FWC Announces 2008-09 Migratory Game Bird and Early Waterfowl Hunting Seasons
September 15, 2008
Crow
- Season: Aug. 9 – Oct. 26, 2008 (Saturdays and Sundays only) and Nov. 11, 2008 – Feb. 18, 2009
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Bag limit: No bag or possession limits
Rail and common moorhen
- Season: Sept. 1 – Nov. 9, 2008
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Bag limits (daily/possession):
 Clapper & king rails – 15/30 (singly or in aggregate)
 Sora & Virginia rails – 25/25 (singly or in aggregate)
 Common moorhen – 15/30
 Purple gallinule – No open season
September Canada goose
- September Season: Sept. 6-24, 2008
- Note: This season is now open statewide (previously open on Lake Seminole only)
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
- Bag limit (daily/possession): 5/10.
Special early duck
- Season: Sept. 20-24, 2008
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Legal to take: Teal, wood duckÂ
- Bag limit (daily/possession): 4/8. The 4-duck daily bag limit may include no more than 2 wood ducks; the 8-duck possession limit may include no more than 4 wood ducks.
Mourning and white-winged dove
- Season:
 First phase – Oct. 4-27, 2008
 Second phase – Nov. 15-30, 2008
 Third phase – Dec. 13, 2008 – Jan. 11, 2009 - Shooting hours:
 First phase – noon to sunset
 Second and third phases – One-half hour before sunrise to sunset - Bag limit (daily/possession): 15/30 (singly or in aggregate) - increased from previous year.
Snipe
- Season: Nov. 1, 2008 – Feb. 15, 2009
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Bag limit (daily/possession): 8/16
Woodcock
- Season: Dec. 20, 2008 – Jan. 18, 2009
- Shooting hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
- Bag limit (daily/possession): 3/6
For general hunting season dates, follow this link
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Error in Idaho Waterfowl Rules Book
September 12, 2008
The single word “not” dropped out of the new 2008 waterfowl hunting rules brochure in a sentence explaining possession limits, creating an error hunters should note.
The sentence should read: A person may not have more than the possession limit, even when such birds are stored at home or being processed at a commercial preservation facility.
Federal rules on waterfowl hunting have traditionally allowed no more than a single possession limit to be kept by any person, regardless of the location of the possessed birds. This rule remains in effect.
Fish and Game regrets the error. The misprint on page 16 of the Idaho rules brochure does not, however, change the rule nor provide an excuse for violation of the waterfowl possession limit.
In addition, to clarify the youth water fowl hunt, the season on canvasback ducks is closed.
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Mississippi Waterfowl Late-Season Dates Set
September 9, 2008
Jackson- The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks approved dates for the 2008-2009 waterfowl hunting season, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released late-season frameworks in early August providing a “window” of dates from which states may select specific season dates.
The duck, merganser, and coot seasons will open on November 27, 2008 and run continuously until January 25, 2009. The duck daily bag limit will be a total of 6 ducks, including no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be females), 3 mottled ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 scaup, 1 black duck, and 1 pintail. The season on canvasbacks will be closed. The merganser daily bag limit will be a total of 5 mergansers, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers. Coots will have a 15-bird daily bag limit. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for ducks, mergansers, and coots.
Ed Penny, MDWFP Migratory Game Bird Program Coordinator, said “The most significant changes to this year’s bag limits include the 3-bird wood duck daily bag limit, the bag limit reduction of scaup to a 1-bird daily bag limit, and a closed canvasback season.”Â
Late-season Canada goose and brant seasons will occur from November 17, 2008 – January 25, 2009. Canada geese will have a 3-bird daily bag limit and brant will have a daily bag limit of 2 birds. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for Canada geese and brant.
Snow, blue, Ross’s, and white-fronted goose (white-fronted geese are known as “specklebellies” by many hunters) seasons will be from November 15, 2008 – January 25, 2009. Snow, blue, and Ross’s geese will have a daily bag limit of 20 birds. White-fronted geese will have a daily bag limit of 2 birds. In addition to the regular hunting season, there will again be a conservation order for snow, blue, and Ross’s geese during the following dates: October 1 – November 14, 2008; January 26 – January 30, 2009; and February 2 – March 31, 2009 (only snow, blue, and Ross’s geese may be taken during the light goose conservation order). The possession limit for white-fronted geese is 4 and there is no possession limit for snow, blue, and Ross’s geese.Â
“Similar to last year, we will extend the light goose conservation order on snow, blue, and Ross’s geese later into the year, because a few geese remain in Mississippi through the month of March” said Houston Havens, MDWFP Migratory Game Bird Program Biologist. “This year, hunters will again have that extra opportunity.”
The youth waterfowl weekend will be the weekend of January 31 – February 1, 2009.
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Columbia River Area Pacific Halibut Reopens For Aug 29 Only
August 28, 2008
NEWPORT – Sport fishing for Pacific halibut in the ocean off the Columbia River area will reopen for one day only on Friday, Aug. 29.
Fishery managers determined there was sufficient catch limit remaining to reopen the fishery for one day. The combined spring and summer harvest quota for the Columbia River subarea between Leadbetter Point in Washington and Cape Falcon in Oregon is 18,762 pounds.
There are other opportunities to fish for Pacific halibut in other areas of Oregon.
Off central Oregon between Cape Falcon (near Manzanita) and Humbug Mountain (near Port Orford), anglers may fish for halibut inside the 40-fathom line seven days a week through Oct. 31 or attainment of the harvest quota for that fishery. The all-depth halibut fishery off central Oregon is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the harvest quota for that fishery is achieved or Oct. 26. The high-relief area of Stonewall Bank, west of Newport, is closed to all halibut fishing.
The area south of Humbug Mountain is open in all-depths for Pacific halibut through Oct. 31, seven days a week.
The daily bag limit is one fish and there is no minimum length for Pacific halibut. The possession limit is one daily limit at sea and three daily limits on land. The annual limit per angler is six fish.
Sport anglers are reminded possession of groundfish is not allowed north of Humbug Mountain when a Pacific halibut is aboard their vessel during all-depth Pacific halibut dates. The exception is sablefish black cod) between Humbug Mt and Cape Falcon and both sablefish and Pacific cod north of Cape Falcon, which may be retained with halibut. Other non-groundfish species, such as tuna and salmon during authorized seasons, may be possessed with halibut on open all-depth Pacific halibut days.
Days on which Pacific halibut fishing is open will be announced on the NOAA Fisheries hotline (1-800-662-9825) and posted on the ODFW Marine Resources Program Web site at www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP. More information on regulations can be found in the 2008 Oregon Sport Ocean Regulations for Salmon, Halibut and Other Marine Species booklet. General regulations can be found in the 2008 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.
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Pennsylvania State Parks Open For Early Goose Hunting September 1
August 26, 2008
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state parks again will allow Canada goose hunting when the state’s early season opens Monday, Sept. 1.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said the statewide season, designed to reduce local nuisance geese populations, runs through Monday, Sept. 25.
Hunters should contact individual park offices for local starting dates and other details. Some parks are closed to hunting. Also, with the early-season starting date falling on Labor Day, some parks will not allow hunting until Tuesday, Sept. 2, the day after Labor Day. Sunday hunting is not permitted in Pennsylvania.
Geese may be hunted during the early season at state parks within designated hunting areas. This year, hunters will be permitted to take one Canada goose in the Pymatuning zone; while hunters may take up to three geese on Pymatuning State Park Reservoir and an area extending 100 yards inland from the shoreline of the reservoir, excluding the area east of SR 3011 (Hartstown Road).
However, in the Pymatuning zone, all of State Game Land 214 located in Crawford County, will be closed for the early Canada goose season. Additionally, no hunting will take place on the controlled hunting area at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lebanon and Lancaster counties.
There also has been a change to bag limits and zone boundaries in the Southern James Bay Population (SJBP) zone. The bag limit has been reduced to three geese daily, and six in possession. The SJBP zone is defined as: the area north of Interstate 80 and west of Interstate 79, including in the city of Erie west of Bay Front Parkway to the Lake Erie Duck zone, which includes Lake Erie, Presque Isle and the area within 150 yards of the Lake Erie shoreline.
Excluding these areas, an eight-goose daily bag limit and a 16-bird possession limit will be in effect statewide.
Non-migratory Canada goose populations have increased drastically in recent years, causing crop damage and nuisance problems in residential neighborhoods. Park visitors often complain about goose excrement on state park beaches and other facilities, and water quality at some state parks has been adversely affected.
Resident Canada geese have been among the suspected cause of high fecal coliform counts at some Pennsylvania state park beaches, forcing swimming restrictions during peak use periods.
Many state parks have taken measures, including anti-goose fencing and/or the use of loud noisemakers, in the attempt to deter the waterfowl or scare them away.
All Game Commission rules and regulations governing the early Canada goose season will apply at state parks. Additional details can be obtained from the Game Commission Web site, www.pgc.news.state.pa. Park information can be found at DCNR’s Web site: www.dcnr.state.pa.us.
Persons with disabilities wanting to hunt geese in the early season should contact specific state parks for further information. Sportsmen’s groups interested in volunteering for waterfowl habitat improvements and other projects in state parks should contact their local state park
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Alabama Continues ‘Liberal’ Waterfowl Seasons
August 26, 2008
Alabama’s waterfowl hunters will again enjoy waterfowl seasons under the “liberal” designation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The 60-day regular duck, coot and merganser season will run Nov. 27 through Jan. 25 with a six-duck bag limit.
The daily limit can consist of no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be female), three wood ducks, three mottled ducks, one black duck, two redhead and one pintail. The scaup (bluebill) bag limit will be one bird from Nov. 27 through Jan. 5 and then increase to two birds per day from Jan. 6-25. The harvest of canvasback is prohibited because of a significant reduction in the USFWS’ breeding population count.
The bag limit for mergansers is five per day, only two of which may be hooded mergansers. The bag limit on coots is 15 per day. The possession limit on coots and mergansers is twice the daily bag limit.
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except during regular duck season in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. In the area north of Battleship Parkway, west of Alabama Highway 225, south of CSX Railroad tracks, and east of the west bank of the Mobile River: Monday through Thursday shooting hours shall be one-half hour before sunrise to 12:00 noon; Friday through Sunday shooting hours shall be one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
The special teal season is scheduled for Sept. 6-21 with a daily bag limit of four and possession limit of eight.
A special early Canada goose season is set from Sept. 1-15 with a daily bag limit of five with a possession limit of 10.
The regular goose season – statewide, including the Southern James Bay Population Zone – is Sept. 27 through Oct. 6 and Nov. 27-Jan. 25.
The daily bag limit of five shall not include more than two Canada geese or two white-fronted geese. The possession limit of five shall include no more than four Canada geese and white-fronted geese in aggregate. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Parks, State Lands, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR visit www.outdooralabama.com.
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Youth-only Fishing Day at the Homer Spit in Alaska, Saturday August 16
August 14, 2008
A portion of the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on the Homer Spit will be open to fishing only by youths 15 years of age and younger on Saturday, August 16, from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The youth-only fishing area will be posted. The remainder of the Fishing Lagoon will be open to fishing to all anglers of any age.
Fish and Game staff and volunteers will be on hand from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to assist kids and some fishing gear will be available at that time for use by kids.
All other sport fishing regulations remain in effect for the Fishing Lagoon. The daily bag and possession limit is 6 silver salmon of any size. The lagoon area is closed to snagging until further notice and weights or bobbers following a hook or hooks may not be used.
Youth fisheries were established by the Alaska State Legislature and implemented by the Alaska Board of Fisheries to provide special opportunity for young people to catch fish.
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L.W.F.C. Sets Tentative Migratory Waterfowl Seasons
August 12, 2008
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) voted to tentatively adopt proposed season dates, bag limits and shooting hours for the 2008-09 migratory waterfowl season at their Aug. 7 meeting. The dates will be ratified by a declaration of emergency from the commission, after approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is once again recommending a 60-day season be adopted for ducks and coots. In the West Zone, the first segment will open on Nov. 8 and close on Nov. 30. The second segment will open on Dec. 13 and run through Jan. 18. In the East Zone, the first segment will go from Nov. 15-30. The second segment will last from Dec. 13-Jan. 25.
Youth waterfowl weekend in the West Zone is Nov. 1-2 and in the East Zone Nov. 8-9.
The daily bag limit on ducks is six and may include no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be females), one pintail, three mottled ducks, one black duck, three wood ducks and two redheads. The daily bag limit for scaup is one per day until Dec. 30 in the West Zone and one per day until Jan. 6 in the East Zone. Daily bag limit for scaup is two per day on those dates and thereafter in both zones. The daily bag limit on coots is 15. Canvasbacks will not be allowed this year in the daily bag limit on ducks and will be closed statewide for the 2008-09 season. In addition to the daily bag limit for ducks, the daily bag limit for mergansers is five, only two of which may be hooded mergansers. The possession limit on ducks, coots and mergansers is twice the daily bag limit.
Light geese and white-fronted geese will have a 72-day season. The first segment in the West Zone will open on Nov. 8 and close on Nov. 30. The second segment in the West Zone will run from Dec. 13-Jan. 30. The first segment in the East Zone will open on Nov. 3 and run until Nov. 30. The second segment will run from Dec. 13-Jan. 25. The daily bag limit on light geese is 20, with no possession limit. The daily limit on white-fronted geese is two, with a possession limit of four.
The special-permit-required Canada goose season will be from Jan. 10-25 statewide, except for a small area in southwest Louisiana. The daily limit for Canada geese is one and the possession limit is two. The special $5 permit may be obtained from any license vendor.
The Statewide Conservation Order for light geese will open in the West Zone on Dec. 1, and the first segment will close on Dec. 12. The second segment in the West Zone will run from Jan. 31-March 8. The first segment in the East Zone will run from Dec. 1-12, and the second segment will be from Jan. 26-March 8. During this time, only snow, blue and Ross? geese may be taken and daily bag and possession limits are eliminated. The use of electronic calls and unplugged shotguns is permitted. Shooting hours during the Conservation Order begin one-half hour before sunrise and extend until one-half hour after sunset.
Rails may be taken from Nov. 8-Dec. 31. For King and Clapper rails, the daily limit is 15 in the aggregate, with a possession limit of 30. Sora and Virginia rails have a daily and possession limit of 25 in the aggregate.
Gallinule season will open on Nov. 8 and close on Dec. 31. The daily bag limit is 15 and possession limit is 30.
Snipe may be taken in the first segment from Nov. 1-30 and from Dec. 13-Feb. 27 in the second segment, with a daily bag limit of eight and a possession limit of 16.
Shooting hours for migratory bird hunting, except for the Conservation Order, are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except at the Spanish Lake Recreation Area in Iberia Parish where shooting hours, including the Conservation Order, end at 2 p.m.
An extended falconry season for ducks, rails and gallinules will take place from Nov. 1-Jan. 30.
For more information, contact Larry Reynolds at 225-765-0456 or lreynolds [at] wlf [dot] louisiana [dot] gov.
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New Salmon and Steelhead Regulations on Klamath and Trinity
August 5, 2008
New fishing regulations to increase the possession limit of returning adult fall-run Chinook salmon from four to six along the Klamath River system become effective Aug. 15. The California Fish and Game Commission adopted regulations increasing the possession limit at their June 28, 2008 meeting in Upland to reflect an expected increase in harvest opportunities that will be available to sport anglers.
“Based on predictions of a strong return of adult fall-run Chinook salmon, fishing on the Klamath River system is expected to improve this year,” said Neil Manji, DFG Fisheries Branch Chief. “This is good news following the closure of the California ocean salmon season and restrictions in the Sacramento River system earlier this year to protect diminished stocks of Central Valley fall-run Chinook.”
The anticipated strong return of salmon to the Klamath will provide an in-river harvest allocation of 22,500 adult fall-run Chinook salmon for sport anglers - up from 10,600 last year. It is the second largest harvest allocation in 30 years. Run size projections for 2008 are based on the number of fish that returned to the river by age class in 2007 and the expected number of fish harvested at sea during the course of the 2008 offshore fishing season. Offshore closures enacted this season combined with an expected strong return of 4-year-old fall-run Chinook salmon are responsible for the large 2008 in-river sport harvest allocation. The tribal harvest allocation is 27,000 fish.
The following is a summary of seasons, daily bag and possession limits on salmon and steelhead.
- Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon: The season extends from Aug. 15 through Dec. 31 on the Klamath River and from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 on the Trinity River. The daily bag limit is three Chinook salmon of which no more than two may be over 22 inches; the possession limit is nine Chinook salmon of which no more than six may be over 22 inches.
- Klamath River spring-run Chinook salmon: The season extends from Jan. 1 through Aug. 14 on the Klamath River; and Jan. 1 through Aug. 31 on the Trinity River. The daily bag and possession limit is two Chinook salmon. The take of spring-run Chinook salmon is prohibited on the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam downstream to Weitchpec or on the Trinity River from the confluence of the South Fork Trinity River downstream to the confluence with the Klamath River during this period.
- Steelhead: The season is open all year. The daily bag and possession limit is one hatchery steelhead or hatchery rainbow trout on the Klamath River. On the main stem Trinity River the daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery rainbow trout and the possession limit is four. Hatchery steelhead and rainbow trout are identified by the lack of an adipose fin.
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Kenai River Sockeye Salmon Limit Reduced
August 5, 2008
The sockeye salmon bag and possession limit will be reduced to one fish upstream of the Kenai River sonar counter located at river mile 19, effective 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, August 6. The Kenai River sonar counter is located approximately two river miles below the Sterling Highway Bridge crossing of the Kenai River in Soldotna. Sport fishing for sockeye salmon below the river mile 19 sonar counter remains closed.
The bag and possession limit of sockeye salmon in the Russian River and Kenai River “fly-fishing-only waters” at the confluence of the Russian River, including that portion of the Kenai River from ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately 300 yards upstream of the public boat launch at Sportsman’s Landing downstream to the power line are not affected by this action and remain at three fish. See page 51 of the Southcentral Alaska regulation booklet for a map of this area.
The department is taking measures to reduce the harvest of Kenai River sockeye salmon. This restriction is part of an effort by the department which also includes a reduction in commercial fishing to achieve an optimal escapement goal of 500,000 – 1,000,000 spawning sockeye salmon. The department is closely monitoring the run and will take further management actions as necessary to meet the optimum escapement goal. These management actions may include further restrictions with short notice, or, if the run strength significantly increases, management actions could include rescinding the restrictions placed on the fisheries.