“Many stands of rice appear to have shorter stalks with fewer seeds, and dense stands of harvestable rice will be more widely distributed this year,” said Rod Ustipak, contract coordinator of DU’s cooperative wild rice lake management program with the Minnesota DNR. “However, the rice crop yield could improve for harvesters if we experience ideal rice ripening weather in the next few weeks. The consensus is there will still be abundant ‘duck rice’ out there this fall in many lakes.”

Thinner wild rice in some lakes may make hand harvesting more challenging than in recent years past, but harvestable rice should still be widely available in many lakes for humans this year. Wild rice harvesters and duck hunters alike may have to scout a little harder this year to find those stands most attractive for harvesting and migrating waterfowl.

“Wild rice production appears highly variable throughout the north this year,” said Perry Loegering, Minnesota DNR area wildlife manager in Grand Rapids. “But by no means will the rice crop be a bust. There is lots of rice for ducks, and harvesters will just have to look around for good stands to pick.”

The apparent below average wild rice crop this year is believed to be largely due to a late spring thaw combined with cool, wet spring and summer weather in northern Minnesota this year. While June was generally dry throughout much of Minnesota, several substantial rain events occurred in central and northern Minnesota during the critical “floating leaf stage” of rice growth which appears to have negatively affected wild rice growth and production in several shallow lakes.

Improved duck migration habitat is one of the main purposes of the annual wild rice lake management program cooperatively conducted by Ducks Unlimited and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The program keeps wild rice lake outlets free flowing and clear of debris such as beaver dams to help minimize water level fluctuations on wild rice plants during critical spring growing periods.

These ongoing shallow lake management efforts also help to keep rice lake water levels naturally low, which is required for the healthy aquatic plants and invertebrates relied on by wetland wildlife. The program is an integral part of DU’s Living Lakes Initiative and supports the shallow lake habitat goals of DNR’s “Duck Recovery Plan.” This year, the program is managing approximately 100 wild rice lakes improving about 30,000 acres.

“Enhanced stands of wild rice benefits both ducks and hunters in the fall, along with migrating ducks the following spring,” said Jon Schneider, DU’s manager of conservation programs in Minnesota. “Wild rice lakes provide important seed and invertebrate food resources ducks need as they migrate through Minnesota. Abundant wild rice also improves the quality of duck breeding habitat in Minnesota’s forest shallow lakes.” Ring-necked ducks, mallards, wood ducks and teal are the primary duck species that use wild rice habitat in Minnesota, and more ring-necked ducks are harvested here than in any other state in most years.

The cooperative wild rice lake management program is funded in part through the proceeds from DNR’s wild rice harvest license revenues. This year, the Minnesota DNR has set August 15 as the opening of the 2009 wild rice harvesting season, although some lakes may be posted with later opening dates and wild rice in many northern lakes will not be fully ripe until later in August. Daily ($15) and annual ($25) wild rice harvester resident licenses, as well as $30 non-resident licenses, may be purchased online. More information on wild rice management is available at, www.dnr.state.mn.us.