02 SEASON WORST CASE 30 DAYS & 3 DUCKS

[JJ]

I HEARD THAT THE USFWS IS CONTEMPLATING PAIRING DOWN OUR DAYS AND BIRDS DUE TO SEVERE CANADIAN DROUGHT EFFECTS ON THE COMING HATCH AND PAST YEARS MISS COUNT ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DUCKS

BEST CASE WOULD BE 45 DAYS AND 4 DUCKS WORST CASE 30 DAYS AND 3 DUCKS. CAN ANYOONE CONFIRM - THIS WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE OUT THERE HAS HEARD THESE RUMBLINGS. IF SO WE NEED TO RALLY THE TROOPS BEHIND A SENSIBLE ANSWER.

IT STRIKES FEAR IN MY HEART THAT ALL THAT WE WORK SO HARD FOR COULD BE CUT DOWN TO A MERE FEW DAYS OF HUNTING.


I HOPE AND PRAY THIS IS NOT TRUE - IF SO IT WOULD NOT BE GOOD.

[tupe]

JJ,
Not sure where you got your information but it is a bit off. According to the new AHM (adaptive harvest management) program our options other than 6/60 would be as follows

45/6 only 4 mallards one of which could be a hen

30/3 only two mallards one hen

To tell you the truth most of what I am hearing is 30/3 due to drought and increased harvest, and bad numbers over the last few years. By bad # I mean that our population index has been wrong.
Whish I could give you better news but as with all things drought is a cycle, and a necessary one for the good of the breeding ground. This to shall pass, the question is who will stick it out and continue to put their money were it counts.

M.B.

[Lacuna]

It's just a wee bit early to make a prediction like that but you will know in the next 3 weeks if Canada is going to stay fairly dry.

In any case we have known for several years that some new equipment we use takes more ducks per capita, adding to the harvest.

We have known for several years that the only addition to this addition that we need to turn our season into 30 & 3 is one bad year in Canada.

It stayed at 6 for a good long time, it's time to slide the other way now.

30/3 would be the best thing that every happened to duck hunting at this point IMHO.

If that's not enough, then go do something else, because I can say fairly safely that the USFWS doesnt care what you think about it, and they DO know fairly well what they are doing.

There is no sense in standing up like fools who spent 20k on gear and scream you want you chance to use it.

Those are your choices, when the limits go down, they go for a reason. I'm surprised they stayed up this long to be honest.

30 & 3 will do nothing to the dedicated duck hunter. He will be there as usual.

If thats not you, then why not just go on ahead and make a move in another direction instead of complain about it all the time?

[THE DUCKSLAYER]

WELL I HATE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO 30/3 BUT IF THATS WHAT IT TAKES THEN I'M FOR 30/3.HOPEFUL THIS WOULD MAKE DUCK HUNTING NOT SOOO COOL AND DUCKHUNTERS CAN GO BACK TO BEING DUCKHUNTERS!!

[SkippyJ]

30/3 would be the best thing that every happened to duck hunting at this point IMHO.

Amen Lacuna!!!! Took the words right out of my mouth!!! Seems "our" crop needs to be thinned too.


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[Dutch Dog]

30 days/3 ducks gets my vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wingman]

30/3 would get rid of some of these rediculous lease prices and thin out some of the goofballs. Wouldn't do much for guides, but who cares about guides, eh? 30 days would be cool, I say do the month of January.

Wingman

[Hambone]

I agree with Delta Duck - lower the bag limits, but let us keep the days. I don't really care how high the limit is...the important thing is the chance to be out there.

[feedcall]

The USF&W service is definately leaning towards a shorter season. I have been told that by some boilogists that have been comunicating with them recently. 2 factors, they are saying that populations are down, and the nesting conditions are terrible right now. I think we will hear lots of rumors about what is going to happen, and we will just have to be patient to see what happens. These are the same people that added a hen mallard to the limit a few years ago so we will just have to wait and see what happens.

[Meeka]

I agree that fewer days and lower limits may not be a bad thing for us. It might weed out a few topwaters. I would have no complaint at all with a 40 day season and four duck limit . . . if we still get all of January.

I would still prefer to harvest 4 mallards for a 4 duck limit. That's my usual "limit", if I get one, anyway. I guess I could live with 3 mallards and a 4 duck limit, though.

You could do all of January, plus December 26-31, plus a 3-day weekend before x-mas and would have, according to my math, a 40 day season.

[ScottS]

I don't mind the decreased bag limit but I'm with Delta Duck on the number of days. If they decide to give us 30/3 how much do you want to bet it will be something like 12/5 - 1/5 for the season! Once again, putting the ducks in our region "after" our season closes.

Has anyone considered the lack of numbers of waterfowl killed this past season? I'm not a scientist, but it seems that they are starting with a higer "starting point" on the population this year since we didn't kill any of them. With any new ducklings or goslings added in that would mean a higher fall flight for 2002. Would it not? Don't attack me for asking. I'm just curious, that's all.

[JJ]

THANKS FOR THE INPUT- UNDERSTAND THAT MY SENTIMENTS ARE FOR THE DAYS IN THE FIELD - IF THE NUMBERS ARE DOWN AND THE CONDITIONS ARE POOR - ACTION MUST BE TAKEN FOR THE GOOD OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF WATERFOWLER - I LIKE ALL OF THOSE THAT I HUNT WITH SUPPORT MOST EVERY CONSERVATION EFFORT OUT THERE DU DELTA WATERFOWL, WRP, CRP AND THE LIKE. I AGREE THAT THE BIOLOGIST THAT DO THE RESEARCH IN THE FIELD KNOW QUITE A BIT MORE THAN ANY OF US CHATTING HERE.

MY INTEREST IS GETTING THE WORD OUT SO THAT THOSE WHO ARE NOT TRULY COMMITTED TO THE SPORT WILL TAKE A HIKE. THOSE FARMERS WHO BELIEVE A 4 O ACRE HOLE IS WORTH $5K WILL SMELL THE COFFEE,

IF IT APPEARS THAT A CHANGE IS COMING - I WISH THAT IT WOULD BE COMMUNICATED NOW RATHER THAN LATER.

I VOTE FOR THE DAYS/LIGHTER BAG. 98% OF IT IS JUST BEING OUT THERE WITH THE BIRDS AND YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

CUPPED AND COMMITTED

[GulfCoast]

For a lot of reasons, I think that a lower bag limit and a shorter season could not come at a better time. As someone stated, this will have no effect on the hardcore duck hunter, other than causing him to change his flex time or vacation plans.

[Dutch Dog]

I don't hunt deer much during the month of january. I don't hunt deer much for that matter after bow season since it interferes with duck season. If they lower it to 30 days and 3 ducks and make our days in January....LOOKOUT BAMBI. Do you think this would actually lower the prices of leases? Do you think it would actually get rid of some of the wannabe's? given their relatively new influx into the sport I think it will take about 5 years to rid us of most of them. The ones that do stick it out for that long i would have no problem with...hey, everyone has to get started somewhere and if they stick it out that long, then they are die-hards like the rest of us.

[Doc & Nash]

30 and 3 gets my vote as long as it startes around the first to mid January. It would not hurt my feelings one bit.