 At 17% above the long-term average dating back to 1948. That's according to Mike Szymanski, Department Migratory Game Bird Supervisor. By and large, all species were either flat to down. Mallards, for instance, were down 19%. Pintils down about 29%. Blue and teal down roughly 13%. These species being down from last year is one thing, but when you compare it to back what we consider to be one of the best periods for breeding ducks, that was from 1994 to 2016.