Pennsylvania Prepares For Special Snow Goose Season

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are set to offer hunters the opportunity to participate in a snow goose conservation hunt designed to help stem the growth of continental snow goose populations.

Hunters must obtain a free snow goose conservation hunt permit and report cards from the agency to participate in the season.

The Snow Goose Conservation Hunt dates are from Jan. 26 through April 27 in the Atlantic Population and the Southern James Bay Population goose zones, and Feb. 27 through April 27 in the Resident Population Goose Zone. The daily limit is 25, with no possession limit.

To do so, hunters can access the “Snow Goose Conservation Hunt” page by clicking on the appropriate icon in the center of the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and then following the instructions. By completing the application online, hunters will be able to print off the permit and report cards and will not have to wait for the package to be mailed.

For those individuals with no online access, permits and the required report cards can be obtained by calling the Game Commission at the Harrisburg headquarters (717-787-4250) and asking for the Bureau of Wildlife Management. However, this process will require mailing the permit and report cards to the applicant, so allow a minimum of one week for processing and mail delivery to obtain a permit.

“Snow goose populations have reached levels that are causing extensive and possibly irreversible damage to their, as well as other nesting birds’, arctic and sub-arctic breeding grounds,” pointed out Kevin Jacobs, Game Commission waterfowl biologist. “For some populations of snow geese their nesting habitats can no longer support these large numbers. What’s more, these geese are beginning to impact fragile coastal marsh habitats and crops in Mid-Atlantic States and Quebec.

“It’s likely that North America has never had as many snow geese as it does now. The current population of greater snow geese that inhabits the Atlantic Flyway is estimated at more than one million birds, more than double the management goal of 500,000. They have become a huge and unexpected problem for themselves and other wildlife that shares the wintering and breeding grounds these waterfowl occupy.”

The quickest and probably most effective way for wildlife managers to respond to the problem is to allow additional hunting days – and new hunting methods – to reduce and stabilize snow goose populations. Therefore, as part of this Snow Goose Conservation Hunt, electronic calls and decoys are legal, and legal shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. Currently, all waterfowl shooting hours close at sundown, except for the September Canada goose season, and electronic calls are not legal for other waterfowl seasons.

Currently, the regular snow goose season, with a daily bag limit of 25 snow geese, opened on Oct. 25 and runs through Jan. 25 in the Atlantic Population and Southern James Bay Population goose zones, and until Feb. 25 in the Resident Population Goose Zone.

Participating states are required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor and assess hunting activity and harvest. That is why the Game Commission has created the free Snow Goose Conservation Hunt Permit.

“Along with this new permit, hunters must possess a general hunting license, migratory game bird license and a federal duck stamp (for those 16 or older),” Jacobs said. “The permit holder will be required to maintain records specifying hunting activity and daily harvest. All permit holders must submit a report, even if they did not hunt or harvest any birds, to the Game Commission no later than May 28. Failure to report by May 28 may result in loss of eligibility to participate in next year’s snow goose conservation hunt.”

The Fowl Life Iraqi Veterans Canadian Goose Hunt

Sportsman Channel

New Berlin, Wis. --(Ammoland.com)- Hunting Canada geese and riding in a Blackhawk helicopter – sounds like a recipe for great TV!

Sportsman Channel, the leader in outdoor TV for the American Sportsman, is proud to showcase the latest episode of The Fowl Life with Chad Belding. Entitled “Blackhawk Down, Part 1”, host Chad Belding and “Team Fowl Life” travel to Colorado with American (Iraqi) veterans for world-class Canadian goose hunting.

They also experience American military training with a ride in Blawkhawk helicopter and fire Howitzer guns that were used in war. Simply put, this episode is about giving back to American military by sharing in the outdoors with moments of laughter, smiles, tears and immense pride in America. Watch this captivating episode of The Fowl Life on Sunday, October 30 at 9:30 p.m. EST.

Team Fowl Life chased the migration on the Front Range of Colorado (near Fort Collins) and also trained with the soldiers at Camp Ripley in Minnesota. The soldiers experienced Canada geese decoying at 15 yards as they pull up and out of their blinds to harvest several birds, including 13 out of one flock.

“The Veterans were awesome shots and got out of their blinds to shoot faster than anybody I have encountered on a hunt,” said Belding, host of The Fowl Life with Chad Belding. “I want the overall feeling to be that hunting is the common denominator. We all came together because of this rich heritage. I also had the distinct privilege of “pinning” a new soldier (Sergeant Chris Eisminger) to a new rank which truly humbled me.”

“Blackhawk Down – Part 1” will also include many interviews with soldiers in uniform and hunting gear discussing their opportunity to hunt and protect their fellow Americans. Viewers will also see Team Fowl Life train with the marines and will see the soldiers present Belding with an Iraqi Freedom Flag from their tank convoy.

• To learn more about The Fowl Life with Chad Belding, visit http://www.thefowllife.com/vs2/
• Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bandednation

About Sportsman Channel:
Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the more than 82 million sportsmen in the United States, delivering entertaining and educational programming focused exclusively on hunting, shooting and fishing activities. Sportsman Channel is now available in HD, check with your local cable or satellite provider. Acquired by InterMedia Outdoors Holdings in 2006, Sportsman Channel reaches 27 million U.S. television households and is a part of the nation’s largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts. Visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com, follow on Twitter, @SPORTSMANchnl (www.twitter.com/SPORTSMANchnl), become a Fan on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sportsmanchannel and download Sportsman App at www.itunes.com/appstore

Mossy Oak

WEST POINT, MS --(Ammoland.com)- Question: What do you look for when scouting for places to hunt ducks and geese?
Answer: It depends on if I am hunting public or on private land. Typically if you are hunting public land, your area of scouting is a lot larger. When I am on public land I will look for areas where birds are grouping up to rest. Typically in public land scenarios the birds are pressured a lot. So if you can find the spot that they feel comfortable relaxing, then that is where I would try to set up.

Private land is a lot different because you are restricted to the area of land that you are leasing or have permission to hunt. However, this makes your scouting much easier because you do not have to cover as much ground to find that special spot. Hopefully, the area you are on has birds using it. If so, just keep an eye on them for 2 or 3 days before you decide to hunt that spot. You should start to quickly see when and where they are feeding or resting on your land.

Mossy Oak Pro Staff Member Cory Dukehart

Question: How do you decide on your decoy placement for ducks?
Answer:I have tried all different set ups for ducks in a lot of different scenarios, and I do things differently depending on if I am hunting ducks alone or ducks and geese together. All waterfowl like to land into the wind. When hunting ducks only, I will always set up with the wind at my back.

This will help get the birds to land into your face and shooting zone and not behind you. You can try any variety of the “U,” “J” hook, or “C” pattern shapes. I have not found one to be better than the other in my opinion. Any pattern that allows the birds to land into the wind and gives them an open spot to aim for is worth trying. When I am targeting both ducks and geese at the same time, typically my goose decoys out number my duck decoys drastically. I will usually set up my goose decoys first and then, on the inside of my target area for the geese, I will place the duck decoys on the edge of the geese closest to where I am located. This will help draw the ducks within range, but not push the geese out of the hole.

Question: Do you use different decoy patterns when setting up? Do you change the spread during the hunt?
Answer: My decoy patterns depend solely on the wind. I set up depending on the wind direction and speed. A very light wind allows you to be a little bit more lenient with your pattern direction, whereas a fast strong wind you have to follow it exactly if you want good shots.

I will absolutely change my spread throughout the hunt. A lot of people do not like to get out of their blinds to make a change to the spread due to the lost time and the possibility of losing birds that may come to work the spread while you are in it. But, if you are seeing a negative trend from the birds you need to do something, or you will probably watch them repeat that trend all day long.

What I mean is, if you watch a few flocks work your spread really well, giving you 2 or 3 circles and each time they are looking more and more like they are ready for that final decent. If all of a sudden the lead bird flares and they slide on off the horizon, then something isn’t right. It could be a number of different things that are causing this but one thing is certain, unless you change something you will have that same issue again. Get out and move the decoys around. Re-check the wind to see if it has changed.

If the birds are working behind you and you are forced to make uncomfortable shots change the spread so that you are looking at the zone where they are trying to land. Losing 15-20 minutes of the hunt making a change is going to be much more rewarding than sitting there and dealing with a small issue all day.

Question: Do you use layout blinds when field hunting for ducks & geese? If so, where do you place them in your decoy spread?
Answer: I do use layout blinds in some situations for both ducks and geese. Typically I will place my blinds right in the middle of my spread facing the landing zone with the wind at my back. I try to thicken up the decoys in that area to help hide my blind.

Question: How do you conceal your blind and hunting area?
Answer:

• Pit blinds – Rake up existing vegetation and tie or fasten it to the top of your pit. You may have to do this a few times throughout the season.
• Above ground – Most above ground blinds are either in standing corn or hedge rows. For corn fields use some of the left over stalks to help hide the blind. If it is a hedge row, you can use any type of tree or bush.
• Boat – If you have a blind on your boat, anchor your boat up against an existing land structure and use as much of the natural vegetation around you to help hide the boat. If you are exiting the boat and hunting from the land, make sure you have a couple of large brown or camo burlap fabric pieces and drape it over the boat.
• Layout – First thing you should do to every layout blind is put mud all over it. Let the mud dry and then knock it off. This will take the shine off of the fabric on the blind. Then, attach whatever you are hiding into the loops that should be connecting to your blind.
• Your dog – The best way is to purchase a dog blind and then follow the process for the layout blind.

Question: What are your basic calling tips for ducks?
Answer: Most people make the mistake of calling at ducks too much. In most cases, I think less is more with ducks. Give them just enough pecking and clucking and a few quacks are typically all it takes especially in high pressured areas.

Question: What are your basic calling tips for geese?
Answer: With geese I am much more vocal on the call. But I am always watching how the birds are reacting to the call. Some days it seems as if they don’t want to hear anything at all and others you need to be giving them something until their feet are about to touch the ground. Watch the lead goose in the flock and see how that bird is reacting to your sounds. If they are continuing to come to a certain note, stick with that sound. If you do something different and one of the geese in the middle or towards the back starts to break off, continue with that sound. Sometimes you may be able to pull just a few instead of the whole group.

Question: How can I be a more consistent shooter on ducks & geese?
Answer: Practice is really the only answer to this question. No gun, shell, or choke tube is going to fix problems that practice can’t. Shooting clay targets do not always replicate the shooting scenarios that waterfowlers encounter, but you can get used to wing shooting by practicing this way.

Question: Do you use different chokes in your shotgun depending on the type of hunting?
Answer: I do. I have about 4 different choke tubes that I use in different situations. In reality they are not that different from each other but if I know I am going to be focusing on a specific size of bird, I will most certainly change my tube accordingly.

Question: How can I attract waterfowl to private property?
Answer: The two most important things for any good waterfowl property are food and water. If you can build a pond or flood a field, you are setting yourself up nicely to have birds using your land all day long. As far as food goes, there are several options you can plant from Mossy Oak BioLogic that are geared towards ducks and geese. But most fields have been planted with crops that have since been harvested and those fields will almost always attract hungry ducks and geese.

Question: How do you introduce youth to waterfowl hunting?
Answer: One of the best ways to getting a kid involved in hunting waterfowl is to actually let him contribute to the hunt. Let him go retrieve the birds if you are in a field, or let him send the dog. A great way to really let a youngster think he/she is really helping out is to give him a duck whistle. These whistles are very inexpensive, and can be bought anywhere hunting equipment is sold. You can reproduce the sounds of about 6 different ducks on this whistle and it will hardly ever spook a duck.

The Mossy Oak ProStaff is a group of top outdoors men and women from across the country that act as spokespersons for the Brand. Members of the Elite ProStaff are people the hunting community will recognize from their hunting expertise and accomplishments, videos, TV and magazine articles. Our Regional ProStaff is a group of accomplished hunters who promote Mossy Oak in various regions across the U.S. They also manage a more localized Field Staff in their regions. From event support to retail store grand openings to radio and TV appearances, our ProStaff adds value to the Mossy Oak Brand nationally, regionally and locally.

Read Part One of this Interview.

Lone black brant, flying low over water and grassy shoreline. Chris Nicolai/USFWS photo.

California Department Of Fish And Game

California --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds hunters the north coast black brant hunting season is open from Nov. 7, 2011 through Dec. 6, 2011.

An error in the California Waterfowl Association’s 2011-12 Waterfowl Hunter’s Pocket Guide shows the season beginning and ending a day earlier.

A brief list of season dates and bag limits are on the 2011-2012 Waterfowl Hunting Season Summary at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/11-12-waterfowl-sum.html. The complete, detailed regulations are on the Fish and Game Commission website at www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/current/waterfowlregs.aspx#502d5D1.

The 20 to 30-inch black brants appear similar to the Canada goose but are smaller and shorter-necked, lacking the white cheek patch of the latter.

Black brants breed in coastal Alaska and the Canadian Arctic in summers, then spend winters along both coasts of the U.S., and as far south as Mexico.

They feed primarily on eelgrass and other marine plants, so seldom stray far from salt water. The greatest threat to the species is loss of winter habitat to development.

Again, the correct season dates for the Northern Brant Management Area are Nov. 7, 2011 through Dec. 6, 2011.

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Ohio hunters should have good opportunities to take some of the most popular species of waterfowl, based on the findings of biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The spring pond index for the prairie pothole region of North America (Kansas to central Saskatchewan) and breeding duck surveys indicate a better than average reproduction year for most duck species. Ponds are housing above normal numbers and good production has been noted from most of the primary breeding range.

Closer to home, the Upper Great Lakes states and eastern Canadian provinces showed good to excellent mallard nesting and brood rearing habitat conditions and breeding populations similar to 2010. The Upper Great Lakes are the primary breeding range for mallards harvested in Ohio. Mallards are Ohio’s most harvested duck and can be found throughout the state.

Wood ducks, which are the second most harvested duck in Ohio and the state’s number one breeding duck, appear to also have had a good production year.

Canada geese are overall the most harvested waterfowl in the Buckeye State and can be found in good numbers throughout Ohio. In-state giant Canada geese had the highest population estimate this spring and all indications are there was fair to good production across the state. Migrant interior populations (Southern James Bay and Mississippi Valley) of Canada geese have also had good production. With proper weather, the hunting outlook is good to very good.

With good habitat conditions, Ohio hunters will enjoy a liberal 60-day hunting season again this year. Pintail continued to increase in population which will allow a two-bird bag for the second year in a row. Scaup showed a slight increase in population, and will see a two-bird bag for the entire 60-day season. The canvasback population increased slightly, and there will be a full season in 2011.

The success of Ohio waterfowl hunters has more to do with weather conditions and local habitat conditions rather than continental ducks populations. State wildlife areas are in good condition with excellent fall food potential.

Details of the waterfowl and all other hunting seasons can be found in the Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and in Ohio Waterfowl Hunting Seasons Publication 5295. Hunters can also review seasons and regulations online at wildohio.com.

The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

West Virginia DNR

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. --(Ammoland.com)-   West Virginia’s 2011 – 2012 waterfowl seasons will begin statewide on Sept. 1, 2011, with the opening of the early Canada goose season, according to Curtis I. Taylor, Chief of the Division of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Section.

The early season will end on Sept. 17. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.

All other general waterfowl hunting regulations apply to the September season. Hunters must possess a federal waterfowl stamp and a free Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration card in addition to their regular hunting license. HIP registration is free and available from DNR offices and all hunting license outlets.

“Canada geese are found throughout West Virginia, but the largest concentrations are in the major river valleys where agriculture and suburban landscapes provide an abundance of open land,” Taylor said. “A recently harvested crop field near water would be an ideal and obvious place to hunt. However, hunters should not overlook those out-of-the way spots such as an isolated pasture or strip bench with a small pond.”

Hunters also should seek out hunting opportunities near towns, golf courses and similar areas that may like to see local goose populations reduced. Regular scouting, not only before the season but also during the season, is important because geese are very mobile and will move to isolated areas to avoid hunting pressure.

Because most goose hunting is found on private lands, it is important for hunters to maintain a good relationship with landowners. Some wildlife management areas also offer goose hunting, and hunters should contact the appropriate DNR District Office with questions about specific areas.

Waterfowl hunters are reminded of two important toll free numbers. Federal waterfowl stamps may be purchased with a credit card by calling 1-800-782-6724. Also, hunters who harvest a banded bird may call 1-800-327-2263 to report the bird and find out when and where it was banded. Banded birds may also be reported online at www.reportband.gov.

Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, WI --(Ammoland.com)- – As September approaches so do the first fall hunting opportunities — the early Canada goose and mourning dove seasons.

The early Canada goose season in Wisconsin runs Sept. 1-15 statewide. The dove season runs Sept. 1 – Nov. 9 statewide.

The early Canada goose season is made possible by the historic growth of local giant Canada goose populations. Wisconsin’s breeding population was up 12 percent this spring with 176,095 geese counted during the spring waterfowl survey. Harvest of Canada geese in the early season now amounts to one-third of the total annual Canada goose harvest in Wisconsin.

“The early season provides additional and ample opportunities for our goose hunters and directs harvest pressure toward these locally nesting geese,” said Kent Van Horn, migratory game bird ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources.

The early season daily bag limit is five birds. In addition to the standard small game hunting license and state and federal waterfowl stamps, participation requires a $3 early Canada goose permit and HIP certification. Registering for HIP (the federal Harvest Information Program) is free and can be done at any DNR service center or licensing sales agent. The national HIP registry allows biologists to more accurately survey hunters about important harvest information and participation.

There are no “zones” or “subzones” during the early season. The hunt is statewide regardless of what area hunters may hold a permit for during the regular goose season.

Wisconsin’s resident geese often change feeding and movement patterns this time of year, biologists say.

“Hunters who scout prior to the hunt and stay mobile during the season give themselves the best chance for success,” said Van Horn.

Dove season details and safety tips
Mourning doves are one of the most abundant and widely distributed birds in Wisconsin and throughout North America and populations are stable and slowly growing, Van Horn said. On average, about 14,000 Wisconsin hunters harvest 140,000 mourning doves each year. As with Canada geese, mourning dove hunters should benefit from scouting to see where birds are flying as they move between roosts, water and feeding areas.

With a holiday weekend quickly following the opening of these hunts, there likely will be large numbers of people spending time outdoors.

“We encourage everyone to respect each other’s interests,” said Van Horn.

Dove hunters also must be HIP certified to be in compliance with state and federal law. This free and easy certification can be requested when purchasing a small game hunting license.

The national HIP registry allows biologists to more accurately survey hunters about important harvest information and participation.

Dove hunting regulation and safety reminders:

• Doves are migratory birds so hunters must use a plugged shotgun with a capacity not to exceed 3 shells in the magazine and chamber combined.
• Nontoxic shot is required to hunt doves on all DNR managed lands.
• Avoid shooting at doves near power lines or shooting horizontally at low-flying birds where other hunters may be present. Following the basic rules of firearm safety should avoid these situations.

For more information see the Waterfowl in Wisconsin or mourning dove pages of the DNR website.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- Michigan duck hunters will again enjoy a 60-day season this year as the Natural Resources Commission approved upcoming waterfowl seasons at its August meeting Thursday.

Duck season will begin Sept. 24 in the North Zone (Upper Peninsula) and run through Nov. 18, then re-open Nov. 24-27.

• In the Middle Zone, duck season is set for Oct. 1 – Nov. 27 and Dec. 3-4.
• In the South Zone, the season is Oct. 8 – Dec. 4 and Dec. 10-11.

The seasons were established under the federal framework through consultation between the Department of Natural Resources and the Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee.

Bag limits are unchanged from last year. Hunters may take up to six ducks daily with no more than four mallards (no more than one of which may be a hen), three wood ducks, two redheads, two scaup, two pintails, one canvasback and one black duck.

The early Canada goose hunting season begins statewide Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 10 in the North Zone and in Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron counties; and through Sept. 15 in the rest of the state. The daily bag limit is five.

The regular Canada goose seasons – with the exception of designated goose management units (GMU) are Sept. 17 – Oct. 31 in the North Zone; Oct. 1-8 , Nov. 24-27 and Dec. 3-4 in the Middle Zone; and Oct. 8 – Nov. 10 and Nov. 24 – Dec. 4 in the south zone. The daily bag limit is two.

The goose seasons in the Saginaw County GMU and the Tuscola/Huron GMU are Oct. 8 – Nov. 10, Nov. 24 – Dec. 4, and Dec. 31 – Jan. 29. The daily bag limit is two.

The seasons in the Allegan County GMU are Nov. 12-30, Dec. 10-20, and Dec. 31 – Jan. 14. The daily bag limit is two.

At Muskegon Waste Water GMU, the seasons are Oct. 11 – Nov. 13 and Dec. 1-11. The daily bag limit is two.

The late goose season – in the South Zone only – is Dec. 31 – Jan. 29. The daily bag limit is five.

Hunters may take 20 snow, blue or Ross’ geese daily and one white-fronted goose and one brant during the regular and late seasons in respective zones or GMUs.

Continental duck populations increased 11 percent from 2010 as a result of exceptionally good wetland conditions in the mid-continent prairie and parkland regions. Most duck species are above their long-term averages. However, about 75 percent of Michigan’s mallard harvest is from ducks produced in the Great Lakes region. Michigan’s mallard population was down 34 percent this year from 2010 and 40 percent below the long-term average. Therefore despite very good predictions for continental fall duck flights, Michigan duck hunters will likely encounter fewer ducks, especially mallards, this season.

Michigan’s Canada goose harvest is derived from primarily three flocks, including local giant Canada geese, the Mississippi Valley Population (MVP), and the Southern James Bay Population (SJBP). Michigan’s giant Canada geese make up approximately 70 percent of the state’s goose harvest. Michigan’s Canada goose population estimate is down about 42 percent from last year. The MVP and SJBP flocks breed largely on Hudson Bay, Ontario, and account for the majority of Michigan’s migrant goose harvest. MVP numbers are significantly down this year and SJBP numbers are similar to last year and remain stable. In general, goose hunters are likely to see smaller numbers of Canada geese throughout Michigan’s goose hunting seasons; however some local areas have good giant Canada goose numbers and will provide excellent opportunity.

For more information on waterfowl hunting in Michigan, go to www.michigan.gov/hunting and click on Waterfowl.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- An article about the upcoming 2011-2012 migratory bird seasons has been posted on the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife website.

Waterfowl biologist Ted Nichols provides detailed information on the population status of the state’s waterfowl species and how the waterfowl seasons are affected by population status.

Among significant changes this year will be the duration of the woodcock season (increased from 24 to 36 days) and the brant season, which will be closed during part of the duck season in all zones.

The bag limits for the various duck seasons are noted, as is information on Canada and light goose seasons.

The article can be viewed at www.njfishandwildlife.com/artmigratory11.htm on the division’s website.

Delta Waterfowl’s Top Ten Spring Snow Goose Hunting Tips

Delta Waterfowl

Bismarck, ND --(Ammoland.com)- Snow-sodden fields. Ankle-deep mud. Biting winds, driving rains and cold-to-the-bone temperatures.
Play Slideshow

Spring snow goose hunters happily endure Mother Nature’s unpredictable mood swings to chase geese that hold advanced degrees in survival. Snow geese can be older than you, and have witnessed, from their lofty, discriminating vantage point, untold decoy spreads during their travels across the continent. They’re savvy, cunning and difficult to hunt—even exasperating—but far from impossible.

If you’re looking for a prescription for successfully hunting spring snows, Delta Waterfowl has a small coterie of snow goose aficionados who are qualified to help. After years of hunting these wily birds, they’ve learned some fool-proof (or nearly so) secrets to help fill your freezer with some tasty wild protein. Enjoy the spring season.
Delta’s Top 10 list:

1) Scouting: If you don’t find the birds, they likely won’t find you. “You have to scout, scout and scout some more,” says Scott Terning, Delta’s director of recruitment and education. Watch the snow line; birds will be south of it, always. You can also use a number of online sources to aid your scouting and get refuge reports to determine bird concentrations, but remember nothing compares to doing real-time scouting.” Terning recommends finding the largest concentration of birds on a lake, wetland or piece of sheet water. During the spring, he said, it’s common to locate multiple roosts in a given area. “You want to scout these birds and locate where they are feeding for your hunt the next day,” Terning says. “Taking these simple first steps will save you a lot of time and frustration.”

2) The sheet water connection: “In the spring finding sheet water is often the key element in finding birds,” says Delta Waterfowl Senior Vice President John Devney. “They seem to decoy far better in fields with a little water in them. Spring snows will often look for corn stubble and sheet water in the same field.”

3) Concealment: Hide, hide, hide! Fooling spring snows requires you stay well hidden. Take advantage of any field changes that allow for better concealment—from drainages to low spots to missed field vegetation. Conceal ground blinds from all angles and use decoys to break up their outlines. In grain fields it’s sometimes best to ditch the ground blinds and hunt in your best “whites.” And don’t forget your facemask. There’s typically no margin for error.

4) Decoys: You don’t need a 1,000-decoy spread to have a successful hunt, says Terning. “You need a respectable amount of decoys, and the best ones you have, because quality can be more important than quantity,” he said, noting that you should team up with a friend if you don’t have enough decoys. “Bring along some floaters too. You’ll want to use them in the sheet water.” Keep decoys properly spaced, about three or four feet between each. The spread will look more natural from a distance and create the affect of having a larger spread.

5) Movement in decoys: It’s very important to attract distant birds to your spread. Use kites, flyers, flags and other decoys to increase motion, especially directly behind your blinds on the upwind side of your spread. This will create the illusion of snows landing and leap-frogging over each other to feed. “Silosock flyers work really well to add movement to your spread,” says Terning. Bottom line: employ as much movement as possible, even to the point of putting a white vest on your dog.

6) Late snows: The latter part of the migration can provide the best decoy hunting, because the majority of the birds are juveniles. “Young birds are much easier to decoy,” says Delta’s Jim Fisher, Canada’s director of conservation policy. “You won’t see the number of birds, generally speaking, but the decoy hunting can be excellent.”

7) Hunter placement in decoys: “Don’t be afraid to move within the decoy spread to get to a better position to shoot lower birds or to have a chance at flaring birds,” says Delta’s Fisher. “Or leave the decoys altogether and get downwind to a spot that may give you closer shots.”

8 ) Prepare for fog and mud: Spring hunters will likely find both in copious amounts. “Morning fog can really get guys mixed up when they’re looking for the field they received permission to hunt the night before, so make a mental note of landmarks to guide you to the right spot,” says Delta’s Terning. “If the fog has been really bad, use a GPS to plot the precise location of where you want to set up the following day. A good map and GPS are indispensable.” The spring season has another constant: mud. Be prepared for it; bring extra clothes/gear and have a plan for transporting decoys because driving a truck and trailer into a field may not be an option. “Hunters need to do their best to leave the smallest footprint as possible,” says Delta’s Devney. “Be respectful of landowner property and be extremely careful not to tear up muddy roads.”

9) Ballistics and shooting: Fisher strongly recommends using quality shells. “I like to use three-inch shot shells with BB or BBB,” he said. “Be judicious with the shots you take, know your maximum effective range and don’t stray from it. After all, it’s hunting, not shooting.”

10) Food, glorious, food: Have a plan. Bring a cooler, ice and cleaning materials. Know the rules on how to legally transport birds. Snow geese, contrary to popular myth, are superb table fare. Bring a grill or stove and prepare a feast in the field. An easy recipe: take the tenderloins from several goose breasts. Dredge them in seasoned flour and fry. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce. Delta President Rob Olson says sweet chili or plum and hot mustard is a terrific combination. Find some great snow goose recipes at deltawaterfowl.org

About:
Delta Waterfowl provides knowledge, leaders and science-based solutions that efficiently conserve waterfowl and secure the future for waterfowl hunting. Visit: www.deltawaterfowl.org

Arkansas Snow Geese

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

LITTLE ROCK, AR --(Ammoland.com)- The current Snow Goose Conservation Order requires a special permit for Arkansans and visitors to hunt the overabundant waterfowl.

The permits are free, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has made it easy for participants to get permits.

It takes less than five minutes. Go to www.ark.org/agfc/permitting/apply.php. You will need your hunting license number and your driver’s license or Social Security number for identification.

When you complete the application, you will be given a registration number. You will be ready to hunt snow geese, including blue geese and Ross’s geese, which look like small snow geese.

Hunters also may get the registration numbers by calling the AGFC at (800) 364-4263 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

This special snow goose season runs through April 25. The geese are abundant in Arkansas, mostly on agricultural land in northeastern, eastern and southeasteastern Arkansas. Hunters will find most of the snow geese on private land, (where landowners’ permission is needed).

“It is important that hunters harvest as many snow geese as they can, ” said Luke Naylor, AGFC waterfowl biologist.

“There’s no daily bag or possession limit on light geese during the Conservation Order, guns do not have to be plugged, electronic calls can be used and shooting hours have been extended to a half hour before and a half hour after sunset. Non-toxic shot is required.”

Naylor says the special snow goose conservation season began several years ago and continues this year in an effort to reduce the snow goose population.

“The Conservation Order, with its relaxed harvest regulations, is an attempt to reduce the population to a more healthy level by allowing hunters the opportunity to harvest more geese.” Naylor said.

“Snow geese numbers have increased to the point that they’re damaging their nesting habitat in the sub-Arctic and Arctic tundra, posing a serious threat to the long-term health of the Arctic ecosystem and its associated wildlife communities.

“This is a unique situation for waterfowl hunters. Most waterfowl regulations are created to protect species from overharvest. With snow geese, the objective is to maximize the harvest, and for exactly the same reason – to protect the species and other species associated with Arctic tundra habitat.”

Snow geese often are found feeding on young winter wheat in Arkansas. They begin migrating north when weather warms in late winter and early spring.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- To give waterfowl hunters another tool to assist with efforts to address overabundant snow goose populations, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to a regulatory change to allow the use of electronic decoys during the Snow Goose Conservation Hunt.

If published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, the official compendium of Pennsylvania regulations, the regulatory change could be in effect for hunters participating in the 2011 Snow Goose Conservation Hunt (Feb. 21-April 16).

“Snow goose populations have reached levels that are causing extensive and possibly irreversible damage to the arctic and sub-arctic breeding grounds they and other nesting birds use,” pointed out Kevin Jacobs, Game Commission waterfowl biologist.

“For some populations of snow geese, their nesting habitats can no longer support these large numbers. What’s more, these geese are beginning to impact habitat and crops in Mid-Atlantic States and Quebec.

“It’s likely that North America has never had as many snow geese as it does now. They have become a huge and unexpected problem for themselves and other wildlife that shares the wintering and breeding grounds these waterfowl occupy.

In addition to extending hunting hours and allowing the use of electronic calls for the Snow Goose Conservation Hunt, electronic decoys should provide hunters additional opportunity to harvest snow geese.”

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio waterfowl hunters should have good opportunities to take some of the most popular species of waterfowl, based on the findings of biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The spring pond index for the prairie pothole region of North America (Kansas to central Saskatchewan) and breeding duck surveys indicate an above average reproduction year for most duck species. Ponds are housing above average numbers and good production has been noted from most of the primary breeding range. Duck numbers are slightly lower than 2009, but they are still 21 percent above the long-term average.

Closer to home, the Upper Great Lakes states showed average habitat conditions and similar production of mallards as last year. The Upper Great Lakes are the primary breeding range for mallards harvested in Ohio. Mallards are Ohio’s number one harvested duck and can be found throughout the state.

Wood ducks, the second most important duck to Ohio hunters and the state’s number one breeding duck, appear to have had a fair production year. Late summer dry conditions may concentrate birds, but a variety of hunting locations should be available for Ohio hunters.

Canada geese are the most harvested waterfowl in Ohio and can be found in good numbers everywhere. Locally raised giant Canada geese had the fourth highest population estimate this spring and all indications are there was fair to good production across Ohio. Migrant interior populations (Southern James Bay and Mississippi Valley) of Canada geese have also had good production. With proper weather, the hunting outlook is good to very good.

With good habitat conditions, Ohio hunters will enjoy a liberal 60-day hunting season once again this year. Pintail again showed an increase in population which will allow a two-bird bag this year. Scaup showed a slight increase in population, so there will be a two-bird bag for the whole season. The canvasback population decreased slightly, but there will still be a full season in 2010.

The success of Ohio waterfowl hunters has more to do with weather conditions and choice of hunting location than available ducks. Hunters should be scouting their territories now and securing landowner permission where needed. State wildlife areas are in good condition with excellent fall food potential. Heavy rains early in the summer followed by an extended drought permitted considerable growth in moist-soil plants in many traditional wetlands. A flooding of those areas by early fall rains should provide additional waterfowl habitat. Hunters should not only check their traditional spots, but also more marginal haunts for food production and water quantity.

Details of the waterfowl and all other hunting seasons can be found in the Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and in Ohio Waterfowl Hunting Seasons. Hunters can also review seasons and regulations online at wildohio.com

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Goose Hunting Opportunities Available

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Annapolis, MD --(Ammoland.com)- Governor Martin O’Malley joined the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in announcing Maryland’s Atlantic Population Canada goose hunting season will kick off November 20.

The season will run November 20 through November 26, 2010; and December 16 through January 29, 2011. The daily bag limit is two Canada geese.

“Few sights and sounds symbolize the changing of the seasons like the first waves of Canada geese arriving from their breeding grounds along distant Hudson Bay,” said Governor O’Malley. “These magnificent birds are a vital part of what makes the Chesapeake region a fabulous place to work, live and play.”

“The Atlantic Population is the largest Canada goose population in North America,” said DNR Waterfowl Project Leader Larry Hindman. “A normal spring thaw resulted in a productive hatch this year. Hunters and non-hunters alike can look forward to seeing large numbers of Canada geese returning to Maryland this fall.”

Information on waterfowl hunting and a detailed map of the Canada goose hunting zones is online at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/lwfchart.asp. The 2010-2011 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons flier is also available online and at most licensing agents.

Hunters are encouraged to report banded migratory game birds by calling toll-free 1-800-327-BAND (2263). For added convenience, banded migratory birds may also be reported online at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/homepage/call800.htm

About:
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland’s forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland’s effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state’s number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.DNR.Maryland.gov.

Mossy Oak

WEST POINT, MS --(Ammoland.com)- Q: What is a good call for beginners?
A: For ducks, I typically recommend double reed calls. The double reed duck call is what I call the training wheels of duck calls. Now this doesn’t mean that a veteran should not blow a double reed, but they are easier to learn on in my opinion. The double reed allows the caller to lean on the call more and give it more air without the fear of slipping a bad or scratch note.

For geese, I would start out with and continue to use short reeds. There are a few manufacturers out there who make great flute style calls, and in the right hands they can be deadly. But in my opinion the easier style to learn and continue to progress on is the short reed style goose call.

Q: How can I learn how and when to call?
A: Learning how to call is a lot easier than learning when to call. To learn how to call takes nothing but practice and lots of it. These days there are endless websites with calling instructions and online lessons. There is also an abundance of calling instructional DVDs/CDs on the market. If you do not have someone who you can practice with to help you correct bad habits, I would recommend purchasing one of these DVDs or CDs and listening to the sounds that the caller is making. If you have access to a local refuge or park, it doesn’t hurt to go and listen to the best teachers of all, the birds themselves.

Learning when to call is a completely different story. And no one can really teach it to you. The only way to learn when to call takes time in the field watching the birds.

Mossy Oak Pro Staff Member Cory Dukehart

Q: What is the best way to set up if I only have a limited number of decoys?
A: Having a limited amount of decoys to use is not always a bad thing depending where you are in the country and the time of the year you are hunting them. One of the best ways to use a smaller amount of decoys is in the early season. I would set them up in small family groups, 3 or 4 birds per group, and then about 10-15 yards away another small family group.

Q: What is your favorite way to hunt ducks?
A: My favorite way to hunt ducks is in a field from a lay down blind. There is nothing like working in a group of about 20 mallards and having them practically land right on top of you before you call the shot.

Q: What do you do if ducks or geese are “short stopping” your decoy spread?
A: One thing to do is to jump on your call really hard and fast. Get really excited on the call. This doesn’t always work, but I have had success with it in the past. Typically it will pick the birds back up and allow them to drift the few extra yards you need to make the shot. The key to this is to make sure you do it before they actually land. If you see the birds about to set down on the edge of your spread outside of gun range, make sure you hit them with the call then before they get on the ground. Once they are on the ground, there is not a whole lot you can do to get them closer.

Q: What is the best call to use for pressured or “call shy” ducks?
A: I don’t know there really is a good call for “call shy” ducks. If you have to blow a call make sure it’s a quiet one and use it very sporadically. I would try to stick with slow, relaxed sounds, single quacks, pecking and clucking. If the ducks are call shy and everyone hunting around you is calling a lot, your best move might just be to shut up and see what they do with silence. They might just come right to you.

About:
The Mossy Oak ProStaff is a group of top outdoors men and women from across the country that act as spokespersons for the Brand. Members of the Elite ProStaff are people the hunting community will recognize from their hunting expertise and accomplishments, videos, TV and magazine articles. Our Regional ProStaff is a group of accomplished hunters who promote Mossy Oak in various regions across the U.S. They also manage a more localized Field Staff in their regions. From event support to retail store grand openings to radio and TV appearances, our ProStaff adds value to the Mossy Oak Brand nationally, regionally and locally.

Doves and Waterfowl Usher in West Virgina's Fall Hunting Season

West Virginia DNR

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – -(Ammoland.com)- September 1st signals the beginning of another hunting season in West Virginia.

For many years now, September 1st is the traditional opening of dove season across a wide swath of the United States. These early seasons provide extra opportunities to get out and enjoy good shooting before the regular seasons kick in.

For such a small bird, dove hunting, or better phrased, dove shooting, is a major event. The farther south you go the bigger event it becomes with cookouts featuring the day’s bag of morning doves. Many southern plantations in the Carolinas, Old Virginia and Mississippi host extravagant bar-b-que after the day’s shooting. In West Virginia, we have a couple of shooting preserves in the Eastern Panhandle and in Monroe County that conduct dove shoots with blinds and shooting butts set up for visiting hunters.

In reality, we talk about dove shooting instead of dove hunting because there is normally very little hunting for the birds, but more shooting once the field is located. For years it has been published by the arms and ammunition companies that on the opening day of dove season there will be more shotgun shells fired than there will be the rest of the entire season. The reason is that the birds are small, fast flying with a very erratic flight pattern.

The early goose season should be good this year with an abundance of geese. While goose hunting, remember that your gun must be plugged to hold no more than three shells total. If using a repeater, that means one in the chamber and two in the magazine. And also remember that steel or lead alternative shot must be used. So no lead shot when hunting waterfowl.

To read the rest of this column, visit:

http://blogs.wvcommerce.org/blogs/West-Virginia-WILD/topic/Doves-and-Waterfowl-Usher-in-Fall-Hunting-Season/39/default.aspx

Massive Snow Goose Flocks

Delta Waterfowl

WINNIPEG, Manitoba --(Ammoland.com)- Could a bumper crop of snow geese be in the offing for waterfowl hunters this year?

Dr. Robert “Rocky” Rockwell, a biology professor at City University of New York and one of North America’s leading authorities on snow geese, thinks so. Rockwell says the summer nesting season in the subarctic region of La Perouse Bay in northern Manitoba was “spectacular.”

“This is a huge production year,” says Rockwell, who was concerned about nesting success after last year’s dismal production. “This was the most bizarrely wet year I’ve ever seen up there. The birds nested 9 or 10 days earlier than normal, and as a result nest success was very high.”

Translation: Goose hunters are staring down the barrel of what could be a banner fall flight.

“Predicting hunting can be a fool’s errand, and I never like to do it, but the upcoming season appears to be shaping up awfully well,” says Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson.

“My message to goose hunters is this: get ready. The migration could be packed with young-of-the-year birds.”

Rockwell agrees. He says high nest success means lots of juveniles will be making the flight south.

“We’re talking about juvenile to adult ratios of 1.5 to 1,” says Rockwell, “which means those puppies are going to be sucked right into decoy spreads. Harvest always goes up when you have a high juvenile-to-adult ratio, so I think there’s good opportunity and I think it’s going to be early, because geese are already moving south.”

Snow Goose Production Up

Rockwell says snow and Ross’ geese are foraging heavily on berries inland from the Hudson Bay coast. Thousands are currently south of the normal La Perouse Bay breeding range near the Broad River and are staging all the way to the Ontario/Manitoba border.

The eastern arctic is also looking good, says Dr. Jim Leafloor, a research scientist for Environment Canada who just returned from a banding program on Baffin Island.

“We’re expecting good production on Baffin, for all species, not just snows,” says Leafloor. “On South Hamption Island it’s the same deal, so the eastern arctic seems to be doing well this year.”

It’s a slightly different story in the central arctic. The migratory bird sanctuary at Karrak Lake south of Queen Maud Gulf is the breeding ground for 10 to 15 percent of the mid-continent snow goose population.

“Production of young at Karrak Lake has declined in the last four years,” says Dr. Ray Alisauskas, a research scientist with Environment Canada who’s been studying the colony since 1991. “There was later-than-average nesting due to delayed snow melt and delays in nutrient storage, stemming from reduced food availability because of very high densities of geese on subarctic feeding areas.”

While nesting productivity is down, Alisauskas says overall populations of both snow and Ross’ geese remain very high. The number of nesting geese at Karrak Lake has grown from 400,000 to more than a million in less than 10 years. A recent assessment found survival rates have not declined since 1989, even with concerted efforts to reduce the population through liberalized hunting regulations and a special spring conservation hunt.

“This harvest is showing that it’s sustainable,” says Alisauskas. “These birds are so resilient. You see video in the spring and you say, ‘Wow these birds are getting pounded quite hard,’ but when you look at the estimates of survival, they haven’t changed in the last 20 years.”

Olson says their sublime taste hasn’t changed in 20 years, either. Delta’s president isn’t a preacher, but he has become an evangelist for snow geese, which he says are among the most underrated waterfowl species for the pot. In fact, he insists they’re among the best.

“I don’t know where the propaganda started, but the myth that snow geese are inedible is just that—a myth,” he said. “I think they’re absolutely delicious—certainly not winged liver, as some have suggested— and I challenge hunters this year to prepare these succulent birds for their friends and family. They won’t be disappointed.”

Snow Goose Hunters - Get Ready

About:
Delta Waterfowl provides knowledge, leaders and science-based solutions that efficiently conserve waterfowl and secure the future for waterfowl hunting. Visit: www.deltawaterfowl.org

New Jersey 2010 Waterfowl Season

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has posted the 2010-2011 Migratory Bird Regulations booklet, along with two feature articles, on its website.

The booklet contains season dates and bag limits, as well as regulations governing the hunting of migratory birds.

The two articles are by division biologist Ted Nichols and cover not only this season’s prospects and regulation changes, but how season dates are actually selected for migratory birds.

The articles and regulations booklet are all linked from the main Waterfowl page, http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/waterfowl_info.htm .

The print version of the booklet will be available at license agents later this month.

Waterfowlers Urged To Keep Safety In Mind

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- Waterfowl hunters – whether hunting from shore or from a boat – are urged to keep safety first and foremost in mind, said Keith Snyder, Pennsylvania Game Commission Hunter-Trapper Education Division chief.

“Basic firearm and hunting safety are critical,” Snyder said.

“Treat every firearm as if it is loaded and make sure that the muzzle is always pointed in a safe direction. Never place your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire. Be aware of any companions’ locations at all times and maintain a safe zone-of-fire. Waterfowl action can be exciting, but never swing your barrel toward another hunter.

“Make sure firearms are unloaded prior to reaching your hunting location and immediately after you are done hunting. Also, if you are using a boat, remember that state law requires that all firearms be unloaded in any boat propelled by motor or sail, and should be cased with actions open.”

Snyder also noted that, in Pennsylvania, all those using a boat are required to have a properly-fitted personal flotation device (PFD) readily accessible. For more information on boating laws and regulations, as well as safety tips, please visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s website (www.fish.state.pa.us). Better yet, take an approved boater’s safety course.

Additionally, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, every year several hunters die from drowning and hypothermia.

“When you have a crew of hunters, with decoys and equipment, and dogs, a boat can easily become unbalanced, especially if the wind comes up,” Snyder said, “Not only is it unsafe to overload a boat, exceeding the limits posted on the capacity plate is also illegal.

“Sudden immersion into cold water is one of the leading causes of boating fatalities in the Commonwealth. It places a severe strain on bodily systems that can lead to hypothermia or, worse, cardiac arrest. Survivors of cold-water accidents have reported their breath driven from them on contact with the water.”

Anyone falling into cold water should immediately ensure that their and any companions’ PFDs are intact, and work to find a way to exit the water or right the watercraft. Cover your mouth and nose – if possible – to prevent inhaling water.

If you can’t get out of the water immediately and the shore is too far, raise your knees and wrap your arms across your chest to help reduce heat loss through the body’s core. Don’t leave your watercraft and attempt to swim to shore. It’s probably further than you think. Experts recommend you stay with your boat until help arrives. If possible, try to climb back into your boat or on top of it.

“Most important,” Snyder suggests, “get into the routine of making the life jacket part of your hunting equipment, and wear it.”

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed hunting season lengths for the upcoming 2010–11 late waterfowl seasons.

The proposed frameworks include duck hunting season lengths of 60 days in both the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, 74 days in the Central Flyway, and 107 days in the Pacific Flyway. Highlights of the proposed frameworks also include full seasons on pintails with a two bird daily bag limit and canvasbacks with a one bird daily bag limit nationwide. Additionally, the Service is proposing to have a daily bag limit of two scaup in the Atlantic, Mississippi and Central Flyways for the full season and three scaup in the Pacific Flyway for 86 days.

States select their seasons from within the frameworks which establish the earliest beginning and latest ending dates and the maximum season length and bag limits. The proposed late season waterfowl frameworks will appear in a mid-August edition of the Federal Register for public comment and on http://www.fws.gov .

Flyway-specific highlights of the proposed late-season frameworks are as follows:

Atlantic Flyway (Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia): Ducks: A hunting season is proposed of not more than 60 days between September 25, 2010, and January 30, 2011. The proposed daily bag limit is six and may include no more than four mallards (two hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, two hooded mergansers, two scaup, one black duck, two pintails, one canvasback, one mottled duck, one fulvous whistling duck, and four scoters. The season on harlequin ducks is closed.

Geese: For light geese, states would be able to select a 107-day season between October 1, 2010, and March 10, 2011, with a daily bag limit of 25 birds and no possession limit. Seasons for Canada geese would vary in length among states and areas depending on the populations of birds that occur in those areas. The daily bag limit would be five birds in most hunt zones established for resident populations of Canada geese. In hunt zones established for migratory populations, bag limits would be three or fewer and would vary among states and areas. For Atlantic brant, the season length may be 50 days with a daily bag limit of two birds.

Mississippi Flyway (Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin): Ducks: A hunting season is proposed of not more than 60 days between September 25, 2010, and January 30, 2011. The proposed daily bag limit is six and may include no more than four mallards (two hens), one mottled duck, three wood ducks, two redheads, two scaup, one black duck, one canvasback and two pintails. The proposed daily bag limit of mergansers is five, only two of which may be hooded mergansers. Geese: Generally, seasons for Canada geese would be held between September 25, 2010, and January 30, 2011, and vary in length among states and areas, with daily bag limits varying from one to three. states would be able to select seasons for light geese not to exceed 107 days with 20 geese daily between September 25, 2010, and March 10, 2011; for white-fronted geese, the proposed season would not exceed 72 days with a two-bird daily bag limit or 86 days with a one-bird daily bag limit between September 25, 2010, and February 15, 2011; and for brant it would not exceed 70 days with a two-bird daily bag limit or 107 days with a one bird daily bag limit between September 25, 2010, and January 30, 2011. There would be no possession limit for light geese.

Central Flyway (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and portions of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming): Ducks: Duck seasons are proposed to be held between September 25, 2010, and January 30, 2011. The daily bag limit would be six ducks, with species and sex restrictions as follows: mallard – five, no more than two of which may be females; scaup, pintail, and redhead – two; wood duck – three; and canvasback – one. The mottled duck season will begin five days after the beginning of the regular season in Texas and the daily bag limit will be one. The possession limit would be twice the daily bag limit. In the High Plains Mallard Management Unit (roughly west of the 100th Meridian), a 97-day season is proposed. The last 23 days would be able to start no earlier than December 11, 2010. A 74-day season is proposed for the remainder of the Central Flyway. Geese: Under the proposal, states may select seasons between September 25, 2010 and February 13, 2011 for dark geese and between September 25, 2010, and March 10, 2011, for light geese. East-tier states would be able to select a 107-day season for Canada geese season with a daily bag limit of three. For white-fronted geese, states would be able to select either a 72-day season with a daily bag limit of two birds or an 86-day season with a daily bag limit of one bird. In the West tier, states may select a 107-day dark goose season with a daily bag limit of five birds. In the Western Goose Zone of Texas, the state would be able to select a 95-day season with a daily bag limit of five dark geese (including no more than one white-fronted goose). For light geese, all states would be able to select a 107-day season with a daily bag limit of 20 and no possession limit.

Pacific Flyway (Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and portions of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming): Ducks: Under the proposal, states are allowed a 107-day general duck season between September 25, 2010, and January 30, 2011. The proposed daily bag limit is seven ducks, including no more than two mallard hens, two redheads, one canvasback and two pintails. In addition, an 86 day season for scaup can be chosen with a daily bag limit of three. Geese: 107-day seasons are proposed for the Pacific Flyway between September 25, 2010, and March 10, 2011. Proposed basic daily bag limits are up to 10 light geese and four dark geese. There are exceptions to the basic bag limits and season structures for geese in many states, so consult state regulations for specific details. In California, Washington and Oregon, the dark goose limit does not include brant. For brant, the proposed season lengths are 16 days in Oregon and Washington and 30 days in California, with a two-bird daily limit. Washington and California would be able to choose seasons in each of the two zones.

Waterfowl population surveys and monitoring programs are critical parts of successful waterfowl management in North America. Combined, these results form the largest data set on any wildlife species group in the world. They help provide equitable hunting opportunities while ensuring the long-term health of waterfowl populations. Waterfowl surveys are done in cooperation with the Canadian Wildlife Service and other state, provincial and private conservation partners. Results from the USFWS 55th Annual Breeding Population and Habitat Assessment Survey are available – and for the most part are very similar to last year.

Habitat conditions during the 2010 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey were characterized by average to below-average moisture, a mild winter, and early spring across the entire traditional (including northern locations) and eastern survey areas. The total pond estimate (Prairie Canada and U.S. combined) was 6.7 million. This is similar to the 2009 estimate and 34 percent above the long-term average of 5.0 million ponds. The estimate of the overall duck population from the traditional survey area is 40.9 million birds, which is similar to last year’s estimate, and 21 percent above the long term average. In the eastern survey area, the numbers of most species are similar to those of last year. Snowmelt occurred much earlier throughout most of the important goose breeding areas and most of North America will see average, or above average fall flights of geese this year.

The Service remains very concerned about both the short and long-term impacts of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill on migratory birds, their habitats, and the resources on which the birds depend. However, current information suggests that regulatory restrictions on waterfowl hunting are unnecessary. From a harvest-management perspective, the Service intends to respond to the ongoing oil spill as it would any other non-hunting factor with the potential for substantial effects on mortality or reproduction – such as hurricanes, disease outbreaks or drought – by monitoring abundance and vital rates of waterfowl and other migratory game birds, and adjusting harvest regulations as needed on the basis of existing harvest strategies.

To see the “Status of Waterfowl” report as well as last year’s harvest figures, please see http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/

The mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Migratory Bird Program is to ensure long-term ecological sustainability of migratory bird populations and their habitats for future generations, through careful monitoring, effective management, and by supporting national and international partnerships that conserve habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

South Dakota Has Early Goose Hunting Opportunities Available

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. --(Ammoland.com)- South Dakota hunters taking advantage of additional Canada goose hunting opportunities will be able to take more geese at an earlier date this year.

Canada goose hunting will begin with an Aug. 14-29 season for South Dakota residents only in the counties of Brookings, Clark, Codington, Day, Deuel, Hamlin, Grant, Kingsbury, Lake, McCook, Marshall, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody and Roberts.

The daily limit for those dates will be eight, with a possession limit of 32. Resident hunters must have a valid Small Game or Combination license, plus the State Migratory Bird Certification. The Federal Waterfowl Stamp is not required.

The Canada goose hunting season will re-open from Sept. 4-30. Residents will be allowed to hunt in most of South Dakota, with the exception of Perkins, Bennett, Stanley, Lyman, Hughes and Gregory counties, and parts of Dewey, Potter, Sully, Buffalo, Brule, Hyde, Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Fall River and Custer counties. Nonresidents are restricted to those areas; and in addition may not hunt in Beadle, Brookings, Hanson, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Turner and Union counties.

Visit: http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/waterfowl/goose.aspx to view the exact boundaries of the new units.

The daily limit for the Sept. 4-30 dates is eight, with a possession limit of 16. Residents must have a valid Small Game or Combination license, the State Migratory Bird Certification, and the Federal Waterfowl Stamp. Nonresidents are required to have a valid Nonresident Waterfowl license and the Federal Waterfowl Stamp.

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. --(Ammoland.com)- Two proposals to be considered next month by the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Commission would give duck and goose hunters more opportunities this fall.

The proposed South Dakota duck hunting season would allow hunters to harvest two pintails a day; the previous daily bag limit was one pintail.

South Dakota is divided into four duck hunting zones:

The next High Plains Zone season is proposed to run Oct. 9, 2010 – Jan. 13, 2011. The High Plains Zone includes all of western South Dakota and the western portions of Campbell, Walworth, Potter, Sully, Hughes, Buffalo, Brule, and Gregory counties.

The Low Plains North and Low Plains Middle Zones seasons are proposed to run Sept. 25 – Dec. 7. The Low Plains North and Middle Zones include most of the eastern half of South Dakota.

The Low Plains South Zone season is proposed to run Oct. 9 – Dec. 21. The Low Plains South Zone encompasses parts of Gregory, Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Yankton, Clay and Union counties.

The GFP Commission also will consider an increase in the daily bag limit for the South Dakota Goose Hunting Season. Under the proposal, hunters would be able to harvest four Canada geese daily – up from three previously. The possession limit for Canada geese would increase from six to eight birds.

South Dakota has three goose hunting units:

• Unit 1 has a proposed season of Oct. 1 – Dec 19. Unit 1 includes most of South Dakota, with the exception of Perkins, Bennett, Stanley, Lyman, Hughes and Gregory counties, and parts of Dewey, Potter, Sully, Buffalo, Brule, Hyde, Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Fall River and Custer counties.
• Unit 2 has a proposed season of Oct. 30, 2010 – Feb. 11, 2011. Unit 2 consists of Perkins, Lyman, Stanley, Hughes and Gregory Counties and parts of Dewey, Potter, Sully, Buffalo, Brule, Hyde, Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Fall River and Custer counties.
• Unit 3, consisting only of Bennett County, has a proposed season of January 8-16, 2011.

People who want to provide written comments on the waterfowl season proposals may do so until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4. Comments may be mailed to Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD, 57501, or e-mailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us . All comments must have the senders’ full names and addresses in order to be included in the public record.

Comments may also be presented in person during the GFP Commission public hearing, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Aug. 5 at the Ramada Hotel in Aberdeen.

Ohio Wildlife Council has approved the state's early migratory bird hunting seasons for this fall with September 1 kicking off with the opening of dove, Canada goose, rail, moorhen and snipe...

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- The Ohio Wildlife Council has approved the state’s early migratory bird hunting seasons for this fall with September 1 kicking off the state’s hunting seasons with the opening of dove, Canada goose, rail, moorhen and snipe, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

Ohio’s dove hunting season runs September 1 through October 24 and December 6-21, with a daily limit of 15 birds and a possession limit of 30 birds.

Controlled dove hunts will be offered at Fallsville, Rush Run, Spring Valley, Indian Creek and Bott state wildlife areas. These controlled hunts will take place Wednesday, September 1 and Thursday, September 2; hunting hours will be noon to sunset. Controlled dove hunts will also be offered at St. Marys Fish Hatchery on September 1, 4, 7, 11, 14 and 18. Youth will be given priority on September 1, 4 and 7.

Opening day drawings for all of these hunts will take place at noon, Saturday, August 28, at the respective public area headquarters. Drawings for the other hunts will be held the day of the hunt at noon. Maps and details are available at wildohio.com. Questions about any of these hunts should be directed to the Division of Wildlife’s Southwest District office at (937) 372-9261.

Canada geese may be hunted statewide September 1-15, during the special early season, with a daily limit of four birds and possession limit of eight birds after the first day. The Mercer Goose Zone will not be open during the early Canada goose season.

The early teal hunting season will open September 4 and end September 19, with a daily bag limit of four birds and possession limit of eight after the first day.

Waterfowl hunters must have a valid hunting license in addition to a state wetlands habitat stamp endorsement, a federal duck stamp and a Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification. Anyone who intends to hunt migratory game birds must obtain a new HIP certification each year.

Sora rails, Virginia rails and moorhens can be hunted September 1 through November 9, with a daily limit of 25 rails and 15 moorhens. Hunting season for snipe will be September 1 through November 28 and December 6-23, with a daily bag limit of eight. The woodcock hunting season is open October 9 through November 22, with a daily bag limit of three birds and a possession limit of six birds.

Hunting hours during the seasons for rails, moorhens, snipe, woodcock, teal, doves and Canada geese are sunrise to sunset. The only exceptions will be on wildlife areas that have specially posted hunting times for doves.

The 2010-11 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and the 2010 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons brochure can be found on line at wildohio.com. The 2010 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons brochure will be available by late August at license outlets, Division of Wildlife district offices, or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com

Federal Premium Black Cloud Snow Goose Ammo

FederalPremium.com

ANOKA, Minn. --(AmmoLand.com)- Federal Premium Black Cloud ammunition announces new loads designed especially for snow goose hunters. The new 1-1/8 ounce, 3” 12-gauge loads feature a muzzle velocity of 1635 fps for added effective range. Product now available.

Catering to snow goose hunters Snow goose hunters go to great lengths to pursue these wary birds. They need ammunition that they can count on when opportunities arise. These new Black Cloud loads feature the same proven FLITECONTROL Wad and FLITESTOPPER® (FS) Steel to hit geese at longer ranges.

“Our Black Cloud line of ammunition raises the level of performance of steel loads,” said Brand Manager Rick Stoeckel. “The combination of the FLITECONTROL wad and FS Steel is absolutely devastating. This year we’ve taken this proven technology one step further with high velocity options tremendous for goose hunters.”

The patent pending FS Steel features a cutting edge that rips and tears on impact. The FLITECONTROL wad keeps the payload of standard steel (60%) and FS Steel (40%) together longer. This helps improve downrange velocity, energy and extends the effective range.

Available in 2010 Part No. Description PWB143 BB 12-ga, 3”, 1-1/8 oz BB, FS Steel 1635 fps PWB143 2 12-ga, 3”, 1-1/8 oz, #2, FS Steel 1635 fps

For more information on Black Cloud Snow Goose, and the entire Black Cloud line, visit www.blackcloudammo.com.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb.- – (Ammoland.com)- Efforts to control the light goose population continue with the Light Goose Conservation Action, which begins Feb. 6, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The dates for the conservation action are: Zone 1, Feb. 6-April 18; Zone 2, Feb. 6-April 1 and Zone 3, Feb. 6-April 18.

White and blue-phase snow geese and Ross’ geese may be taken statewide during the conservation action, but different regulations apply in each zone. Read the 2009 Nebraska Waterfowl Guide, which includes regulations for the 2010 conservation action, at http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/hunting/guides/waterfowl/waterfowl.asp.

Considerable effort has been put toward the reduction of the mid-continent snow goose population. This population attracts attention because of the damage to Arctic habitats it has caused. The use of methods to increase harvest has resulted in more than a million snow geese being harvested annually since 1998, with nearly 1.5 million taken in 1999. It is estimated that 1.4 million snow geese would have to be harvested annually to reduce the population.

There are no bag or possession limits during the conservation action and hunters may shoot 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Hunters may use unplugged shotguns and electronic calls during the conservation action.

Hunting is allowed statewide except for several state wildlife management areas and federal waterfowl production areas in the Rainwater Basin region of central Nebraska.

In Zones 1 and 2, hunting will be allowed only on Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday. Beginning March 24, hunting will be allowed seven days a week.

In Zone 1, it is illegal to hunt within a half-mile of the outer channel of the Platte River between U.S. Highway 281 and Nebraska Highway 14. In Zone 2, it is illegal to hunt light geese within a half-mile of the outer channel of the Platte River between Feb. 8 and March 10. The no-hunting area expands to 3 miles (changed from 5) between March 11 and April 1 to provide protection for endangered whooping cranes.

Conservation action hunters age 16 and older are required to have a Nebraska hunt permit, Nebraska Habitat Stamp, Nebraska Waterfowl Stamp, Federal Migratory Bird Stamp, and a Harvest Information Program number.

Permits may be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.org.

West Virginia’s Mid-winter Waterfowl Survey

West Virginia DNR

West Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Wildlife biologists counted 2,868 ducks and 7,789 Canada geese during the annual mid-winter waterfowl survey in early January, according to Steve Wilson, Waterfowl Biologist for the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

“The numbers of both ducks and geese were higher than 2009, with ducks up 41 percent and geese up 138 percent,” Wilson said. “The real value of this survey is analysis of long-term data across broad geographic areas, rather than annual fluctuations within individual states.”

Weather conditions during and immediately prior to the survey strongly influences waterfowl movement. When snow cover and frozen waterways force birds to move south and congregate on larger rivers and lakes that are not frozen-over, waterfowl counts in West Virginia usually increase.

Canada geese, mallards and black ducks, as usual, were the most commonly observed species in the 2010 survey. Other observed waterfowl include: canvasback, scaup, ring-necked duck, gadwall, bufflehead, goldeneye, mergansers and tundra swan. Eleven bald eagles and one golden eagle were also observed.

The survey was conducted on January, 5, 8 and 11, 2010 and included portions of the Kanawha, Ohio, Shenandoah and New rivers as well as Tygart and Bluestone Lakes.

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Arkansas --(AmmoLand.com)- Duck hunting season closes after this weekend, but there are tens of thousands of other waterfowl in Arkansas that can be targets for outdoors people willing to put in some effort.

These are snow geese, and the opportunity is officially the Snow Goose Conservation Order. This is a multi-year event brought about by snow geese being far too prolific in their breeding grounds in northern Canada. The geese are literally eating themselves out of house and home up there. The conservation order is in effect Feb. 1-April 25.

In Arkansas in winter, large flocks of snow geese find plenty of food in agricultural areas, and winter wheat is a major attraction for them. A snow goose hunt has an obvious starting point – a place to hunt them. Odds are heavily in favor of the geese being on private land, not on public management areas or refuges. The private land is where the food is.

If you don’t have a place to hunt snow geese, a suggestion from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is to take a state highway map and draw or make a mental note of a large triangle from Corning to Little Rock to Eudora. The Mississippi River is the other leg of this triangle. Best chances of finding snow geese are in it.

The Snow Goose conservation order with its liberalized rules cover what are commonly known as snow geese, blue geese and Ross’ geese. The latter are a species looking like snow geese but smaller.

It may help if you know someone living in this east Arkansas triangle. Make use of a telephone and the Internet. Call that friend or relative and ask for names of farmers who may have a problem with snow geese. Then phone the farmer, introduce yourself and ask about geese and about permission to hunt them.

If you don’t know someone to get started, make one or more calls to a county extension office a county Natural Resources Conservation Agency office or to a farm supply store. Keep after it. If you make enough calls, you’ll eventually make a connection with a farmer who is willing to let you and a friend or two go after snow geese on his land.

A further suggestion is to follow up the phone calls with a visit to the area where you’ve found encouragement in the snow goose quest. Invest in a tank of gas and go looking for flocks of geese. Find some? Knock on the door of a nearby house, introduce yourself and ask permission to hunt.

An AGFC photographer on an east Arkansas trip in February spotted a huge flock of snow geese in a field close to a house and equipment shed. He knocked on the house door and asked permission to drive past the shed to photograph the geese. The farmer replied, “Sure, go ahead, but I wish you would use a shotgun instead of a camera.”

On a scouting trip, an immediate hunt may not be feasible but go prepared anyway. Take your hunting gear. There is the possibility of finding a bunch of geese, then getting permission on the spot to hunt them. A farmer may well tell you “sic ‘em” when you ask.

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas –-(AmmoLand.com)- Rapidly changing weather conditions have been the rule this duck season, and the final days of the 2009-2010 season will be no exception.

After a season of heavy rainfall, up-and-down temperatures and other sundry weather changes, Arkansas waterfowl hunters will get a shot of winter weather and sub-freezing temperatures over the final days of the season.

Winter storm warnings went into effect Wednesday for the state’s four northwestern counties, and the rest of the northern half of the state was under a winter storm watch as of Wednesday morning. Forecasts call for rain changing to freezing rain, sleet and snow over the next 48 hours across wide swaths of the state. Even southern counties could be affected by a wintry mix of precipitation by Friday.

Nighttime temperatures for central Arkansas are forecast to drop into the low 20s on Friday and Saturday night, with daytime highs in the mid 30s to low 40s through the weekend.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists took to the skies last week for the 2009-2010 season’s final aerial waterfowl surveys, with observers counting an estimated 3.1 million ducks in the state’s Delta region. The Delta total included roughly 2 million mallards. In western Arkansas, AGFC observers counted roughly 36,000 ducks, including close to 20,000 mallards, in the southwest Arkansas survey region, and roughly 20,000 total ducks and more than 14,000 mallards in the northwest Arkansas survey area.

AGFC observers reported a general northward shift of waterfowl across the Delta region.

Maps showing relative duck densities around the Delta region point to three main “hot spots.” One area of higher concentrations is along the White River in an area that includes eastern White County, western Woodruff County and northern Prairie County. Another area of high density includes southeast Jefferson and western Arkansas counties, and the third high-density area includes southern portions of Lonoke and Prairie counties.

For a list of links, visit http://tiny.cc/duckhunting .

This waterfowl report provides capsule information from agency staff in all corners of Arkansas and is updated each Wednesday throughout waterfowl season.

Information on river levels can be found at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/ or http://water.usgs.gov/realtime.html. Sunrise/sunset tables are available at: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html and in the Arkansas Waterfowl Regulations Guide.

About:
The mission of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is to wisely manage all the
fish and wildlife resources of Arkansas while providing maximum enjoyment for the people. Visit: www.agfc.state.ar.us

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- Brant goose numbers in Skagit County are high enough to allow an eight-day hunt later this month, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Brant hunting is scheduled Jan. 16, 17, 20, 23, 24, 27, 30 and 31 with a bag limit of two geese per day.

The hunting season was adopted after 6,002 brant were counted Thursday during an aerial survey of Fidalgo, Padilla and Samish bays, said Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for WDFW. At least 6,000 brant must be counted in Skagit County before hunting is allowed.

“Numbers of brant wintering in Skagit County are down this year, but expected harvest rates during the eight-day season are still within our management objectives,” said Kraege.

Last year, WDFW wildlife biologists counted about 16,200 brant – the largest count in 14 years. About 9,200 brant, which is slightly above the long-term average, were counted during aerial surveys in 2008 and about 6,100 the previous year.

“The drop in the number of birds in Skagit County from last year is likely the result of a shift in winter distribution,” Kraege said. “Significant numbers of brant have been seen elsewhere in northern Puget Sound, including nearby Whatcom County, where we counted an additional 4,000 birds during the aerial survey.”

To participate in the Skagit County brant season, hunters must have prior written authorization and a harvest information card from WDFW. After taking a brant, hunters are required to record their harvest information immediately, and report their harvest to WDFW by Feb. 15. Hunters who fail to report by Feb. 15 will be ineligible to hunt brant in the 2010-2011 season.

Hunters who harvest a brant implanted with a radio transmitter should call Kraege at (360) 902-2522. WDFW biologists would like to retrieve the transmitters, which are used to track the migration pattern of the birds.

Hunters who harvest a brant fitted with a colored leg band should also report the leg band’s numbers and color to WDFW. Birds fitted with metal leg bands can be reported by calling 1-800-327-BAND or at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl . The leg bands help biologists identify and track the birds.

More information on brant-hunting requirements is available in WDFW’s Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm .

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

PRATT, KS —-(AmmoLand.com)- The hunting seasons may be winding down, but many waterfowl hunters are still enjoying late-season hunting. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) reminds hunters who did not purchase a Harvest Information Program (HIP) stamp during the fall of 2009 that certification is still required for all migratory bird hunting. Any hunter who is required to have a hunting license must also purchase a HIP stamp to hunt ducks, geese, mergansers, coots, doves, rails, woodcock, snipe, and sandhill cranes. HIP is an annual program in which hunters provide information that helps biologists manage North America’s migratory game bird populations.

HIP is based on a voluntary survey of selected migratory bird hunters in the United States. When HIP stamps are purchased, state wildlife agencies collect information from hunters, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) randomly selects a sample of those hunters and asks them to provide information on the kind and number of migratory birds they harvest during the hunting season. Those hunters’ reports are then used to develop reliable estimates of the total harvest of all migratory birds throughout the country. In this way, hunters serve as biologists’ eyes and ears in the field, helping to improve wildlife conservation efforts and protect the hunting heritage.

To comply with HIP, hunters must identify themselves as migratory bird hunters and provide name, address, and date of birth when they purchase licenses — something most hunters do already. They must do this in every state in which they hunt migratory birds. Hunters are also asked to voluntarily answer several questions about their hunting experience during the previous year’s season. Answers to these questions are not used to compile harvest estimates but help the USFWS select hunters to survey.

Kansas relies on hunting license vendors to collect this information when selling HIP stamps. Therefore, migratory bird hunters need to make sure that their vendors get them signed up for HIP when they purchase their licenses. When a hunter is properly signed up, KDWP provides proof of participation. Hunters must carry proof of their participation in HIP wherever they hunt migratory birds. Hunters who hunt migratory birds without proof of participation in the HIP program can be ticketed or fined.

A Kansas HIP stamp costs $2.50, to cover administrative costs. USFWS receives no income from this program. USFWS uses names and addresses provided by hunters for survey purposes only, and all contact information is destroyed immediately after processing each year.

A 2010 Kansas hunting license, in addition to state and federal waterfowl stamps and the HIP stamp, is required to hunt waterfowl in the remaining seasons this winter. Waterfowl and HIP stamps purchased for these seasons expire June 30, 2010. Remaining seasons include the following:

Ducks

• High Plains Zone (west of U.S. 283) — Jan. 23-31; and
• Late Zone — Jan. 23-31, 2010.

Geese

• Canada geese — Nov. 11-Feb. 14 (daily bag three);
• White-fronted geese — Feb. 6-14 (daily bag two);
• Light geese —Nov. 11-Feb. 14 (daily bag 20);
• Light Goose Conservation Order — Feb. 15-April 30 (no bag or possession limits).

Shooting hours for all species are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. For complete hunting regulation information, consult the 2009 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary, available wherever licenses are sold or online at www.kdwp.state.ks.us.

Snow Goose Migration Routes

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)- The NJ DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife plans to implement a Conservation Order (CO) for light geese in 2010.

This will be the second consecutive year that a CO has been authorized in New Jersey.

The CO time frame is February 16 through April 10, 2010. Under the CO, light geese can be taken with no bag limits outside of the traditional hunting period, while also allowing the use of electronic calls and shotguns loaded with up to seven shells.

A Conservation Order is a special management action authorized by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that is needed to control certain wildlife populations when traditional management programs are unsuccessful in preventing overabundance of that population. This action is granted under the authority of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The intent of the CO is to reduce and/or stabilize North American “light” (greater and lesser snow geese as well as Ross’s geese are collectively referred to as “light” geese) goose populations that are above population objectives. In the Atlantic Flyway, greater snow geese are the most abundant light goose population.

Why we need a Second Special Snow Goose Season!

For more information on the Conservation Order, including license, permit and reporting requirements, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2010/snowgeese10.htm on the division’s website.

Why we need a Second Special Snow Goose Season!

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are set to offer hunters the opportunity to participate in the second snow goose conservation hunt designed to help stem the growth of continental snow goose populations.

Hunters must obtain a free snow goose conservation hunt permit and report cards from the agency to participate in the season, which will be held from Feb. 20 through April 3. To do so, hunters can access the “Snow Goose Conservation Season” page by clicking on the appropriate icon in the center of the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and then following the instructions. By completing the application online, hunters will be able to print off the permit and report cards and will not have to wait for the package to be mailed.

For those individuals with no online access, permits and the required report cards can be obtained by calling the Game Commission at the Harrisburg headquarters (717-787-4250) and asking for the Bureau of Wildlife Management. However, this process will require mailing the permit and report cards to the applicant, so allow a minimum of one week for processing and mail delivery to obtain a permit.

“Snow goose populations have reached levels that are causing extensive and possibly irreversible damage to their, as well as other nesting birds’, arctic and sub-arctic breeding grounds,” pointed out John Dunn, Game Commission waterfowl biologist. “For some populations of snow geese their nesting habitats can no longer support these large numbers. What’s more, these geese are beginning to impact fragile coastal marsh habitats and crops in Mid-Atlantic States and Quebec.

“It’s likely that North America has never had as many snow geese as it does now. The current population of greater snow geese that inhabits the Atlantic Flyway is estimated at more than one million birds, more than double the management goal of 500,000. They have become a huge and unexpected problem for themselves and other wildlife that shares the wintering and breeding grounds these waterfowl occupy.”

The quickest and probably most effective way for wildlife managers to respond to the problem is to allow additional hunting days – and new hunting methods – to reduce and stabilize snow goose populations. That’s why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service first offered states the opportunity to allow hunters to take snow geese at a time when all other waterfowl seasons are closed. This will include an option to allow hunting hours for this special snow goose season to extend one-half hour after sunset. Currently, all waterfowl shooting hours close at sundown, except for the September Canada goose season.

Hunters participating in the snow goose conservation hunt may use electronic calls. The daily bag limit during the conservation hunt is 15 daily with no possession limit.

“The regular snow goose season began Nov. 6 and ends on Feb. 19, with a daily limit of 15 birds,” Dunn said. “However, the use of electronic calls during the regular snow goose season is not permitted.”

Participating states are required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor and assess hunting activity and harvest. That is why the Game Commission has created the free Snow Goose Conservation Hunt Permit.

“Along with this snow goose conservation hunt permit, hunters must possess a general hunting license, migratory game bird license and a federal duck stamp (for those 16 or older),” Dunn said. “The permit holder will be required to maintain records specifying hunting activity and daily harvest. All permit holders must submit a report, even if they did not hunt or harvest any birds, to the Game Commission no later than May 3. Failure to report by May 3 may result in loss of eligibility to participate in next year’s snow goose conservation hunt.”

For more information on the snow goose conservation hunt, including hunting tips, visit the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on the “Snow Goose Conservation Season” icon in the center of the homepage, then click on “Special Snow Goose Conservation Season – Spring 2010.”

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

LITTLE ROCK, AR –-(AmmoLand.com)- Reports from around the state point to hit-or-miss duck hunting for many Arkansas waterfowlers. Good hunting reports have been matched by poor reports, with duck numbers and hunting success scattered.

Field reports indicate a movement of ducks into the state following last week’s frigid weather across the central and northern U.S., but ducks appear to be concentrated in a few areas and not widespread across much of the state. While most ducks have left the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and northern Missouri, there still appear to be many ducks in central Missouri and other mid-latitude states.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists are flying aerial waterfowl surveys this week, and current waterfowl population estimates for Arkansas should be available next week.

Weather conditions should be favorable for hunters over the next week, with high temperatures ranging from the lower 50s Thursday through the lower 40s over the weekend. Low temperatures are predicted to hover around the freezing mark or below it for the next several days.

To assist hunters in tracking ducks, AGFC has created several Web links with maps and information about recent waterfowl movements and aerial survey reports.

For a list of links, visit http://www.agfc.com/hunting/huntingseasons/waterfowl-migratory-birds/waterfowl-locations.aspx.

This waterfowl report provides capsule information from agency staff in all corners of Arkansas and is updated each Wednesday throughout waterfowl season.

Information on river levels can be found at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/ or http://water.usgs.gov/realtime.html. Sunrise/sunset tables are available at: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html and in the Arkansas Waterfowl Regulations Guide.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Annapolis, Maryland --(AmmoLand.com)- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that Maryland’s Atlantic Population Canada goose hunting season will kick off next week. These geese can be hunted November 21 through November 27 and December 17 through January 30, 2010. The daily bag limit is two Canada geese.

“The Atlantic Population is the largest Canada goose population in North America,” said DNR Waterfowl Project Leader Larry Hindman. “However, prolonged snow and ice cover due to cold spring temperatures resulted in few young being produced. Nevertheless, Hunters and non-hunters alike can look forward to seeing large numbers of Canada geese returning to Maryland this year.”

Information on waterfowl hunting and a detailed map of the Canada goose hunting zones is online at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/huntersguide/lwfchart.asp. The 2009-2010 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons flier is also available online and at most licensing agents.

Hunters are encouraged to report banded migratory game birds by calling toll-free 1-800-327-BAND (2263). For added convenience, banded migratory birds may also be reported online at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/homepage/call800.htm

Contact: Josh Davidsburg
410-260-8002 office 410-507-7526 cell
jdavidsburg@dnr.state.md.us

About:
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland’s forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland’s effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state’s number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov

Ducks Unlimited Migration Map

Ducks Unlimited

MEMPHIS, Tenn –-(AmmoLand.com)- Ducks Unlimited members and waterfowl hunters throughout the U.S. are utilizing DU’s Migration Map in unprecedented numbers.

Surpassing more than 1.5 million page views within the site’s first two months is allowing waterfowl hunters to utilize the migration map to improve their success in the field.

“We have created the ‘ultimate waterfowl hunter’s resource’ with Opening Day-First Flight,” says Anthony Jones, director of internet services for DU.

“The migration map is only successful when hunters post detailed reports of the migration they are personally witnessing while they are in the field. Our numbers are showing that not only are visitors utilizing the map, but the feedback we are getting shows that hunters are using the site’s many aspects as tools within every flyway.”

Opening Day
First Flight offers constantly changing articles, video, gear features and several interactive maps for waterfowl hunters to utilize throughout the season. It offers everything from state agency sites to get licenses to detailed weather maps in conjunction with the Zip Code they plan to waterfowl hunt; it’s the most comprehensive waterfowl hunting site on the web.

“We have continually built interactive applications for the site and the Migration Map,” Jones says. “With the video contest, member photo application and the constantly updated content, it’s not surprising that we have been able to reach 1.5 million page views in the first two months.”

Opening Day-First Flight site and DU’s Migration Map went live Sept. 1, 2009, and will be live until Jan. 31, 2010. Understanding that waterfowl hunters are the foundation of wetland conservation in North America, DU has worked to help improve waterfowl populations since its inception in 1937. The Opening Day-First Flight site is a testament to the passion waterfowl hunters embody and their commitment to the resource. Visit openingday.ducks.org for the experience.

About:
Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved nearly 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow, and forever.

Ducks Unlimited

RICHMOND, Tx –-(AmmoLand.com)- Limited water resources in the Highland Lakes are driving the Lower Colorado River Authority to propose reductions in “interruptible” water, the lifeblood of rice farmers and other producers that rely on LCRA’s irrigation districts in Matagorda, Colorado and Wharton counties. Ducks Unlimited (DU) representatives expressed their concern over the proposed restrictions at a public meeting on October 20 in Matagorda.pintails depend on rice fields for winter foraging

“Ducks Unlimited is sensitive to the issue of water availability within the Colorado River watershed and realizes that there are many competing interests for water, but we urge the LCRA to recognize the importance of this water to agriculture and waterfowl conservation efforts on the Texas Coast,” Todd Merendino, manager of conservation programs, said.

Rice growers and other producers depending on that water for irrigation and waterfowl conservationists depending on it to provide crucial wintering habitat await the LCRA decision and the impacts it will have on families, economies, communities, and the wildlife that depend on LCRA’s irrigation system.

The Texas Gulf Coast provides critically important wetland habitat for millions of migrating and wintering waterfowl, waterbirds, and shorebirds, including resident species like the mottled duck, which is in a long-term decline due to loss of wetland habitat.

In 1991, with the assistance of private landowners, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, DU launched the Texas Prairie Wetlands Project. TPWP is a cost-share program for private landowners to restore and enhance wetlands on their properties along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Collectively, TPWP has restored and enhanced over 43,000 acres of wetland habitat with over 14,000 acres in Colorado, Wharton and Matagorda counties. Approximately one third of these acres rely on canal water from the LCRA irrigation system.

“Without the availability of canal water, our conservation programs are severely hamstrung, and rice production, the breadbasket of food and habitat for waterfowl, is also lost,” Merendino said. “This loss of rice production will wipe out 20 years of conservation efforts by DU, private landowners, TPWD, USFWS, NRCS, and our many other partners.”

To date in the three counties, private landowners have invested $1.1 million in conservation projects, and DU and partners have invested another $2.7 million.

Current waterfowl habitat sustainability estimates provide an already gloomy picture for waterfowl, projecting a 150,000-acre deficit of habitat on the Texas mid-coast. Without rice production, approximately 50,000 additional acres will be lost, pushing the deficit to 200,000 acres.

“That is additional habitat loss for waterfowl and crop losses for rice producers that neither can afford,” Merendino said.

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved nearly 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow, and forever.

Ohio Division of Wildlife

COLUMBUS, OH --(AmmoLand.com)- Ohio waterfowl hunters should have good opportunities to take some of the most popular species of waterfowl, based on the findings of biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The spring pond index for the prairie pothole region of North America (Kansas to central Saskatchewan) and breeding duck surveys indicate an above average reproduction year for most duck species. Ponds are housing above average numbers and good production has been noted from most of the primary breeding range.

Closer to home, the Upper Great Lakes states showed above average conditions and good production of mallards this year. The Upper Great Lakes are the primary breeding range for mallards harvested in Ohio. Mallards are Ohio’s number one harvested duck and can be found throughout the state.

Wood ducks, the second most important duck to Ohio hunters and the state’s number one breeding duck, appear to have had a fair production year. Late summer dry conditions may concentrate birds, but a variety of hunting locations should be available for Ohio hunters.

Canada geese are the most harvested waterfowl in Ohio and can be found in good numbers everywhere. Locally raised giant Canada geese had the fourth highest population estimate this spring and all indications are there was fair to good production across Ohio. Migrant interior populations (Southern James Bay and Mississippi Valley) of Canada geese have also had good production. With proper weather, the hunting outlook is good to very good.

With good habitat conditions, Ohio hunters will enjoy a liberal 60-day hunting season once again this year. Pintail showed a large increase in population which will permit a full season. Scaup showed a slight increase in population which will allow a two-bird bag for the whole season. The canvasback population showed a large increase which will allow an open season in 2009.

The success of Ohio waterfowl hunters has more to do with weather conditions and choice of hunting location than available ducks. Hunters should be scouting their territories now and securing landowner permission where needed. State wildlife areas are in good condition with excellent fall food potential. Heavy rains early in the summer followed by an extended drought permitted considerable growth in moist-soil plants in many traditional wetlands. A flooding of those areas by early fall rains should provide additional waterfowl habitat. Hunters should not only check out their traditional spots, but also more marginal haunts for food production and water quantity.

Details of the waterfowl and all other hunting seasons can be found in the Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and in Ohio Waterfowl Hunting Seasons. Hunters can also review seasons and regulations online at wildohio.com

Hunters are reminded that the 2009-2010 licenses will not be printed on weatherproof paper. Sportsmen and women should protect their licenses and permits from the elements by carrying them in a protective pouch or wallet.

About:
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Delta Waterfowl Mentored Hunting Program Takes Off

Deltawaterfowl.org

Bismarck, N.D.—-(AmmoLand.com)- The seeds of John Denker’s love of waterfowling were sown when he was a young boy working as his father’s field apprentice in and around his hometown of Quincy, Illinois.

“I was affectionately called the bag boy, the kid who picked up the birds, typically a mixed bag of ducks and geese, and hauled them back to the vehicles after the hunt,” said Denker, 28. “I loved to be outside and wouldn’t sleep the night before just knowing we were going. With my Dad, I got to be one of the guys, and those early days spurred my love of waterfowling that has only grown as I’ve gotten older.”

Denker, vice chairman of the Illinois Prairie Chapter of Delta Waterfowl, is following his father’s example by passing on his love of waterfowling and its many traditions. On October 23 and 24, the Illinois Prairie Chapter, in partnership with the Clinton Lake Waterfowl Association, is putting on its first mentored youth waterfowl hunt. The weekend event will have plenty of hands-on education (hunting tactics, conservation, safety, ethics and more) and a morning hunt, after which there will be bird-cleaning demonstrations and a cookout.

“I’m worried about the trend away from waterfowling and the outdoors in general with our kids,” said Denker. “As waterfowlers and conservationists, we have to give back—in fact, it’s our obligation—and that starts with the next generation. With our youth event, we’re trying to get kids off the couch and away from their video games and into the outdoors.”

The Illinois youth hunt is one of roughly 70 mentored hunts that Delta Waterfowl chapters and volunteers are putting on across the U.S. this hunting season. The goal is to use mentors to connect kids and adults to waterfowl hunting’s rich culture and heritage—a heritage that’s loosing more and more of its constituency every year. According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, waterfowl hunter numbers from 2001 to 2006 dropped 27 percent.

“That big of drop in hunter numbers is a conservation crisis in the making,” says Delta Senior Vice President John Devney. “The goal of our mentored hunt program is to build a bigger constituency around the issues of affecting waterfowl and waterfowl hunting. If we don’t, our heritage will suffer, plain and simple. We have to have a voice to address the critical issues facing ducks.”

Some Delta youth events have already gotten underway across the U.S. Devney said he recently attended the Third Annual Utah Delta Waterfowl youth fair at the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, organized by the Great Basin Waterfowlers Chapter. He said 263 children 15 and younger participated in the educational and skills-training event, in preparation for the state’s youth waterfowl hunting day.

“It was one amazing experience to see that many kids in one place learning about waterfowl and waterfowl hunting,” he said, noting that more than 425 people, kids and adults, attended. “It was a tremendous, tremendous event.”

While youths are the long-term solution to hunter recruitment and retention, Delta Waterfowl is also reaching out to adults and families. Last year, for example, Delta’s West Dakota Waterfowlers Chapter (Minot, N.D.) and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman program sponsored the state’s first women’s mentored waterfowl hunt and workshop. Fifteen women attended. This year’s women’s-only workshop is slated for September 26 and 27 in Minot.

“It was one of the best experiences I’ve had as a waterfowl hunter and I didn’t even pull the trigger,” said Delta Regional Director Scott Terning of Bismarck, who served as a mentor for the hunt.

Terning said the two-day workshop included instruction on waterfowl identification, firearms safety and shooting, hunting tactics and ethics, and waterfowl conservation, among other topics. The morning hunt was followed by instruction on bird cleaning and preparation.

“We even went out scouting and explained where they can and cannot hunt,” Terning said, whose group of four women killed 13 drake mallards and three blue-winged teal. “A big part of waterfowl hunting is developing hunter-landowner relationships, and that’s something we believe was important to teach.”

Brook Johnson, a Minot State University student, attended last year’s women’s workshop and said it was a transformative experience. “It was an awesome, awesome time, and I recommend it to all women,” said Johnson, a Delta member. “You hear all this talk about preserving wetlands and grasslands and you really don’t understand why until you get out in the field and experience hunting firsthand. The women’s mentored hunt really put that into focus for me.”

Johnson said the workshop hooked her on waterfowl hunting.

“I’ve already been out for the early goose season and can’t wait until the duck opener,” she said. “I’m probably going to hunt more than my guy friends.”

To learn more about hunting participation and the issues affecting it, read Delta Waterfowl’s five-part magazine series called the Vanishing Hunter at www.deltawaterfowl.org/media/magazine/archive/vanishinghunter/part1.php

About:
Delta Waterfowl provides knowledge, leaders and science-based solutions that efficiently conserve waterfowl and secure the future for waterfowl hunting.

Wisconsin DNR

MADISON WI --(AmmoLand.com)- Regular season Canada goose hunting in the Horicon and Collins zones will begin on Sept. 16. Similar to last year, the 2009 regular season in the Exterior zone will not open until Saturday, Sept. 19, which also marks the start of the two-day Youth Waterfowl hunt.

Goose Hunting
The Exterior zone hunt runs from Sept. 19 through Dec. 12 in the north; Sept. 19 through Oct. 11 and Oct. 17 through Dec. 17 in the south; the Mississippi River subzone runs Oct. 3 through Oct. 11 and Oct. 17 through Dec. 31.

This is the third year of a five-year trial period in which the Exterior Canada goose zone will have a stable season length of 85 days and a two bird daily bag limit. Hunters are reminded that the early goose season ends Sept. 15, so there is no goose hunting from Sept. 16 through 18 in the Exterior zone.

The Horicon zone Canada goose season for 2009 will again have two time periods, which also provides more hunting days; Horicon 1 (H1) runs from Sept. 16 through Nov. 1 and Horicon 2 (H2) goes from Nov. 2 through Dec. 16. Hunters who applied for the Horicon zone will receive six harvest tags. The daily bag limit is two Canada geese.

The three time periods in the Collins zone are: Collins 1: Sept. 16 through Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. through Oct. 4; Collins 2: Oct. 5 through Oct. 25; Collins 3: Oct. 26 through Nov. 20. Hunters who applied for the Collins zone will receive six harvest tags. The daily bag limit is two Canada geese.

Youth Waterfowl
The 2009 Youth Waterfowl hunt will be held on Sept. 19 and 20. Regular season bag limits and hunting hours apply. This special hunt offers youth age 10 through 15 the opportunity to learn skills without the pressure encountered during the regular season.

All hunters must be accompanied by an adult chaperone age 18 years or older. The adult may not accompany more than one youth hunter, except that an adult may accompany two youth hunters if at least one of the hunters is 12 to 15 and has completed hunter education. The adult may not hunt ducks, but may hunt geese if they possess the appropriate Canada goose permit. Ten- and 11-year-olds or other “mentored” hunters who have not yet completed hunter education must follow additional guidelines or check page 3 of the 2009 Migratory Bird regulations pamphlet for details on this new opportunity.

Participants are reminded that they need free Harvest Information Program registration and that for hunting geese they must possess a $3 goose permit for the zone in which they wish to hunt. No other license or stamp is required for eligible youth during this special hunt. In Wisconsin, 79 percent of waterfowl hunters have introduced someone new to the sport and are encouraged to continue mentoring with this great opportunity to introduce a son, daughter, relative, or neighbor to the tradition of waterfowl hunting.

More information is available on the Waterfowl pages of the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn, DNR Migratory Game Bird Ecologist – (608) 266-884; James Christopoulos, Assistant Migratory Ecologist – (608) 261-6458 or Bob Manwell – (608) 264-9248

About:
The Department of Natural Resources is dedicated to the preservation, protection, effective management, and maintenance of Wisconsin’s natural resources. It is responsible for implementing the laws of the state and, where applicable, the laws of the federal government that protect and enhance the natural resources of our state. It is the one agency charged with full responsibility for coordinating the many disciplines and programs necessary to provide a clean environment and a full range of outdoor recreational opportunities for Wisconsin citizens and visitors.

OpeningDay.Ducks.org

Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited – -(AmmoLand.com)- September has arrived and waterfowl hunters have a smile on their faces.

Duck numbers are up and opening day is drawing ever closer.

At Ducks Unlimited, we can’t wait any longer. Today is our “Opening Day” and we want to celebrate it with you!

Starting today, you can visit the First Flight: Opening Day Web site at openingday.ducks.org. Back by popular demand, this site is the premier online resource dedicated exclusively for serious duck hunters. There will be new content every day, so check it out to gear up, prepare, share information and take advantage of the ultimate waterfowl hunters’ resource.

There’s really too much to list, but below are just a few of the features you’ll find this year:

• DU’s Waterfowl Migration Map
• Hunting reports from across the United States & Canada
• Tips, tactics and strategies from the pros
• The latest waterfowl hunting gear and guns
• Blog entries from DU staff and partners
• E-cards, wallpaper and much more

We’re also excited to announce the first ever DU video contest. Be sure to take your camera to the blind this season and share your hunting experiences with other passionate waterfowlers. We want to see your tips, traditions and everything in between. Ten prizes will be awarded to finalists and the grand prize winner will receive a brand new Beretta Xtrema2 shotgun. Click here to watch a video for more contest information.

The First Flight: Opening Day experience is brought to you by Ducks Unlimited and our sponsors: Federal Premium, Realtree, LINE-X, Hevi-Shot, Beretta and Winchester Ammunition.

Opening day is coming. Get ready. Get excited. We’ll be with you every step of the way.

About:
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands − nature’s most productive ecosystem − and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.