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AUSTIN, Texas -- Taking the approach that waterfowl hunting in Texas "ain^t broke," state wildlife officials are seeing little to fix with this year^s duck and goose seasons. Texas Parks and Wildlife^s proposed waterfowl seasons and bag limits reflect very little change from last year^s liberal framework.
If approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission later this month, waterfowl hunters will get a 107-day season and 20-bird daily bag limit for light geese and a 74-day season and six-bird daily bag for ducks across most of the state. Early migratory game bird seasons for species such as dove and teal were approved in June.
Waterfowl hunting season guidelines are established at the federal level each summer based on duck and goose breeding success and fall flight estimates. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveys, breeding duck populations remained near an all-time high at 42 million birds, 27 percent above the long-term average.
"We made no progress this year in trying to extend both the early and late season framework, so for the most part there is no change from last year," said Vernon Bevill, TPW migratory game program director.
Texas and other states in the Central Flyway had petitioned for a Jan. 28 closing framework date for duck hunting. USFWS intimated that in order grant the later closure, participating states would be required to reach a "harvest-neutral impact" status, which would mean giving up days elsewhere during the season. According to Bevill, the trade-off would be unacceptable in Texas because hunting trend data show a significant decline in hunter participation toward the end of January. "We^d be giving up more opportunity than we^d gain under this scenario," he concluded. "I^m glad the framework proposal will receive more study before next year. Perhaps the final recommendation will look better."
Proposed duck hunting seasons for 2000-2001 in the North Zone are Oct. 28-29 and Nov. 11-Jan. 21, with a youth-only weekend on Oct. 21-22. In the South Zone, the proposed dates are Oct. 28-Nov. 25 and Dec. 9-Jan. 21. TPW is looking at two options for youth-only weekends for the South Zone of either Oct. 21-22 or Dec. 2-3 and is interested in receiving public input prior to finalizing a recommendation to the commission. The merganser and coot seasons are proposed to run concurrently with the duck seasons with a proposed bag limit of five mergansers (only one may be a hooded merganser) and 15 coots. Proposed duck hunting seasons in the High Plains Mallard Management Unit are Oct. 21-23 and Oct. 28-Jan. 21 (89 days), with a youth-only weekend season on Oct. 14-15.
"This will be the first time we^ve had the option of holding a youth-only weekend season and we want to get hunters^ comments about this proposal," Bevill said. "In the High Plains Mallard Management Unit we opted to give up a Tuesday during the opening split in the regular season in order to take advantage of the youth-only weekend, and in the South Zone we^ve heard varying comments from the public on which youth dates work best. Some have said that a later youth season works better because of the cooler weather, others feel it^s better to hold it before the opener to allow kids to have first shot at the birds."
The proposed duck bag limit statewide remains unchanged from last year: six ducks in the aggregate, which may include no more than five mallards (only two may be hens), three scaup, two wood ducks, two redheads, one mottled duck, one pintail, and one canvasback.
This year, TPW is proposing to simplify and standardize goose hunting seasons, recommending a statewide Oct. 28 opener and setting of special conservation rules for light geese this month rather than in January to give hunters and guides ample time to make plans.
The light and dark geese seasons will also run concurrent statewide this year, closing on Jan. 21 in the Eastern Zone and Feb. 11 in the Western Zone. Bag limits remain the same as last year at 20 light geese per day and no possession limit. For dark geese, the bag limit in the Western Zone remains five daily with no more than one specklebelly, and in the Eastern Zone a daily limit of one Canada and two specklebellies.
TPW had sought to create a third zone for goose hunting so sportsmen in certain north-central Texas counties could take advantage of late season opportunities for dark geese while still providing early light goose conservation seasons to the west a week earlier as last year. By delaying the conservation season in the Western Zone, the additional area was not necessary, according to biologists.
State officials are once again proposing special conservation rules for light geese to be tacked on at the close of the regular goose hunting seasons. In the Eastern Zone, the special season would start on Jan. 22, with a Feb. 12 opener in the Western Zone. The season would close statewide on April 1. During the special season, hunters may use electronic game calls, unplugged shotguns and extended hunting hours. There would be no daily bag limit or possession limit on light geese.
Adoption of the light goose conservation season will mandate an early closure of sandhill crane hunting season in Zones B and C, according to Jay Roberson, TPW^s webless migratory bird program leader. "We had proposed to offset some of this lost opportunity with an expansion of Zone C along the coast and making the goose zone boundary the same as that for cranes. Our proposal was not favorable to the Service, despite sound biological evidence we felt showed an expansion did not represent a significant impact on harvest," said Roberson. "We^re disappointed that the Service did not grant our request."
According to mid-continent population counts, current sandhill crane numbers exceed the management plan upper population threshold which allows liberalized regulations. "There are about 500,000 sandhills in the mid-continent population and the total harvest for the Central Flyway has been only 17,000 birds," said Roberson. "In a worst-case scenario, we^d only be looking at an additional harvest of about six percent as a result of expansion proposals throughout the flyway."
The TPW Commission will finalize the duck and goose seasons at its public hearing in Austin on Aug. 31. Comments on these proposals should be directed to David Morrison, Texas Parks and Wildlife, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, fax (512)389-4398, e-mail david.morrison@tpwd.state.tx.us. Public comment on the proposals may also be made via e-mail by visiting TPW^s Web site (www.tpwd.state.tx.us).
Uploaded: 8/15/2000
Uploaded: 8/15/2000