2004 Waterfowl Update

WATERFOWL HUNTING SEASON THIS FALL SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR

Mississippi Flyway: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin

Ducks: A hunting season of not more than 60 days (30 days each for pintails and canvasbacks) between September 23, 2004, and January 30, 2005. The proposed daily bag limit is six and may include no more than four mallards (two hens), three mottled ducks, three scaup, two wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, one pintail, and one canvasback. The proposed daily bag limit of mergansers is five, only one of which may be a hooded merganser.

Geese: Generally, seasons for Canada geese may be held between September 23, 2004, and January 31, 2005, and vary in length, among States and areas, with daily bag limits varying from one to three. States may select seasons
for light geese not to exceed 107 days with 20 geese daily between September 23, 2004, and March 10, 2005; for white-fronted geese not to exceed 86 days with a two-bird daily bag limit or 107 days with a one-bird daily bag limit between September 23, 2004, and February 13, 2005; and for
brant not to exceed 70 days with a two-bird daily bag limit or 107 days with a one-bird daily bag limit between September 23, 2004, and January 31, 2005. There is no possession limit for light geese.

Central Flyway: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and portions of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming Ducks: Duck seasons may be held between September 23, 2004, and January 30, 2005. In the High Plains Mallard Management Unit (roughly west of the
100th Meridian), a 97-day season (39 days each for canvasbacks and pintails) is proposed. The last 23 days may start no earlier than December 11, 2004. A 74-day season (39 days each for canvasbacks and pintails) is
proposed for the remainder of the Central Flyway. The proposed daily bag limit is six and may include no more than five mallards (two hens), two redheads, three scaup, two wood ducks, one mottled duck, one pintail, and one canvasback.

Geese: States may select seasons between September 23, 2004 and February 13, 2005 for dark geese and between September 23, 2004 and March 10, 2005 for light geese. In the East Tier, states may select a 95-day season for
Canada geese, with a daily bag limit of three. In the Eastern Goose Zone of Texas, the State may select an alternative 107-day season with a daily bag limit of one. For white-fronted geese, states may select either an 86-day
season with a daily bag limit of 2 birds or a 107-day season with a daily bag limit of one bird. In the West Tier, states may select a 107-day dark-goose season with a daily bag limit of five birds. In the Western Goose Zone of Texas, the State may select a 95-day season with a daily bag limit of three dark geese (including no more than one white-fronted goose). Colorado, may select a 95-day season with an aggregate bag limit of three. For light geese, all states may select a 107-day season with a daily bag limit of 20 and no possession limit.

Pacific Flyway: Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and portions of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Ducks: A 107-day season between September 23, 2004, and January 30, 2005. The proposed daily bag limit is seven ducks, including no more than two mallard hens, two redheads, four scaup, one pintail, and one canvasback.
Canvasbacks and pintails will be limited to one bird daily and open for only a 60-day period of the regular duck season.

Geese: A 107-day season is proposed in most parts of the Flyway between October 2, 2004, and January 30, 2005. Bag limits generally are three light geese and four dark geese. Other restrictions vary by State and zone. For
brant, the season lengths are 16 days in Oregon and Washington and 30 days in California, with a two-bird daily limit.