Duck Season

[ducman77]

I was wanting to know if anybody has heard the latest on the duck season for us southerners. I heard that he season was going to be cut and also the ducks. I know that we always get screwed on the season.
thanks
john [img]images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_redface.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img]

[GulfCoast]

Here is a link that will get you to the various options that the feds can choose from for this year:
http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/fedreg/mgbhr.html

The options for the Mississppi Flyway are:

Liberal: 60 days and 6 ducks with 4 mallards (2 hens)
Moderate: 45 and 6 ducks with 4 mallards (1 hen)
Restrictive: 30 and 3 ducks with 2 mallards (1 hen)
Very Restrictive: 20 and 3 ducks with 2 mallards (1 hen)

States (MS, TN, AL) with the extended framework until Jan 31st wil NOT hunt until Jan 31st. Under the Moderate Season, these states will close on the 3rd Sunday in January. (Jan 19th)


What I am hearing now is that we will likely get 45 Days, 6 Ducks, 4 Mallards, One Hen Mallard.... and next year might be 30/3.

[ May 27, 2002: Message edited by: GulfCoast ]

[Doc & Nash]

Sounds good to me,after all

Shorter Season + Lower Limits = Less Wannabee Duck Hunters

[ducman77]

Hey
Well I know that I would like to see all the ducks that I saw in hte last two seasons. I know that it was real nice and love to see then cupped.
thanks
john

[Hammer]

That is my information as well Gulf Coast although I would not be surprised to see the limit and/or days decrease slightly (maybe 40 and 5)...

As for DucMan77s comment that "Southern hunters always get screwed on the seasons"-you are dead wrong...What you mean to say is that "I have always heard/been told that southern hunters always get screwed on the seasons"...

ARK and LA are the two largest kill states in the Mississippi Flyway every year and MS hunters have one of the highest harvest per day rates in the Flyway every year so how are we getting screwed on the seasons?

Fact is that some years the migration is early and some years it is late...Some years our best opening date would be January 1 and other years it would be November 15, depending on where you are hunting, what the conditions are north, south, east and west of us and many other factors...

The "late days" that MS has pushed for are way more trouble than they are worth since they have opened up Pandora's box north of us...Because of MS, the northern states are npw pushing for season opening dates earlier than Oct 1...

That is bad news for us since most years the ducks are in those northern states en masse in September and they normally get frozen out by Thanksgiving...An earlier opening date means better hunting for northern hunters and thus fewer ducks alive to migrate south...

Sophisticated readers of this post recognize that the war started by MS against the FWS (which was never supported by ARK or LA) was started to weaken FWS for other purposes (mostly FWS opposition to Delta flood control)and had little or nothing to do with ducks and duck hunters.

HAMMER

[damnyankee]

Hammer,
Well said.........