Season Dates

[Specklebelly]

Have any of your states had season dates announced?

If so when are they?

We are still waiting in OK.

[Bill in IL]

We are still waitng for the announcement in Illinois.

[Nixter]

Early season goose, Sept.1 thru Sept. 13th. I've got vacation in those dates. The Benelli is clean and will be patterned this week or the next. Knives are sharp and meat locker space is ready.

Patterning is done to check for different points of impact from last years lots. I can't afford a full case of ammo at once, so I buy as I need and pattern each season. Might be cheaper to buy a case in the long run but the initial outlay puts me off.

Nixter


PS. regular season dates will be announced in late August. Check the Wisconsin Hunting Forum for updates provided by Eyesore.

[Specklebelly]

I lost a Specklebelly.

Preliminary regulations were released for Oklahoma this weekend and are pretty much the same as last year except:

-Two week break between seasons instead of one (good)
-Speck bag limit reduced from two to one (bad)

[Sx2]

Illinois tenative

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/081905/JEF_B79R85F9.068.shtml

Friday, August 19, 2005



Waterfowlers finally can use ink pens to circle season dates on the calendar.
After weeks of speculation, Department of Natural Resources director Joel Brunsvold announced official season dates late Thursday afternoon.

Well, semi-official. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service still has to approve. But that's usually a rubber stamp.

So with no more delay, here are those dates:

- Central Zone: Duck - Oct. 29 to Dec. 27; Canada goose - Oct. 29 to Nov. 6, Nov. 16 to Jan. 31; Youth - Oct. 22-23; Canvasback - Nov. 12 to Dec. 11.

- North Zone: Duck - Oct. 15 to Dec. 13; Canada goose - Oct. 15 to Jan. 8; Youth - Oct. 7-8; Canvasback - Oct. 29 to Nov. 27.

- South Zone: Duck: Nov. 24 to Jan. 22.; Canada goose - Nov. 24-27, Dec. 10 to Jan. 31; Youth - Nov. 12-13; Canvasback - Nov. 24 to Dec. 23.

The only change from dates proposed by DNR's advisory board is in the South Zone. The board had proposed a Nov. 20 opener. Brunsvold changed that to Thanksgiving Day because of concerns about conflicts with shotgun deer season and possible law-enforcement difficulties.

That late opener will bring to a head divisions between hunters in the deep south and those in the zone's northern reaches. Actually, similar problems are brewing in the Central Zone, where many hunters from Hennepin and north argued for an earlier start.

A chance to appease some hunters comes next spring when the DNR can redraw zone lines. Look for lively discussion on that subject.

DUCK FOOD: Impacts of this summer's drought on duck hunting are still to be seen.

Will there be enough water to build blinds? Enough water to hunt? Will pumps at Rice Lake keep running?

Questions abound. One certain thing is that low water has allowed for plenty of duck food.

With no late-summer flood, duck clubs and even state sites had few problems planting crops in refuges. But stands of native food sprouted with no aid from man. Growth of moist-soil plants has been outstanding, according to Illinois Natural History Survey biologists.

Particularly lush is Quiver Lake near Havana, where grass, smartweed and sedges are almost solid across the entire lake. In places, pigweed stands 10 feet tall.

"I've been many places in the country looking at waterfowl habitat and this is far and away the best moist-soil I've ever seen," said Joshua Stafford of the Illinois Natural History Survey. "It might not make for good hunting, but it certainly (is) good waterfowl habitat."

There's a downside to all that greenery, at least for birdwatchers. Partly because of the growth of moist-soil plants at Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, the Illinois Ornithological Society canceled its Shorebird Spectacular, which had been scheduled for Aug. 27-28.

[Matt_G]

Colorado seasons: Copied from DOW press release dated 8/17/2005

The regular Central Flyway Duck and Coot Season will take place from Oct. 1 – Oct. 23, Nov. 5 – Dec. 4 and Dec. 11 – Jan. 22.

The daily bag limit is six ducks, excluding mergansers. Of the six ducks, no more than five can be mallards, of which no more than two can be female. As part of the six duck bag limit, hunters may take one pintail and one canvasback (canvasbacks and pintails can only be taken through Nov. 20). Hunters may also take two redheads, one mottled duck, two wood ducks and two scaup as part of the six-duck daily bag limit. Additionally, the bag limit may include five mergansers, of which no more than one may be a hooded merganser. Hunters may also take 15 coots. The possession limit is two daily bag limits.

The regular Central Flyway Dark Goose Season will take place from Nov. 19 – Feb. 12 for all areas east of the Continental Divide except in Pueblo County where the season is open Dec. 3 – Feb. 12. Some areas in the Central Flyway will also be open for dark goose hunting from Oct. 1 – Oct. 9. The bag limit is three dark geese. The possession limit is six dark geese.

The regular Pacific Flyway Duck and Coot Season will take place Oct. 1 – Oct. 16 and from Nov. 2 – Jan. 29.

The daily bag limit is seven ducks, including mergansers. Of the seven, no more than two can be female mallards. Hunters can take one pintail daily, two redheads and three scaup. One canvasback can be taken daily through Dec. 15. Hunters are also allowed to take up to 25 coots per day throughout the season. The possession limit is two daily bag limits.  

The September Canada Goose Season in the Pacific flyway portion of the state will take place Sept. 3 – Sept. 11. The bag limit is three Canada geese and the possession limit is six Canada geese.

The regular Pacific Flyway Dark Goose Season will take place from Oct. 1 – Oct. 7 and Nov. 2 – Jan. 29. The daily bag limit is three dark or light geese in aggregate. The possession limit is six dark or light geese in aggregate.

The regular Light Goose Season in the Central Flyway will take place Oct. 29 –Feb. 12. The bag limit is 20 light geese and the possession limit is unlimited.

The Light Goose Conservation Order Season in the Central Flyway, east of I-25 only, will take place from Feb. 18 – April 30. This season was extended by a month this year. The bag and possession limits are unlimited.