Look for duck season to shorten

[webfoot]

FYI: Look for duck season to shorten

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service might cut the next duck hunting season in Oregon and Washington by nearly half. The good news is that it would be cut to 60 days from last year's 107, and it's up to state fish and wildlife commissions how to use the time.

Biologists and agency heads from throughout the nation met Monday and Tuesday to discuss, among other waterfowl issues, the status of ducks and the last hunting season.

The news wasn't good in any of the continent's four recognized flyways.

"What we had when the nest surveys were taken last year were a lot of leftover adult ducks, but they weren't producing many clutches," said Brad Bales, waterfowl coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Extensive drought in the north, coupled with mild winters the past three years, have left most Pacific Flyway ducks wintering in southern Canada and northern Washington. Hunting has not been good, and most hunters have counted on one hand the days they shot limits of ducks.

Bales said last year's 107-day season almost certainly will not be repeated.

The Fish and Wildlife Service allows 60-, 86-, or 107-day seasons under current planning regimes, and it's remotely possible it will allow an 86-day season if habitat conditions and nesting success improve radically, but Bales was skeptical. "I'm not expecting it," he said.

Decisions are due in June and July, after biologists fly their annual routes to review nesting success. A complicating factor is that director Steve Williams has told flyway biologists his budget probably won't permit some of the survey flights.

Oh, yeah. The good news? Besides, that is, that goose hunting isn't tied to the duck problems and those seasons aren't as likely to shrink.

States generally are left to decide how to spend the number of duck days they're allowed.

That leaves Bales and the Department of Fish and Wildlife to figure out hunting regimes.

We've split seasons frequently to accommodate off-days and limited hunting; why not allow Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and maybe some extended days during Thanksgiving and Christmas? That would let us hunt both sides of the Cascades in October through January.

It's premature to assume the worst, though.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

I thought our season framework was largely dependent upon the May pond counts ---it obviously isn't May yet. And last season the framework formula appeared to include an economic factor as well ---those wiley Arkansas folks. Thus, it is probably a bit early to be predicting the framework for next season in the MS flyway.

Those Pacific flyway season lengths are unreal ---over 100 days. IF we adopted a framework for the MS flyway that allowed over 100 days of hunting, most of us on this board would be fired from our jobs and divorced from our wives ---it is a precarious balance with me and the 60 day seasons. On the other hand, to be able to duck hunt for a third of the year, be single again, and live a simpler life may not be all that bad.

[RIP EM]

I saw that the snowpack is far thicker in the pothole areas (in and around North Dakota) than in recent years! Is'nt this part of what the problem has been the past 3 or 4 years according to the experts? I think they called it a percipitation problem!

Snow is percipitation isnt it??? Perhaps this will help!

Makes one wonder what the gloom & doom people will blame " no ducks " on next!

How about..... Too much snow!!!!

[SoftCall]

RIP EM - looks like there was about another foot of snow in Northern ND over the weekend (North and East) of the Missouri River (pothole central). Where did you get the info on the snow pack? I want to check it out too.

[Wildfowler]

I don't think that ducks are going extinct because of this current low "pond cycle" that we're right in the middle of. We just have to remember that these cycles will re-occur in nature. But on the flip side, if there is anything that we as hunters can do to help promote the successful nesting of ducks, we should all pitch in and do just that. Be it, conserving wetlands, or doing applying current research to these wetlands. Just my .02.

[RIP EM]

Try weather.com then type in your Area code for current local weather, then click "see more maps" @ bottom of page (just below map). This is also good for current temps (nationwide), wind currents, 30 & 90 day outlooks on percipitation as well as temps. All of this is very helpful around duck season (like I had to tell you that). You can see the fronts coming a few days ahead of time. Helped alot last year!

if ya have trouble, let me know so I can send ya a PM.

Have a good day!

[SoftCall]

Thanks RIP EM.

Wildfowler - I agree with just about everything that's been said in this entire string. You know me, I preach not to put the cart in front of the horse and I will not embrace a drastic season and limit reduction before the right info is available. It's too early in my opinion. I am not saying that I don't support some type of reduction if it's needed..but is it needed?

[RIP EM]

Did you find what you were lookin for Softcall???

Talk at ya tomorrow!!!

Have a good evening!!!

Busky

[browndog]

well that is good news, but I think you need to know how bad it had gotten, I have cousins that ranch/farm in South Dakota and they were contemplating having to sell some of their cows due to lack of hay and water in their dugouts.. it can all change fairly quickly and I hope it does but I don't think even 3 feet of snow would not put much of a dent in the water debt they currently have.. a couple of 5 inch rains this spring, now that would make a big difference...

[RIP EM]

Tell em to log on and keep us informed Browndog! I'd come a lot closer to listening to a bunch of good ol sodbusters, than the D.U. gloomers & doomers!

Let me go ahead and say, I'm not Downing D.U. I just think their grasping for straws, as of late (say the last 3 or 4 years)

If I tried that on my job, my A_ _ would be fired, no questions asked!!!

Im just saying keep in touch with them B'dog. It would nice to have a little inside info coming down the pike!

Besides, who knows the status of the Air,Land, & Water, better than farmers!???

[SoftCall]

RIP EM, this post started with what I consider to be a Delta Waterfowl flavor. Gloom and doom is the way to describe it though.

[RIP EM]

I understand full well that we must endure down times in the pothole region, for regeneration. I know this is vital in the "holding capasity" of the potholes themselves. In the future this should equate to more ducks overall.

Just seems to me that D.U. tends to go from one extreme to the other!,overnight. From too much snow, water, & ice to not enough!

In no way am I saying D.W. has all the answers. I know they do'nt!!!, but they tend to solve problems in a hands on approach, i. e. predator control. Only 15% hatch success! Come on! Predator control makes for a strong argument! They just dont tend to "hit the panic button" as fast as Ducks unlimited.

As always JMHO

[Wildfowler]

D.U. gloomers & doomers!

DU gloomers & doomers!

Man, all I've been hearing from the duck hunting community recently is that DU has been lying to us the whole time. That DU has been telling us that there are record #'s of ducks on the continent, when there's really not. I've also heard others say that DU has been saying that everything is ok in the duck ecosystem, when there's really a drought occurring. And that we should expect to have banner hunting seasons, and to get out there and hunt and spend your money with companies like Avery Outdoors, and McAllister. Etc.


Well this is a first for me, now DU is being labeled as a doom and gloomer. Duck hunters fascinate me.

I'm assuming this fellow, Bill Monroe, originally wrote this article:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregon ... 655400.xml

I don't think he works for DU, I just sent him an email to find out. If he does, then I stand corrected.

[Wildfowler]

Wow, I just got a telephone call back from Mr. Monroe. That was fast. He told me first off that he is not affiliated with DU or DW. He has been reporting on the Pacific flyway in the state of OR for some time now, and he normally attends these meetings. This past meeting was no exception.

Bill told me that the biologists are discussing various issues such as drought and hunters success and "wing" data. Bill said it was normal practice for the biologists to discuss all these issues ahead of the May and July surveys to better assess the situation to make their recommendations later this Summer.

Bill said it was also discussed that based on wing surveys combined with the current drought conditions, the biologist in this meeting feel that recent low nesting rates, combined with mild Winters that have kept a majority of the migrating waterfowl from being pushed South and subsequently being shot by hunters has set the stage for a potential disaster if we do indeed get a severe Winter.

Bill said the biologists were very concerned that the pond count and duck count surveys could allow for a disproportional high number of adult birds to get killed if we have a severe Winter, forcing them South. He went on to say that the biologists are suggesting that the current framework is allowing for too liberal of a season and needs to be overhauled.

I'm sorry that I don't have any way to provide links to this data. Bill said he didn't think that any FWS discussions from this meeting were summarized on the Internet anywhere. But these discussions should be incorporated into the annual duck survey report comes out later in the Summer.

I have a whole new insight on how this process works. I can say again, as I've always said that I support what the guidelines that are handed down to us by the FWS. This was very good information for me.

[SoftCall]

RIP EM - I respect your opinion but I think that DW actually hits the panic button to soon.

Edited: And I would also like to clarify that my response is not pro DU. I still refer back to Olson's comments about the shortage of ducks in our state this past season being primarily attributed to the decline in nesting success last year. This was presented prior to the winter survey tally. Back to the original theme of the thread - let's pray for more wet weather in the PPR!

PS - did you get the link that I sent you?