A recent news release from U.S. Fish & Wildlife paints, yet again, a pretty nice overall picture of waterfowl populations across North America.
Liberal Season on Tap for Upcoming Late Waterfowl Season is the title of the release and it starts like this:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed continuation of liberal hunting season lengths for the upcoming 2008-2009 late waterfowl seasons. Duck hunting season lengths would be 60 days in both the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, 74 days in the Central Flyway, and 107 days in the Pacific Flyway. However, in three flyways, the Service Regulations Committee recommends closing the canvasback season due to low populations and restricting scaup harvest due to long-term population declines. Given increasing wood duck populations, the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways would get an extra wood duck in the daily bag limit.
“All the information on the status of waterfowl populations and habitat conditions is now in and has been carefully analyzed by our biologists,” said Service Director H. Dale Hall. “Though pond and duck numbers are down from the last few years on the breeding grounds, they remain above the thresholds necessary for a liberal season, and that is what we are proposing this year.”
If you would like to review the Waterfowl Population Status, 2008 report simply go here.
Good Hunting!
