PERMANENT 40 & 4

[Hammer]

Would anyone seriously object if FWS and the MISS FLYWAY COUNCIL decided on a PERMANENT 40 DAY- 4 DUCKS PER DAY SEASON with species specific bag limits based on pond counts, breeding duck counts, duckling counts, predation rate counts, previous year harvest, etc...In other words, better data than we now use...

I envision the mallard limit fluctuating from 2 to 3 birds (but never with more than 1 hen) depending on annual population fluctuations and there never being a 3 duck limit since some species will be up when others are down...

My two cents is that it is worth it to me to hunt ducks for a 4 bird, 3 mallard, 1 hen limit and SEE MORE DUCKS versus 60/6 or 50/5 where I may very well KILL MORE DUCKS but will certainly not SEE AS MANY DUCKS.

Your thoughts?

HAMMER

[feedcall]

That sounds great to me, as long as it went to Jan. 30th. If it went until the end of Jan., and we had a couple of season breaks during the season it would be much better hunting. The "Die Hard Hunters" would get in plenty of days, and probably more days in other states. I know I would .

[Don Miller]

I'll take whatever the Feds give us and hunt everyday possible. I recall a lot less hunting pressure when it was 3/30. Lack of pressure sure makes for a better hunt.

[chopper30]

I'd be o.k. with 0 hen mallards, but still iffy on shortening the season.

[bulldog ducker]

I agree with chopper30. I try not to kill hens anyway but I wouldn't like to see the season shortened.

[Chuckle12]

I'd be o.k. with 0 hen mallards, but still iffy on shortening the season.

I know 'ol dukbum would have a serious problem with that. He can't seem to make it thru a hunt without knocking at least one suzie down... 'ol bitch killer!!

[peewee]

From what I have been told research shows days kills ducks. Reducing the bag limit without reducing days is worthless.

[Jeff]

My only rebuttal for that would be what about those of us who don't shoot useless mallards? Down here if I shoot a mallard a year, there has been an abundance of mallards. I shoot a lot of teal and gadwall, with a pintail when it's open. Four GW teal don't go nearly as far in the pot as four useless mallards. So therefore if the season frameowrk would be the same as it is now I would rather have an opportunity to take six of what you all call "scrap" ducks from the pure point of view of eating. I am not against a 40/4 set up but when things get on the liberal side I would like my extra two ducks. Heck I still miss the 10 duck days of old, back when you could kill ten pintail drakes. Those were absolutely the days.

[Skycarp]

Whar about 5 ducks w/ 3 mallards and 45 days of season and extend it through the 2nd week of feb?

[peewee]

skycarp I am pretty sure there is a federal law against hunting past Jan.

[Greenhead22]

If there is a federal law stating that you can't hunt migratory birds past Jan 31st.....then how come the youth hunt last weekend was legal and the conservation season is good through march? I'm just curious, only rule I know of about migratory birds states that you can't hunt them before Sept 1st.

[mottlet]

I'm totally against it because it throws science right out of the window. If the biology calls for less, we're screwing the ducks. If it calls for more, we're screwing ourselves.

mottlet

[RedEyed Duck]

I'm ok with whatever, as long as it is based on sound science. As if that is really possible.

[Wildfowler]

I would prefer to have the most liberal option available to us from year to year. I'll be happy with 1 or 2 Mallards in the dry years, and 4 ( or more ) in the wet years. So yes, I would personally object to your proposal. Also, how would you go about obtaining this "better" data than we use now?

[MUD DUK]

Im all for the 3/30 if it starts in January. Dont like eyeballin moccasons in the blind