flyway by flyway, of what you can expect in the skies during the 2009-2010 waterfowl season.

Atlantic Flyway
Overall, the fall flight should be similar to 2008, although mallard and wood duck numbers are expected to be slightly higher than last season.

Mallard estimates are up 3 percent in the eastern survey area and 8 percent in the Northeastern U.S. And according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey conducted in May and June, wood duck numbers in the Atlantic Flyway increased.

"A lot of rain in the Northeast should be good for brood production, especially mallard and wood duck populations," according to Bryan Swift, Game Bird Unit leader for New York Department of Environmental Conservation. "Most of the wood ducks born in this area make to the southeastern portion of the flyway. Hunters in these areas should see an increase in migrating wood ducks this year."

The breeding population of American black ducks in the eastern survey area was similar to 2008.

"Black duck breeding populations in the northeastern U.S. are declining annually, but a relatively small number of Atlantic Flyway black ducks come from this area," Swift said.

"The majority comes from areas of Canada, and their populations have remained relatively stable, which is good news for Atlantic Flyway hunters."

Hunters in some areas of the Atlantic Flyway will benefit from the excellent water conditions in the Dakotas. Spring ponds more than doubled in the Dakotas, providing critical water for nesting ducks. Across North America, spring breeding surveys counted 8.5 million mallards, a 10 percent increase over 2008. At 3.44 million, green-winged teal are at an all-time high, and blue-winged teal numbers came in at 7.38 million, the second-highest figure ever in the history of the survey.

"The southeastern portion of the Atlantic Flyway will benefit most from the high numbers in the Dakotas," Swift said. "Atlantic Flyway hunters get roughly half of their migrating mallards from areas west of the Atlantic Flyway, including the prairies and the Great Lakes."