Post by Bobcat on Sept 2, 2003 14:43:49 GMT -5
AUSTIN — Late season duck hunting opportunities in both the North Zone and High Plains Mallard Management Unit, and a three-bird daily bag limit for Canada geese statewide, top this year's waterfowl regulations finalized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
For the second straight season, Texas will take advantage of the late extension offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. State biologists had initially recommended a mid-January closure, but opted for the extension based on public support for that option.
"The perception among the hunters in the North Zone we heard from is later is better," said Vernon Bevill, TPWD game bird program director. "The North Zone has not shown as dramatic a decline in late season harvest as the South Zone, where January harvest really falls off. We still believe later is not necessarily better, but there's not enough information one way or another to draw a line in the sand. I think the regulatory process worked because we did listen to the public comment we received and did respond. There are folks who may have agreed with the early closure, but we mostly heard from those who didn't like it."
Season dates for the North Zone remain unchanged from last year, except for calendar shifts. Hunters in the north will once again have the latest opportunity for ducks allowed under the federal framework with a season that runs Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-Jan. 25. The youth-only hunting season is set for Oct. 25-26. Canvasback and pintail hunting will be open Dec. 18-Jan. 25, with one bird each per day allowed.
Season dates for the South Zone, conversely, represent a departure from recent years. Instead of a midseason split, hunting in the south will open the weekend of Oct. 25-26 and then resume Nov. 8-Jan. 18. The youth-only season will run the weekend of Oct. 18-19. One canvasback and one pintail may be taken per day from Dec. 11-Jan. 18.
The High Plains Mallard Management Unit will also utilize the late framework option after an early opener last year that kicked in immediately after the teal season closed. This year it is set to kick off Oct. 25-27 and resume Nov. 1-Jan. 25. The youth-only season is set for Oct. 18-19. Canvasbacks and pintails are legal from Dec. 18-Jan. 25, one each per day.
Canvasbacks and pintails are legal during the last 39 days of the season in each duck hunting zone even though there was some public comments requesting the season being set at the beginning of the season. "We had requests to bump the season up, but feel the best opportunity to take a canvasback or pintail in full nuptial plumage is toward the end of the season," said Bevill. "With the seasons opening in November, bull sprigs are readily distinguishable, but they aren't as impressive looking as they are toward the end of the season."
The bottom line is that pintails have begun another effort to rebound, according to Bevill. "Under the Adaptive Harvest Model developed for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the 39-day pintail season would give the population a chance to grow 7 percent more breeders, which with a reasonable production next year should put us in position to have a one bird bag all season."
The daily bag limit statewide remains unchanged at six birds and includes no more than 5 mallards or Mexican-like ducks, only 2 of which may be hens; 3 scaup (lesser scaup and greater scaup in the aggregate); 2 wood ducks; 2 redheads; 1 mottled duck. Also, 1 pintail and 1 canvasback may be taken only during the 39-day open season for those species.
Goose hunters in the western portion of the state will see a reduction in the bag on Canadas from 5 to 3 per day in response to continued declines in the midwinter counts for Short Grass Prairie Canada geese. Hunters in the east will see an increase in their bag, from 2 Canadas to 3.Bevill said the decision to reduce the Canada goose bag in the West Zone was mandated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The increase in the East Zone was an option available. "We're dealing with two separate sub populations of Canada geese in Texas. We've always had the opportunity to have a higher bag limit in the East Zone and just this year decided to exercise that option. We haven't seen that many Canada geese come to the East Zone, but if you get a cold front that pushes some in, why not let hunters harvest them because it's not a population management issue for those birds."
Goose season dates have been adjusted to coordinate with duck season closures in the North and South Zones and to transition into the Light Goose Conservation Order immediately after the other seasons close.
In the West Zone, light goose season is set for Oct. 25-Feb. 3 and dark goose season will run Nov. 1-Feb. 3. The Light Goose Conservation Order will run Feb. 4-Mar. 28.
The daily bag limits for the West Zone are 3 Canadas, 1 white-fronted goose and 20 light geese.
The East Zone will once again see a North/South split with the North Segment running Oct. 25-Jan. 25 for light geese and Nov. 1-Jan. 25 for dark geese. The South Segment will run Oct. 25-Jan. 18 for dark and light geese. The Light Goose Conservation Order is set for Jan. 19-Mar. 28.
The daily bag limits for the East Zone are 3 Canadas, 2 white-fronted geese and 20 light geese.
There is no bag limit on light geese during the Light Goose Conservation Order.
Sandhill crane season in the Central Zone "C" only has again been adjusted to coincide with the closing of the regular waterfowl seasons and will run Dec. 20-Jan. 18 with a bag limit of 2 per day. Sandhill crane hunting in Zone A is set for Nov. 1-Feb. 1 with a daily bag of 3 and the season in Zone B will run Nov. 22-Feb. 1 with a daily bag limit of 3.
For the second straight season, Texas will take advantage of the late extension offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. State biologists had initially recommended a mid-January closure, but opted for the extension based on public support for that option.
"The perception among the hunters in the North Zone we heard from is later is better," said Vernon Bevill, TPWD game bird program director. "The North Zone has not shown as dramatic a decline in late season harvest as the South Zone, where January harvest really falls off. We still believe later is not necessarily better, but there's not enough information one way or another to draw a line in the sand. I think the regulatory process worked because we did listen to the public comment we received and did respond. There are folks who may have agreed with the early closure, but we mostly heard from those who didn't like it."
Season dates for the North Zone remain unchanged from last year, except for calendar shifts. Hunters in the north will once again have the latest opportunity for ducks allowed under the federal framework with a season that runs Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-Jan. 25. The youth-only hunting season is set for Oct. 25-26. Canvasback and pintail hunting will be open Dec. 18-Jan. 25, with one bird each per day allowed.
Season dates for the South Zone, conversely, represent a departure from recent years. Instead of a midseason split, hunting in the south will open the weekend of Oct. 25-26 and then resume Nov. 8-Jan. 18. The youth-only season will run the weekend of Oct. 18-19. One canvasback and one pintail may be taken per day from Dec. 11-Jan. 18.
The High Plains Mallard Management Unit will also utilize the late framework option after an early opener last year that kicked in immediately after the teal season closed. This year it is set to kick off Oct. 25-27 and resume Nov. 1-Jan. 25. The youth-only season is set for Oct. 18-19. Canvasbacks and pintails are legal from Dec. 18-Jan. 25, one each per day.
Canvasbacks and pintails are legal during the last 39 days of the season in each duck hunting zone even though there was some public comments requesting the season being set at the beginning of the season. "We had requests to bump the season up, but feel the best opportunity to take a canvasback or pintail in full nuptial plumage is toward the end of the season," said Bevill. "With the seasons opening in November, bull sprigs are readily distinguishable, but they aren't as impressive looking as they are toward the end of the season."
The bottom line is that pintails have begun another effort to rebound, according to Bevill. "Under the Adaptive Harvest Model developed for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the 39-day pintail season would give the population a chance to grow 7 percent more breeders, which with a reasonable production next year should put us in position to have a one bird bag all season."
The daily bag limit statewide remains unchanged at six birds and includes no more than 5 mallards or Mexican-like ducks, only 2 of which may be hens; 3 scaup (lesser scaup and greater scaup in the aggregate); 2 wood ducks; 2 redheads; 1 mottled duck. Also, 1 pintail and 1 canvasback may be taken only during the 39-day open season for those species.
Goose hunters in the western portion of the state will see a reduction in the bag on Canadas from 5 to 3 per day in response to continued declines in the midwinter counts for Short Grass Prairie Canada geese. Hunters in the east will see an increase in their bag, from 2 Canadas to 3.Bevill said the decision to reduce the Canada goose bag in the West Zone was mandated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The increase in the East Zone was an option available. "We're dealing with two separate sub populations of Canada geese in Texas. We've always had the opportunity to have a higher bag limit in the East Zone and just this year decided to exercise that option. We haven't seen that many Canada geese come to the East Zone, but if you get a cold front that pushes some in, why not let hunters harvest them because it's not a population management issue for those birds."
Goose season dates have been adjusted to coordinate with duck season closures in the North and South Zones and to transition into the Light Goose Conservation Order immediately after the other seasons close.
In the West Zone, light goose season is set for Oct. 25-Feb. 3 and dark goose season will run Nov. 1-Feb. 3. The Light Goose Conservation Order will run Feb. 4-Mar. 28.
The daily bag limits for the West Zone are 3 Canadas, 1 white-fronted goose and 20 light geese.
The East Zone will once again see a North/South split with the North Segment running Oct. 25-Jan. 25 for light geese and Nov. 1-Jan. 25 for dark geese. The South Segment will run Oct. 25-Jan. 18 for dark and light geese. The Light Goose Conservation Order is set for Jan. 19-Mar. 28.
The daily bag limits for the East Zone are 3 Canadas, 2 white-fronted geese and 20 light geese.
There is no bag limit on light geese during the Light Goose Conservation Order.
Sandhill crane season in the Central Zone "C" only has again been adjusted to coincide with the closing of the regular waterfowl seasons and will run Dec. 20-Jan. 18 with a bag limit of 2 per day. Sandhill crane hunting in Zone A is set for Nov. 1-Feb. 1 with a daily bag of 3 and the season in Zone B will run Nov. 22-Feb. 1 with a daily bag limit of 3.
