Seasons longer, limits heavier for waterfowl

WASHINGTON – Seasons are going to be longer and game bags heavier for most waterfowlers this year.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed the longer seasons and larger daily bag limits on Friday because of an increase in the numbers of ducks and geese. The drought ended in the prairie pothole country, the continent’s duck breeding ground.

Public comment will be accepted through Sept. 4.

The fall flight forecast, a measure of birds in the prairie states of the United States and prairie provinces of Canada, is 80 million this year, up from 71 million a year ago.

“Waterfowl populations have responded to excellent weather conditions and a decade of habitat conservation efforts throughout many of the important breeding areas,” said FWS Deputy Director John Rogers.

“As a result, we are now in a position to allow considerably more hunting opportunities to America’s waterfowlers.”

The major exception is the Canada goose population in the Atlantic flyway, which has declined dramatically. Except for special or experimental seasons in Connecticut, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia, there will be no open season on Canada geese in the Atlantic flyway.

Here are the proposed frameworks by flyway for the 1995-96 season. States may set their seasons within the frameworks.

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 50-day season between Oct. 1 and Jan. 20. Daily bag limit, five, including no more than one mallard hen, two wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, one mottled duck, one pintail, one fulvous whistling duck and one canvasback. The season on harlequins is closed. The proposed daily bag limit of mergansers is five, of which only one may be a hooded merganser.

Geese – For light geese, a 107-day season between Oct. 1 and Feb. 10, except in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina where the closing date has been extended to March 10. Daily bag limit five.

Canada geese – Season closed except for special or experimental seasons.

Atlantic brant – a 50-day season between Oct. 1 and Jan. 20. Daily limit two.