justnorth posted on July 24, 2007 14:20 :: 1497 Views
Waterfowl hunters in Wisconsin would have an 85-day Canada goose season in the Exterior zone with a two goose daily bag limit, six tags in the Horicon and Collins Canada goose zones, and a 60-day duck season under a preliminary season proposal state officials will present this week at the Mississippi Flyway Council.
“This proposal reflects very positive duck and goose populations across the continent in 2007 and efforts by state biologists to provide abundant waterfowl hunting opportunity. If water conditions improve before fall across a currently dry Wisconsin, we should have a good waterfowl hunting season,” says Kent Van Horn, Department of Natural Resources migratory game bird ecologist. Special considerations this year include abundant blue-winged teal and green-winged teal populations which should provide good hunting early in the season and the establishment of Canada goose seasons for a five year trial stable framework of days and bag limit.
The council, which is made up of waterfowl specialists from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan meets each summer to review the latest science on waterfowl populations and advise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on regulations before the federal agency establishes a framework under which states can set waterfowl hunting seasons.
Following the flyway council meeting and after the USFWS sets a season framework, public hearings on Wisconsin’s proposed waterfowl seasons will be held on August 6-9. The final Wisconsin seasons will be set by the state Natural Resource Board at its Aug. 15 meeting in Bayfield.
The state’s preliminary proposal calls for an Exterior Zone goose season that would run: Sept. 16 through Sept. 21 and Sept. 22 at 9 a.m. through Dec. 9 in the North Zone with a daily bag limit of two; and Sept. 16 through 28 and Sept. 29 at 9 a.m. through Dec. 9 in the South Zone, also with a daily bag limit of two. The Mississippi River Subzone season would open Sept. 29 at 9 a.m. and run through Oct. 7 and reopen Oct. 13 through Dec. 12 with a daily bag limit of two.
The Horicon and Collins zone hunting periods would begin Sept. 16, with six tags issued for each hunting period and a daily bag limit of two.
The duck season would open Sept. 22 at 9 a.m. in the Northern Zone and run straight through until Nov 20. The Southern Zone would open Sept. 29 at 9 a.m. and run through Oct. 7 and then reopen Oct. 13 and run through Dec. 2. The daily bag limit would be six ducks to include not more than four mallards of which only one may be a hen, one black duck, two redheads, two wood ducks, two scaup, one pintail and one canvasback (for the entire season). In addition five mergansers to include not more than two hooded mergansers. The coot bag limit would be 15.
All of these season proposals are preliminary and may be changed at the flyway meeting or to meet the framework set by the USFWS. The final proposal will be presented at the public hearings which will all begin at 7 p.m. on the following dates at the locations listed:
- August 6, La Crosse - Rooms B-19 and B-20, State Office Bldg., 3550 Mormon Coulee Road
- August 7, Rice Lake - Room R228, Meggers Hall, UW-Barron County, 1800 College Drive
- August 8, Appleton - Main Conference Room, Agricultural Services Center, 3369 W. Brewster St.
- August 9, Waukesha - Main Conference Room, State Office Bldg., 141 N.W. Barstow St.
In addition, a public informational meeting will be held on August 4 prior to the hearings to present information on waterfowl populations and to discuss season proposals with hunters. This meeting will begin at 1pm in the Bayberry meeting room of the Best Western Midway Hotel at 2901 Hummingbird Road, Wausau.
“The opportunity for public input into the state process for setting waterfowl hunting seasons is short because of the timing of the federal waterfowl regulatory process,” Van Horn notes that. “However, we do our best to get out and hear from folks during this short period. We welcome comment on season proposals via public hearing, phone calls, letters or emails until August 9”.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Benton – (608) 261-6458 or Kent Van Horn - (608) 266-8841
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