AmmoLand.com

SD Pheasant Limits May Increase In December

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

Pierre, S.D. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Due to the delayed harvest of crops this fall, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission intends to act at its Dec. 3-4 meeting in Pierre on a proposal to raise the three-bird daily pheasant bag limit to five cock pheasants daily.

Under the proposal, the current 15-bird pheasant possession limit would increase to 25 male pheasants.

If adopted, the emergency rule would take effect Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, and remain in place until the current pheasant season ends on Jan. 3, 2010.

“The ability of hunters to harvest pheasants in the first seven weeks of the 2009 pheasant hunting season has been severely inhibited by lack of row-crop harvest,” said GFP Secretary Jeff Vonk. “The weather patterns that led to this situation were not anticipated by the Commission when it adopted the pheasant season back in April.”

The adjustments in the daily limit and possession limit will not hurt overall pheasant numbers in future years because only cock pheasants may be harvested, Vonk said.

“As crops are taken from the fields, the refuge that pheasants found in oceans of cornfields will disappear, and birds will be concentrated in the remaining cover,” Vonk said. “The addition to the limits will allow hunters the ability to make up for opportunities that were lost in the first part of the season.”

Filed under: Hunting News by Ammoland No Comments »

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Finalizes Waterfowl Seasons

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

FORT WORTH, Texas —-(AmmoLand.com)- For the 14th consecutive year, duck hunters in Texas will get the liberal waterfowl season with a 74-day season and six bird daily bag limit framework during the 2009-2010 general waterfowl seasons, but mottled ducks will be off the table during the first five days. The framework was finalized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its Aug. 27 public meeting.

After three years under the Hunter’s Choice experimental bag, Texas will revert to a conventional six-duck limit per day in the aggregate, with the following species and sex restrictions: five mallards (of which only two may be hens), three wood ducks, two scaup, two redheads, one pintail, one canvasback, and one “dusky duck” (mottled duck, Mexican-like duck, black duck and their hybrids). Mottled ducks may not be harvested prior to Thursday, Nov. 5 in the North and South Zones and Nov. 2 in the High Plains Mallard Management Unit.

The bag limit on mergansers is 5 daily, of which only 2 may be hooded mergansers and the daily bag on coots is 15.

2009-2010 Waterfowl Seasons
Ducks

High Plains Mallard Management Unit

* Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 24 — 25
* Friday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Jan. 24
* Youth-only season Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 17-18

North and South Zones

* Saturday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 29
* Saturday, Dec. 12 through Sunday, Jan. 24
* Youth-only season Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 24-25
* Falconry season for ducks is Monday, Jan. 25 through Tuesday, Feb. 8 in the North and South Zones. There is no extended season in the High Plains Mallard Management Unit.

Geese

Western Goose Zone

* Saturday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Feb. 7
* The daily bag limit is 20 light geese in the aggregate and four Canada geese and one white-fronted goose. Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for dark geese and no possession limit on light geese.

Eastern Goose Zone

* Saturday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 24 for light geese and Canada geese
* Saturday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 10 for white-fronted geese.
* The daily bag limit is 20 light geese in the aggregate and three Canada geese and two white-fronted geese.

Light Goose Conservation Order

* Monday, Feb. 8 through Sunday, Mar. 28 in the Western Goose Zone
* Monday, Jan. 25 through Sunday, Mar. 28 in the Eastern Goose Zone
* No bag or possession limits.

Sandhill Crane

Zone A

* Saturday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Feb. 7
* Daily bag limit of three birds.

Zone B

* Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Feb. 7
* Daily bag limit of three birds.

Zone C

* Saturday, Dec. 19 through Sunday, Jan. 24
* Daily bag limit of two birds.
* Possession limits statewide are twice the daily bag limits.

New this year, purchase of the Federal Duck Stamp will cost $15-$17 depending on where you buy. If purchased through the TPWD license system there is a $2 administrative fee. Your license will indicate Federal Duck Stamp purchase and the physical stamp will be mailed. There are other options for purchasing the stamp, either at some major post offices or online.

Waterfowl hunters are reminded they will need to request HIP (Harvest Information Program) certification from the license clerk when purchasing their hunting license this year. HIP certification is required in order to hunt migratory game birds in Texas.

Also new this year, sandhill crane permits may be obtained in person at no cost only through TPWD Law Enforcement offices and TPWD headquarters in Austin. Permits are also available anytime online through TPWD’s online license sales and by calling 800-792-1112 (option 5, menu 2) or 512-389-4820 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For online and phone orders, a confirmation number will be issued in lieu of a permit and a $5 transaction fee will be charged.

Filed under: Hunting News by Ammoland No Comments »