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WATERFOWL SEASONS TO BE SET AT PARIS LANDING MEETING
Local waterfowlers will have a chance to see how season dates and bag
limits are set when the wildlife commission meets here in Henry County
later this month.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is proposing a 60-day season for
2009-10 duck hunting, with one split similar to past years, that would end
Jan. 31, 2010 and a 6-duck bag limit. TWRA has also recommended using the
maximum number of days allowed for goose hunting seasons.
The proposals will be presented to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Commission at its Aug. 20-21 meeting to be held at Paris Landing State
Park. TWRA recommends the Statewide Zone duck hunting seasons to be held
Nov. 28-29 and Dec. 5-Jan. 31 while the Reelfoot Zone will be held Nov.
14-15 and Dec. 5-Jan. 31. The recommendations will maximize the number of
weekends open to duck hunting and will end on the latest date allowed
(Sunday, Jan. 31).
Habitat conditions in the Prairie Pothole region of the United States and
Canada were greatly improved over last year and duck populations were also
improved. These conditions allow Tennessee to have the option to select a
60-day duck season.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has offered a full season with no
closed or partial seasons. TWRA recommends the maximum USFWS frameworks
regarding duck bag limits. A daily bag limit of 6 ducks may include no
more than: 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be a hen), 3 wood ducks
(during the late waterfowl season only), 2 scaup, 1 pintail, 1 canvasback,
and 1 black duck. The daily bag limit of merganser would be 5, only 2
which may be hooded mergansers.
The USFWS has allowed a 4 mallard bag limit (2 of which can be a hen) for
the past 11 years under the Adaptive Harvest Management framework.
Waterfowl populations have increased and decreased over that time based on
wetland conditions but have not shown any relationship to harvest by
hunting over that time period.
For goose hunting seasons, the agency has again recommended the maximum
number of days allowed and within in the Federal frameworks. Goose seasons
are set as late as Federal frameworks allow in order to take advantage of
any migratory geese that may be available in late winter.
Season dates for Canada geese are Oct. 3-Oct. 9 and Nov. 28-Jan. 31 in the
Statewide Zone. In the Northwest Zone, the dates are Dec. 5-Feb. 14. The
daily bag limit is 2 per person.
The white-fronted goose season runs statewide from Dec. 5-Feb. 14. The
daily bag limit is 2 per person.
Season dates and bag limits for light geese (snow, blue, Ross) are similar
to last season with a shift for the calendar. The standard season will run
from Nov. 25 through Feb. 14. Federal Conservation Order provisions allow
the use of electronic calls and unplugged shotguns for the Feb. 15 through
March 10, 2009 portion of the season. The daily bag limit of light geese
is 20 per person.
The youth waterfowl season would also be similar to last year with only a
calendar shift. For youth ages 6-15, the Statewide Zone dates are Feb. 6-7
while the Reelfoot Zone would be Feb. 13-14
Steve McCadams is a professional hunting and fishing guide here in the Paris Landing
area. He has also contributed many outdoor oriented articles to
various national publications. |
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