Mourning Dove and Eurasian Collared Dove
Dec. 5-Dec. 30

Virginia and Sora Rail
Sept. 12-Nov. 20

Woodcock
Nov. 7-Dec. 21

Snipe
Nov. 1-Feb. 15

Late Canada Goose Statewide Season
Dec. 26-Jan. 30

Duck, coot and merganser
Nov. 21-29
Dec. 10-23
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Youth waterfowl hunt
Dec. 5-6

Snow, blue and Ross’ goose
Nov. 7-Dec. 24
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Conservation Order
Feb. 1-April 25, 2010

White-fronted goose
Nov. 14-Dec. 5, 2009
Dec. 12-24, 2009
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Deer
Archery
Statewide: Oct. 1-Feb. 28

Muzzleloader
Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Dec. 19-21
Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Dec. 29-31
Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed

Modern Gun
Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Nov. 14-Dec. 6
Zone 4: Nov. 14-15
Zone 5: Nov. 14-15 and Nov. 21-22
Zones 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15: Nov. 14-Dec. 13
Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 14-22
Zones 9 and 12: Nov. 14-Dec. 20
Zones 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 14-Dec. 25
Christmas Holiday Modern Gun Deer Hunt is Dec. 26-28 statewide.
The Special Youth Modern Gun Deer Hunt is Jan. 2-3 statewide excluding certain WMAs where a modern gun or muzzleloader permit is required to hunt.

Bear
Archery
Zone 1: Oct. 1-Nov. 30
Zone 2: Sept. 15-Nov. 30
Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7: Closed

Modern Gun
Zones 1 and 2: Nov. 9-30
Zone 5: Dec. 5-13
Zone 5A: Nov. 28-Dec. 13
Zones 3, 4, 6 and 7: Closed

Fall Turkey Season
Closed

Elk
Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, A and B: Dec. 7-11 

Quail
Statewide: Nov. 1-Feb. 7

Rabbit
Statewide: Sept. 1-Feb. 28

Fall Squirrel Season
Statewide: Sept. 5-Feb. 28

Spring 2010 Squirrel Season
May 15-June 13

Crow
Statewide: Sept. 5-Feb. 20

Furbearers (2009-2010)
Gray fox, mink, red fox and striped skunk hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, Feb. 28
Opossum Hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1- sunset Feb. 28
Bobcat hunting: sunrise, Oct. 1-sunset, Feb. 28 and from the first day of spring turkey season through the last day of spring squirrel season.
Coyote hunting: sunrise, July 1-sunset, Feb. 28 and from the first day of spring turkey season through June 14.
River otter hunting: sunrise, Nov. 4-sunset, Feb. 28
Raccoon night hunting: sunset, July 1-sunrise, Aug. 31
Raccoon day or night hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, March 31
Muskrat, nutria, beaver hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, March 31
Badger, spotted skunk and weasel hunting: Closed
Furbearer trapping (other than beaver, coyote, muskrat, nutria): sunrise, Nov. 14-sunset, Feb. 21
Coyote trapping: sunrise, Aug. 1-sunset, March 31
Beaver, muskrat, nutria trapping: sunrise, Nov. 14-sunset, March 31

The 2010 deer season opening dates:

Deer (archery): Friday, Oct. 1, 2010
Deer (muzzleloader): Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010
Deer (modern gun): Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010

Upcoming Public Meetings:

2010-2011 General Public Meetings
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

For further hunting changes regarding bag limits, deer zone boundaries, game checking and other information go to www.agfc.com.

Bobwhite quail hunting can be hit or miss in Texas considering these birds exist here on the very western edge of their distribution in the U. S. There are still vast expanses of suitable bobwhite habitat in the rangelands of South Texas and in the Rolling Plains, where in some years over a hundred thousand hunters flock to pursue these wary game birds. Bobs are limited in these regions by rainfall, more specifically the lack thereof.

This past winter was the second dry winter in a row. Dry conditions limit the availability of late winter and early spring greens, an important part of the quail diet. Of course some areas fared better than others and proper range management is also a part of the equation. Field reports indicate good carryover in parts of the Rolling Plains and to a lesser degree in northern South Texas.

The statewide quail season runs Oct. 31-Feb. 28. The daily bag limit is 15, with 45 in possession. Legal shooting hours for all non-migratory game birds are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The bag limit is the maximum number that may be killed during the legal shooting hours in one day.

Statewide surveys were initiated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1978 to monitor quail populations. This index uses randomly selected, 20-mile roadside survey lines to determine annual quail population trends by ecological region. This trend information helps determine relative quail populations among the regions of Texas. Comparisons can be made between the mean (average) number of quail observed per route this year and the long term mean (LTM) for quail seen within an ecological region. The quail survey was not designed to predict relative abundance for any area smaller than the ecological region.

According to TPWD wildlife biologists, the Rolling Plains region was not as dry this past winter as other areas of the state and scattered mid to late summer rains resulted in substantial production in some areas. Thick vegetation and late broods have likely resulted in an underestimate by TPWD roadside counts. Field reports are across the board this year, indicating localized effects of timely rainfall. Survey results and field staff observations predict a fair to average year. Due to the variation in weather conditions across this region it’s a good idea to scout ahead to be sure hunting areas are holding birds.

The average number of bobwhites observed per route was 6.6 compared to 18.7 last year. This is well below the LTM of 21.9. Despite low counts, enough young birds and coveys have been anecdotally reported that we suspect there will be good bobwhite hunter opportunity, especially in areas under good range management. Public hunting opportunities can be found at the Matador and the Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas.

Unfortunately winter, spring and summer rains were lacking over most of South Texas, which likely increased over-winter mortality resulting in less carryover and also delayed nesting attempts by those birds that survived the winter. There has been scattered rainfall mid to late summer but not enough to trigger widespread nesting. September rains may spur some pairing and subsequent very late nesting. So there may be less than half grown birds at the beginning of the season. Overall, TPWD surveys predict a poor to fair season for South Texas. There will be fair to good opportunities on well managed sites that were proactive in grazing management decisions during this drought year.

The average number of bobwhites observed per route was 5.2 compared to 6.6 last year. This is well below the LTM of 18.9 and is predictive of a below average hunting season. The Chaparral and the Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas provide public quail hunting opportunities.

The Trans-Pecos ecological region of Texas received great weather conditions midsummer that spurred scale quail reproduction. Greatly improved numbers have been confirmed by field reports and are reflected in our survey results. Reports from the western edge of the Edwards Plateau (the Stockton Plateau) indicate poorer production than the rest of the region. We expect an average to good scaled quail season out west.

The average number of scaled quail observed per route was 16.9 compared to 6.7 last year. This is very close to the LTM of 17.8. Public hunter opportunities can be found at Elephant Mountain and Black Gap Wildlife Management Areas.

TPWD surveys indicate that bobwhite numbers in Gulf Prairies are down considerably from last year. Hunters should focus on the central and lower coast in native prairie habitats. The Cross Timbers and Edwards Plateau are well below their respective LTM’s. Although there are certainly areas within each region where some quail hunting opportunity remains, this survey is not designed to detect changes in localized populations, especially in fragmented landscapes.

High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Opening weekend saw fast shooting over playa lakes for teal, gadwalls, wigeons and a few pintails. The season opens again Oct. 30, and prospects remain solid with back-to-back cold fronts forecasted for this week. Dark geese continue to trickle to the Panhandle, though they are not legal game until Nov. 7. Prospects are good.

North Zone Duck Forecast: Conditions are wet throughout the North Zone, with rivers, sloughs, bayous and reservoirs brimming with water. That bodes well for hunters compared to past years of drought when ducks bypassed East and Northeast Texas. Lots of teal, gadwalls, wood ducks and a few wigeons have been seen. Very few mallards have been reported, but that could change quickly if cold fronts continue to make it to Texas. The first split runs Oct. 31-Nov. 29. Prospects are good.

South Zone Duck Forecast: What had been a severe drought across the coast during the summer has quickly turned into life-giving rainfall for the past six weeks. The coastal prairies and marshes have benefitted tremendously from the rain, and waterfowl will reap the rewards this winter. Some outfitters are reporting more teal now than during the special September season. Pintails, gadwalls, wigeons and shovelers are the species most abundant along with greenwings and bluewings. Snow geese should show en masse sometime this week with back-to-back cold fronts and a bright moon forecasted. Coastal flats from Port O’Connor to Rockport still need a good push of redheads to make for good shoots opening day. Specklebellies should be solid for opening day. The first split runs Oct. 31-Nov.29. Prospects are good.

South Zone Dove: Torrential rainfall early this week hurt the dove flight in South Texas and along the coast. Participation has waned with the upcoming deer and duck season on the horizon. Another round of cold air should push new birds to the region. The Rio Grande Valley continues to be the hotspot, with good shoots posted in McMullen, Live Oak, Webb and Uvalde counties, too. The season runs through Nov. 3. Prospects are fair to good.

Early archery deer season provides a different experience from the more popular firearm season for deer.

“Archery season is a great time to be out,” Stewart said.  “The woods are far less crowded, the weather is cool but not too cold, and best of all, the deer are active because the season typically overlaps the pre-rut and rut, when deer are most active.”

 ”Rut” refers to breeding season for deer. 

In assessing the prospects for this year’s deer seasons, Stewart said that EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease), an insect-borne virus suspected to be present in more than 30 of the state’s counties last year, should have little effect on this year’s hunting.

 ”We have had several EHD reports this year from the south central and west central counties, but nothing to the extent to what we received the past two years,” Stewart said.  “Much like the counties with EHD two years ago rebounded last year, the counties affected last year should rebound this year, though there may be some properties that are still feeling the effects into this year.”

Stewart said that the overall deer harvest for the last three years has averaged around 124,400 to 125,500, numbers he expects to be met or exceeded this year. 

“In terms of early archery season, the harvest has ranged from about 23,000 to about 26,000, and I anticipate similar numbers this year,” he said.

Each year, Department of Natural Resources wildlife staff report the number and size of game bird broods they observe in the field from mid-June through late August. At the end of the survey period, these reports, known as the 10-Week Brood Survey, are complied and summarized by the wildlife research program.

“This year’s brood rearing conditions were slightly cooler and significantly dryer compared to last year,” said Scott Hull, DNR upland wildlife ecologist. “Statewide this year’s brood rearing season was on the whole better than 2008, but 2008 was a fairly poor year because of significant spring rain events.

“These surveys provide a rough estimate of game bird brood production. Combined with other spring surveys and harvest information it can help us determine the overall status of game birds in the state.”

The following are preliminary survey results for the turkey, ring-necked pheasant and ruffed grouse brood surveys.

Turkeys
Turkeys showed an 11 percent decrease in the number of broods seen per observer and no change in the size of the broods seen. In 2009, DNR field personnel averaged 0.034 turkey broods seen per hour, down from the 0.038 broods observed per hour in 2008. Three of the five DNR regions showed a decrease in broods observed in 2009 from 2008 levels, northern (minus 37 percent), southeast (minus 16 percent), and the west central (minus 62 percent), while increases were reported in the south central (70 percent) and the northeast (94 percent) regions. The average size of a brood seen in 2009 was 4.4 young per brood, exactly the same as in 2008.

“We expect brood production to vary regionally and even locally depending upon weather and habitat conditions,” said Hull. “The important thing to remember is that statewide turkey production in 2009 remains above the long-term mean.”

Ring-necked Pheasants
Pheasant broods observed per hour were up 25 percent compared to 2008 but remain below the long-term average. Average size of a brood was also up in 2009 with 5.3 young per brood in 2009 compared to 4.6 in 2008.

“Pheasant hunters should expect similar numbers on the landscape as in 2009. While brood production was up this year, overall pheasant numbers are down according to spring survey results”, according to Hull.

Ruffed Grouse
Ruffed grouse populations continue to do well as this popular game bird approaches the peak of its 10-year population cycle. The average number of broods seen per hour increased 31 percent from 2008 levels, up for the second year in a row. Brood size remained the same in 2009, 4.4 young per brood, as in 2008.

“There was also a statewide increase in the number of breeding ruffed grouse shown in the spring drumming counts,” Hull says. “Ruffed grouse hunters should expect a good season this year with brood production and overall grouse numbers up.”

More information is available on the Hunting in Wisconsin pages of the DNR Web site and in the 2009 Fall Hunting and Trapping Forecast.

North Zone Dove: Rain showers last week put a damper on the flight, however, between showers doves were good in corn, milo and along treelines. Fields near Paris enjoyed good shoots in harvested corn and soybeans. Amarillo fields of corn and milo hosted steady shoots. Abilene saw half-limits to near-limits of mourning doves. Hunters should expect a new flurry of birds this week with sustained north wind forecasted. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: Whitewing action picked up where it left off the first week of the season in San Antonio. An influx of birds in harvested corn just outside the city limits made for easy limits. Uvalde, San Saba, Waco, Sabinal, Del Rio and Hondo were the other hotspots around the state. Hunters there said they saw a new wave of birds ride in on the recent north wind. Sealy hunters continue to see plenty of whitewings around oak trees and milo on the outskirts of town. Harrison County hunters have taken half-limits in the afternoon. Katy, Hockley, Brookshire and Waller hunters saw a new crop of birds, but not enough to garner steady limits. Rain around the Houston area has limited the flight. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Dove: The season opens Sept. 18. Best hunts during the Special White-winged Dove Area season occurred around Harlingen and Brownsville. Corn, milo and wild sunflowers have seen the largest concentrations of birds. Some fields near Laredo saw slow hunting. Prospects look solid in Lytle, Uvalde, Del Rio and the Rio Grande Valley. Doves that have been shot out of Central Zone fields in Uvalde and Del Rio are staging just over the zone boundary in corn, milo and sunflowers. North winds this week should prompt more migrants to move south. Prospects are good.

Teal Season: Opening day of teal season on the coast was fair at best – not for lack of birds, though. Steady rains the week prior to the opener seemed to scatter birds. As is normally the case with puddle ducks like teal, many birds left the marshes when the heavy downpours occurred, heading to high ground. That made for slow hunts opening morning; however, by Sunday, birds began trickling back to the coastal marshes and hunters enjoyed better shoots. Good hunters were posted in Wharton County rice fields and leveed ponds. Eagle Lake hunters said they had to hunt later on opening day to get their birds, but Sunday shoots were much faster. Garwood hunters reported average hunting at best. Collegeport hunters said Sunday hunts were much better than opening day. Playa lakes in the Panhandle gave up good shoots. Water supplies there are in good shape from summer rains and recent rains have recharged playas. Hunters say the country is green from all the water. Prospects are good.

Furbearers
Raccoon night hunting: sunset, July 1-sunrise, Aug. 31.
Badger, spotted skunk and weasel hunting: Closed.

Alligator
30 minutes after sunset on Friday, Sept. 18 until 30 minutes before sunrise on Monday, Sept. 21 and from 30 minutes after sunset on Friday, Sept. 25 until 30 minutes before sunrise on Monday, Sept. 28.

Common Moorhen
Sept. 1-Nov. 9

Mourning Dove and Eurasian Collared Dove
Sept. 5-Oct. 18
Dec. 5-Dec. 30

Teal
Sept. 12-Sept. 27

Virginia and Sora Rail
Sept. 12-Nov. 20

Woodcock
Nov. 7-Dec. 21

Snipe
Nov. 1-Feb. 15

Purple Gallinule
Sept. 1-Nov. 9

Early Canada Goose Statewide Season
Sept. 1-15

Northwest Canada Goose Zone Season
Sept. 26-Oct. 5

Late Canada Goose Statewide Season
Dec. 26-Jan. 30

Duck, coot and merganser
Nov. 21-29, Dec. 10-23
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Youth waterfowl hunt
Dec. 5-6

Snow, blue and Ross’ goose
Nov. 7-Dec. 24
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Conservation Order
Feb. 1-April 25, 2010

White-fronted goose
Nov. 14-Dec. 5, 2009
Dec. 12-24, 2009
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Deer
Archery
Statewide: Oct. 1-Feb. 28

Muzzleloader
Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Oct. 17-25 and Dec. 19-21
Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 17-25 and Dec. 29-31
Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed

Modern Gun
Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Nov. 14-Dec. 6
Zone 4: Nov. 14-15
Zone 5: Nov. 14-159 and Nov. 21-22
Zones 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15: Nov. 14-Dec. 13
Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 14-22
Zones 9 and 12: Nov. 14-Dec. 20
Zones 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 14-Dec. 25
Christmas Holiday Modern Gun Deer Hunt is Dec. 26-28 statewide.
The Special Youth Modern Gun Deer Hunt is Nov. 7-8 and Jan. 2-3 statewide excluding certain WMAs where a modern gun or muzzleloader permit is required to hunt.

Bear
Archery
Zone 1: Oct. 1-Nov. 30
Zone 2: Sept. 15-Nov. 30
Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7: Closed

Muzzleloader
Zones 1 and 2: Oct. 17-25
Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7: Closed

Modern Gun
Zones 1 and 2: Nov. 9-30
Zone 5: Dec. 5-13
Zone 5A: Nov. 28-Dec. 13
Zones 3, 4, 6 and 7: Closed
Special Youth Modern Gun Bear Hunt
Zones 1 and 2 (does not include WMAs requiring a deer permit to harvest a bear): Nov. 7-8
Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7: Closed

Fall Turkey Season
Archery
Statewide, except Zone 1A closed: Oct. 1-Feb. 28

Firearms
Zones 3, 5B, 6 and 17: Oct. 26-Nov. 1
Zones 1, 1A, 2, 4, 4A, 4B, 5, 5A, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 9A and 10: Closed

Elk
Zones 1, 2, 3, 4 and A: Sept. 21-25
Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, A and B: Dec. 7-11
Zone A: Sept. 21-25 and Dec. 7-11
Zone B: Dec. 7-11

Quail
Statewide: Nov. 1-Feb. 7

Rabbit
Statewide: Sept. 1-Feb. 28

Fall Squirrel Season
Statewide: Sept. 5-Feb. 28

Spring 2010 Squirrel Season
May 15-June 13

Crow
Statewide: Sept. 5-Feb. 20

Furbearers (2009-2010)
Gray fox, mink, red fox and striped skunk hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, Feb. 28
Opossum Hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1- sunset Feb. 28
Bobcat hunting: sunrise, Oct. 1-sunset, Feb. 28 and from the first day of spring turkey season through the last day of spring squirrel season.
Coyote hunting: sunrise, July 1-sunset, Feb. 28 and from the first day of spring turkey season through June 14.
River otter hunting: sunrise, Nov. 4-sunset, Feb. 28
Raccoon night hunting: sunset, July 1-sunrise, Aug. 31
Raccoon day or night hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, March 31
Muskrat, nutria, beaver hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, March 31
Badger, spotted skunk and weasel hunting: Closed
Furbearer trapping (other than beaver, coyote, muskrat, nutria): sunrise, Nov. 14-sunset, Feb. 21
Coyote trapping: sunrise, Aug. 1-sunset, March 31
Beaver, muskrat, nutria trapping: sunrise, Nov. 14-sunset, March 31

The 2010 deer season opening dates:

Deer (archery): Friday, Oct. 1, 2010
Deer (muzzleloader): Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010
Deer (modern gun): Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010

Upcoming Public Meetings:

2010-2011 General Public Meetings
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

For further hunting changes regarding bag limits, deer zone boundaries, game checking and other information go to www.agfc.com.

North Zone Dove: Dove hunters saw fair to good shoots around the Panhandle over cut corn and milo. The region has received rain during the summer so there are plenty of watering holes and playa lakes. Lubbock and fields north of Abilene were good for morning shoots of mourning doves. Fields along the Red River enjoyed steady flights of mourning doves near Paris and Bogota. Soy beans, sunflowers and corn fields have been the ticket. Treelines and watering holes have seen the best flights in the afternoon. The region has enjoyed above-average rainfall amounts for the year. Prospects are good.

Central Zone Dove: Generally, opening day of dove season was lackluster around the state, unless you were situated around the San Antonio township and feasted on the local flight of whitewings leaving the city to feed in agricultural fields outside of town. Sunflowers and corn yielded quick limits of whitewings in the morning. Castroville hunters also reported good shoots. Sabinal, Hondo and Uvalde saw good shoots as well. Afternoon hunters saw a steady flight as well. Sunflowers fields in Navarro and Freestone counties was fair to good. Hunters there reported seeing more mourning doves before the recent cool front. Public hunting fields near Liberty and Beaumont saw fair at best shoots for mourners. Fields north of Houston in the Cypress area saw better flights of doves last week. Fields near Waller saw limited flights as well. Fields north of Brenham enjoyed high flights of whitewings. Hunters situated around ponds and tanks took good numbers of mourning dove near Marlin and Waco. Sealy hunters saw their best action around treelines and cut rice fields — hunters reported excellent numbers of whitewings there. Katy, Brookshire and Hockley hunters saw slow action. Fields near Marshall and Longview saw half-limit shoots — many hunters there said they lost most of their birds after the last cool front. Prospects are fair to good.

Teal Update: The wettest areas of the state are in the Panhandle and Northeast Texas. Teal are beginning to show on playa lakes along the High Plains and on lakes and reservoirs in the northern reaches of the state. The coast is dreadfully dry. Freshwater marshes are parched flats of cracked earth. Salinity levels in brackish marshes are as salty as ocean water in most areas. Tidal flats should hold enough water for the opener with swelling tides prior to the Sept. 22 Equinox. Coastal prairies are dry as well, except for second-cropped rice fields. The good news is rice prices are favorable for most farmers to try and yield a second-crop harvest, therefore there should be more water on the prairies. Outfitters have begun to pump leveed ponds and fields and the bluewings have found the sweet water. Since the region is suffering from a severe drought, any watering hole is prime during the 16-day season, which runs Sept.12-27.

JEFFERSON CITY–Duck hunters will find much to rejoice about in the 2009 breeding duck report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The report estimates North America’s total breeding duck population at 42 million. That is up 13 percent from last year and 25 percent more than the average since 1955.

The FWS estimates the mallard breeding population at 8.5 million. That is 10 percent more than last year and 13 percent above the long-term average (LTA) for the species most sought after by hunters.

The survey estimated breeding numbers of blue-winged teal at 7.4 million, 11 percent more than last year and up 60 percent from the LTA. This has special significance for the early teal season in September, whose length depends on blue-winged teal numbers. This year’s season will run for 16 days, from Sept. 12 through 27.

Estimates of other ducks’ breeding numbers were:

• Northern pintails, 3.2 million, up 23 percent from last year but still 20 percent below the LTA.
• Green-winged teal, 3.4 million, up 16 percent from last year and 79 percent above the LTA.
• Gadwalls, 3.1 million, about the same as last year and up 73 percent from the LTA.
• American wigeon, 2.5 million, about the same as last year and down 5 percent from the LTA.
• Northern shovelers, 4.4 million, up 25 percent from last year and 92 percent above the LTA.
• Redheads, 1 million, essentially the same as last year, but 62 percent above the LTA.
• Scaup, 4.2 million, up 12 percent from last year but down 18 percent from the LTA.
• Canvasbacks, 662,000, up 35 percent from last year and 16 percent above the LTA.

Resource Scientist Dave Graber, a waterfowl biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, said ducks must find favorable nesting conditions in Canada and the northern United States in order for high breeding population numbers to translate into a strong fall flight of ducks. Particularly important to Missouri hunters is the Prairie Pothole Region of southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, plus the north-central United States. The number of ponds in these regions was up 45 percent from last year and 31 percent above the LTA. Pond numbers were especially encouraging in Montana and the Dakotas, which had 108 percent more water than last year and 87 percent more than the LTA.

Graber said the quality of duck hunting in Missouri in a given year depends as much on summer and autumn weather here as it does on breeding duck numbers and nesting conditions. Adequate but not excessive rainfall during the summer produces abundant food on Missouri wetlands to support migrating ducks for longer periods. Adequate autumn rainfall is necessary to flood habitat, making food available to ducks.

Too much or too little rain during the growing season can limit availability of natural foods. A dry autumn can limit the extent of shallow-water areas where migrating ducks rest and feed.

Finally, hunters rely on cold weather in Canada and the northern United States to push ducks southward into Missouri in the fall. Unseasonably warm weather can cause ducks to remain north of Missouri until late in the season, reducing hunting opportunity. In years when winter arrives early, wetland areas freeze up, and ducks fly farther south, again curtailing Missouri’s hunting season.

In years when ducks find open water and abundant food in the Show-Me State, they can linger for weeks or months, producing the kind of hunting season that memories are made of.

“It’s sort of a Goldilocks scenario,” said Graber. “Everything has to be ‘just right’ for a legendary season. Most years are somewhere from fair to very good. So far, things look extremely promising this year. With continued help from the weather, this could be a season to remember.”

For details of the FWS report, visit www.fws.gov/. The Missouri Conservation Commission will consider 2009-2010 waterfowl hunting seasons at its August meeting.

This number is 31 percent lower than last year and 19 percent below the long-term average of 626,000. The population estimate is based on the DNR’s May aerial waterfowl survey.

“Though population swings are normal, it’s always disappointing when numbers decline,” said Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife chief. “Our goal is to build a breeding population of 1 million birds.”

Steve Cordts, the DNR waterfowl specialist who conducted the survey, said the mallard breeding population was estimated at 236,000. This is 6 percent above the long-term average of 224,000 breeding mallards, but 21 percent below last year and 19 percent below the recent 10-year average.

Blue-winged teal numbers declined 11 percent from last year to 135,000 and remained 39 percent below the long-term average.

“Blue-winged teal counts are always more variable than mallard counts since they are a later migrant through the state,” Cordts said. “Some years, we count migrant teal during the survey, but this year it appeared that most migrant blue-wings had already moved through the state by the time the survey began.”

The combined populations of other ducks, such as wood ducks, ring-necked ducks, gadwalls, canvasbacks and redheads, decreased to 170,000, which is 5 percent below the long-term average.

The estimated number of wetlands was 318,000, down 2 percent from last year but above the long-term average of 248,000.

“Wetland conditions were highly variable this year,” Cordts said. “The east-central and southern survey areas were extremely dry, but conditions improved dramatically moving north and west across the state.”

Additional wetlands and grasslands – including higher quality grasslands and wetlands – are key to improving breeding duck numbers. The DNR’s Duck Recovery Plan identifies the need to restore 2 million acres of additional habitat to achieve the 1 million-bird breeding population level.

“We are committed to hitting the 1 million-bird target,” Simon said. “That means focusing on a long-term strategy to improve the quantity and quality of wetlands and grassland through the combined efforts of many partners.”

Simon said new constitutionally dedicated funding for habitat conservation would help this effort. The Legislature recently appropriated about $13 million to various conservation organizations for habitat improvement on wildlife management areas (WMA), federal waterfowl production areas and other lands. The Legislature also appropriated $8.5 million of dedicated funding to the DNR for WMA grassland and wetland acquisition and enhancement.

The DNR’s waterfowl survey has been conducted in early May each year since 1968, with only minor changes to the survey design. A DNR waterfowl biologist and pilot count all waterfowl and wetlands along established survey routes by flying low-level aerial surveys. The survey is timed to coincide with peak nesting activity of mallards.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides ground crews that also count waterfowl along some of the same survey routes, providing data that is used to correct for birds not seen by the aerial crew. The survey was designed to provide an index of breeding duck abundance in about 40 percent of the state that includes much of Minnesota’s best remaining duck breeding habitat.

Data on breeding duck numbers across other regions of North America is not yet available, but preliminary reports suggest good to excellent wetland habitat conditions in the Dakotas and portions of southern Canada.

The entire report can be viewed online. Waterfowl hunting regulations effective this fall will be released in August.

CANADA GEESE
This year’s estimate of 285,000 Canada geese remains similar to last year’s estimate of 289,000.

“Although the population is still above our goal, the number of breeding Canada geese has stabilized and is no longer increasing rapidly,” said DNR biologist Dave Rave. “Most wildlife managers have reported good numbers of goose broods so far this summer, which should translate into plenty of opportunity for hunters this fall.”

Since 2001, the DNR has conducted a helicopter survey of nesting Canada geese during April. The survey, which includes most of the state except for the Twin Cities metropolitan area, counts Canada geese on randomly selected plots located in prairie, transition and forested areas.

Preliminary harvest information estimates that hunters took 26,485 turkeys in the 2008 fall season. That’s up substantially from the preliminary fall harvests of 21,900 in 2007, and 21,500 in 2006.  It also is 19 percent above the previous three-year average for fall seasons.

“This fall harvest increase was expected for several reasons,” said Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist. “Turkey reproduction was average to above average throughout most of Pennsylvania last year, which led to a larger population. More turkeys and poor fall crops of acorns and beechnuts in many forested areas forced turkeys to concentrate around available food sources, and they consequently became more visible and easier for hunters to locate and pattern.

“Turkey harvests fluctuate annually in response to fall season length, summer reproduction, hunter participation, fall mast crops and weather,” Casalena explained. “The population gains made through reproduction last year easily offset the increased take by fall turkey hunters. On the whole, Pennsylvania’s wild turkey populations are in better shape than they have been in recent years as a result of better spring weather for nesting, improved reproduction, and the use of shorter fall seasons when recruitment was below average.

“The outcomes of fall turkey seasons, where hunters may harvest birds of either sex, are very important because they can really influence turkey populations, unlike in the spring, when only gobblers – and a few bearded hens – are being taken by hunters,” Casalena said “We control the harvest of hens in the fall through season length. The longer the fall season, the greater the number of hens harvested. Our goal is to provide optimum wild turkey populations in suitable habitats throughout Pennsylvania for hunters and other recreationists.”

The largest harvests occurred in three of the state’s largest WMUs, which are in the more traditional fall turkey hunting areas and where there are 3-week seasons. WMU 4D was tops with a preliminary harvest of 2,856, followed by WMU 2G, 2,637; and WMU 2D, 2,183.

However, a look at harvests per square mile (harvest density) provides a different perspective. WMU 4D still remained at the top with a rate of 1.04 turkeys harvested per square mile. But what followed differed. WMU 4E was second with a rate of 1.03, then WMU 2D, 0.88; and WMU 4C, 0.87.  Statewide results show a preliminary average of 0.6 turkeys harvested per square mile for the 2008 fall season, as compared to the previous three-year average of 0.5.

Preliminary WMU fall turkeys harvests, followed by fall turkey harvest per square mile are: WMU 1A, 1,234 (0.67); WMU 1B, 1,430 (0.68); WMU 2A, 931 (0.51); WMU 2B, 780 (0.57); WMU 2C, 1,595 (0.51); WMU 2D, 2,183 (0.88); WMU 2E, 1,038 (0.82); WMU 2F, 838 (0.35); WMU 2G, 2,637 (0.64); WMU 3A, 1,140 (0.76); WMU 3B, 1,417 (0.63); WMU 3C, 1,448 ((0.67); WMU 3D, 833 (0.38);  WMU4A, 1,452 (0.84); WMU 4B, 944 (0.59); WMU 4C, 1,582 (0.87); WMU 4D, 2,856 (1.04); WMU 4E, 1,786 (1.03); WMU 5A, Closed; WMU 5B, closed; WMU 5C, 276 (0.13); and WMU 5D, 9 (0.01).

For more information on wild turkeys, visit the Game Commission’s website – www.pgc.state.pa.us – and at select “Hunting” in the left column and then click on photo of the wild turkey.

PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) has reported 10 chronic wasting disease (CWD) cases from among almost 2,700 deer tissue samples collected and submitted for lab analysis by KDWP in recent months. Eight of the CWD-positive deer tissue samples had been reported earlier by KDWP, and two additional positive tests were recently confirmed in the final batch of samples submitted for lab analysis, according to Shane Hesting, KDWP’s wildlife disease coordinator.

KDWP collected 2,693 tissue samples throughout the 2008 hunting seasons. Included in that total were nine elk; none of the elk samples tested positive for CWD. KDWP has conducted annual sampling of deer and elk since 1996 to help track the occurrence of CWD.

“Emphasis was placed on obtaining more samples in northwest Kansas to assess the prevalence and distribution of the disease because that area is adjacent to past CWD occurrences in neighboring states,” Hesting said. “It is the only area of Kansas where CWD has been documented. About 20 percent of the samples collected in Kansas were from that 12-county area, so the increased number of detections may be the result of more intensive sampling combined with the natural spread of the disease.”

All 10 deer confirmed as CWD-positive were white-tailed deer taken by hunters in northwest Kansas. Of the CWD-positive deer confirmed by KDWP, five came from Decatur County, two from Sheridan County, two from Rawlins County, and one from Cheyenne County.

CWD had been documented previously in Kansas. During the 2007 season, three Decatur County whitetails were confirmed as CWD-positive. The first detection in a wild Kansas deer was a white-tailed doe killed by a Kansas hunter in 2005 in Cheyenne County. Prior to that, CWD was detected in a captive elk in Harper County in 2001.

Although research is underway, there is currently no vaccine or other biological method of preventing CWD. The only tool is to prevent the spread of CWD to new areas, because once the infective particle (an abnormal prion) is deposited into the environment — either through an infected carcass or from a live animal — it may exist for a decade or more, capable of infecting a healthy deer.

Despite the recent occurrences, the likelihood of finding CWD in a wild deer harvested in Kansas is small. That small likelihood decreases even more the farther from northwestern Kansas the deer lived. In recent years, numerous cases of CWD have been documented in neighboring areas of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

CWD is a progressive, fatal disease to deer and elk that results in small holes developing in the brain, giving it a sponge-like appearance under the microscope. It is a member of a group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases in this group include scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle, and Cruetzfeldt-Jacob disease in people. Humans have never been known to contract CWD.

None of the 10 CWD-positive deer from the 2008 seasons exhibited any outward symptoms that are common, but in terminal stages of the disease, CWD causes decreased brain function, making the animal display neurological symptoms such as depression, droopy head, loss of appetite, and a lack of response to man. The continuing deterioration of the brain leads to other symptoms such as stumbling, circling, weight loss, drooling, and excessive thirst. Caution is advised because of unknown factors associated with prion diseases.

Although, no human health risks have been discovered where CWD occurs, any sick deer or elk should be reported it to the nearest KDWP office or the Emporia Research Office, 620-342-0658.

Hunters can help protect the health of the Kansas deer herd by taking the following steps to avoid accidentally introducing CWD to a new area in Kansas:

• do not transport deer carcasses far from the area where the deer lived, especially from areas where CWD has been detected, such as northwestern Kansas; and
• if a carcass is transported, the hunter should make sure that carcass waste is not dumped into the environment where local deer or elk can come into contact with it. Carcass waste can be disposed of by double-bagging it and taking it to a landfill.

The Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance maintains an online clearinghouse of information about the disease at www.cwd-info.org. More information is also available on the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us. Phone Bob Mathews at KDWP’s Pratt Operations Office, 620-672-5911, for more information.

Hunters harvested approximately 223,000 deer in the 2008 season, a 2 percent increase over the previous season, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today.

The annual deer harvest report also showed that more than 15,000 14- and 15-year-olds signed up for the new “Junior Big-Game License” and that researchers detected no cases of Chronic Wasting Disease.

Harvest numbers increased slightly in every category: bucks, antlerless deer, muzzleloading and bowhunting. However, the increases were smaller than the 5-10 percent increase DEC projected, largely due to weather.

“Rough weather during the first week of the Southern Zone regular season seems to have kept overall take below expectations,” Commissioner Grannis said, explaining that steady growth of the deer population in the Southern Zone fueled predictions of a larger harvest.

Junior Hunters
The important milestone of 2008 was the success of the new “Junior Big-Game” hunting license authorized by Governor David A. Paterson which allows 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt big game for the first time. Records indicate that 15,651 junior hunters participated, harvesting about 3,900 deer.

“The first year of the junior big-game hunting license has been a success – one of the biggest developments on the state hunting scene in recent memory,” Commissioner Grannis said.

Deer Harvest
Deer-harvest data are gathered from two main sources: harvest reports by hunters and DEC staff’s examination of harvested deer at check stations and meat processors. Statewide harvest estimates are made by cross-referencing these sources and are statistically accurate to within plus or minus 2 percent. The 2008 deer take included 105,747 bucks and 117,232 antlerless deer (adult females and fawns).

Buck takes grew by 1 percent over 2007 (104,451) and 10 percent over 2006 (96,569). Antlerless deer takes grew by 2 percent over 2007 (114,690) and 26 percent over 2006 (92,539). Totals for all categories are listed in the chart at the bottom of the release.

The majority of New York’s deer harvest typically occurs during the first week of the Southern Zone regular season. Because of wet, windy and snowy conditions, opening week harvest was down about 30 percent from 2007. Conditions improved through the season, allowing hunters to surpass the 2007 totals though they fell short of projections.

Since 1990, DEC has used local Citizen Task Forces to establish deer population objectives for most Wildlife Management Units. These panels represent a broad range of public interests and consider concerns of landowners, farmers, foresters, conservationists, hunters and others. The population objectives reflect the approximate buck take per square mile that would be taken when the deer population is close to the desired level. Deer populations vary widely across the state, and 2008 harvest data indicate that about 50 percent of the WMUs had deer populations below objective levels while 29 percent had populations above objective levels.

Western New York continues to lead the state in total deer-harvest densities. The top five counties for 2008 were Yates (12.7 total deer per square mile), Steuben (9.5), Genesee (9.4), Livingston (9.1), and Allegany (9.0). Importantly, total harvest is strongly impacted by the number of Deer Management Permits (DMPs) available in an area, which directly affects the harvest of antlerless deer. A more accurate picture of relative deer population densities is revealed by the density of buck harvest. By this figure, the top counties for buck harvest density were: Yates County (4.6 bucks per square mile), Allegany (4.2), Orange (3.8), Wyoming (3.7), and Steuben (3.7).

Chronic Wasting Disease
Efforts continued with CWD surveillance through sampling of hunter killed deer statewide and mandatory deer checks in the Oneida-Madison County CWD Containment Area. Despite testing approximately 2,940 deer (including more than 1,100 deer from the CWD Containment Area), no cases were detected. CWD is a rare neurological disease that affects the brains of deer, elk and moose, causing the animals to become emaciated, lose body functions and eventually die. CWD surveillance began in New York in 2002, with increased efforts since 2005 after the disease was detected in five captive and two wild deer in Oneida County. Since 2002, about 29,300 samples have been collected throughout the state, including about 6,500 samples from the Oneida-Madison County CWD Containment Area, and no additional cases have been detected.

Note: More detailed data is available at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/42232.html.

This harvest ranks second among Pennsylvania’s annual bear harvests.  In 2005, hunters set a record harvest of 4,164 bears.  Other recent harvests were: 3,075 in 2000; 3,063 in 2001; 2,686 in 2002; 3,000 in 2003; 2,972 in 2004; 3,122 in 2006; and 2,360 in 2007.

“This year’s harvest was what we had expected, as many areas had above-average bear populations,” said Mark Ternent, Game Commission bear biologist.  “There were a few exceptions to this, like Clinton and Cameron counties in WMU 2G, where poor acorn crops contributed to a smaller harvest, but elsewhere across the state, harvest generally increased. 

“In WMU 3A, the increase was pronounced, as the black cherry crop was good, and there was plenty of standing corn.  In fact, we suspect this availability of food may have drawn some bears from parts of WMU 2G into WMU 3A.”

Ternent also noted that bears were taken in 54 counties, and increase from 2007, when bears were taken in 49 counties.

“More bears were taken in counties traditionally labeled as periphery ‘bear range,’” Ternent said.  “We have been expecting this expansion, which is reflected in the significant increase in bear harvest in WMUs 1A and 1B.”

The largest bear taken was a 716-pound (estimated live weight) male taken in Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, by Morgan C. Neipert, of Tobyhanna, on Nov. 25.  In all, 12 bears taken by hunters weighed 600 pounds or more, continuing to reinforce Pennsylvania’s status as a major bear hunting destination.

The bear harvest by WMU for all three seasons combined (archery, 3-day, and extended), including 2007’s harvest results in parentheses, were: WMU 1A, 21 (7); WMU 1B, 67 (29); WMU 2A, 1, (1), WMU 2C, 227 (238); WMU 2D, 166 (94); WMU 2E, 117 (50); WMU 2F, 246 (224); WMU 2G, 729 (545); WMU 3A, 313 (186); WMU 3B, 392 (214); WMU 3C, 177 (145); WMU 3D, 199 (193); WMU 4A, 145 (100); WMU 4B, 43 (42); WMU 4C, 105 (54); WMU 4D, 456 (184); WMU 4E, 53 (54); and WMU 5C, 1 (0).

Harvest by county and region, with 2007’s figure in parenthesis, were:

Northwest: Clarion, 65 (24); Venango, 64 (39); Jefferson, 62 (38); Forest, 60 (55); Warren, 59 (71); Crawford, 31 (4); Butler, 13 (9); Erie 10 (2); Mercer, 6 (0); and Lawrence, 1 (0).

Southwest: Somerset, 103 (85); Indiana, 66 (31); Armstrong, 50 (43); Fayette, 43 (78); Westmoreland, 37 (40); and Cambria, 40 (10).

Northcentral: Potter, 294 (106); Lycoming, 252 (139); Tioga, 236 (121); McKean, 141 (103); Clinton, 139 (171); Centre, 129 (60); Clearfield, 115 (81); Elk, 92 (62); Cameron, 75 (118); and Union, 59 (27).

Southcentral: Huntingdon, 134 (72); Bedford, 80 (61); Mifflin, 56 (21); Blair, 51 (35); Snyder, 44 (19); Juniata, 22 (14); Perry, 14 (6); and Fulton, 13 (8).

Northeast: Bradford, 102 (86); Pike, 73 (82); Wayne, 107 (78); Luzerne, 59 (62); Sullivan, 135 (57); Susquehanna, 40 (49); Columbia, 24 (39); Monroe, 54 (35); Carbon, 35 (31); Lackawanna, 39 (28); Wyoming, 56 (26); Northumberland, 6 (2); and Montour, 1 (0).

Southeast: Schuylkill, 41 (14); Dauphin, 23 (6); Northampton, 4 (4); Lehigh, 2 (0); and Berks, 1 (0).

West Zone Goose: Hunters in the Panhandle closed out their season Feb. 8. Outfitters reported limits of dark geese through the last day of the season. However, snow geese disappeared from Cactus Lake near Etter and Dumas. The goose season was steady from start to finish, despite many days of mild weather. Water was probably a factor in keeping birds in the area as an abundance of playa lakes allowed for plenty of roosting areas.

Light Goose Conservation Order: The return of south winds last week jump-started decoying action along the coast. Some outfitters reported 100-plus bird hunts, including a confirmed 180-bird shoot in Jackson County over wheat. However, few outfitters and fewer hunters have been in the field. Many have put away their shotguns for the year. Even fewer are the geese. Many have disappeared with the strong southeast winds blowing in excess of 25 knots on the prairie. Fewer roosting areas and a severe drought have turned most watering holes to dust. Panhandle hunters began their season Feb.9 and many chose to stay in bed. Cactus Lake, the primary roosting area for snows in the High Plains, have been devoid of white birds. Outfitters say snows left the region with the recent mild conditions. Prospects are fair.