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| Biologist Predicts a Good Waterfowl Season |
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| By Nick Carter |
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Posted Tuesday September 28 2010, 10:42 AM |
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The only change in bag limits this waterfowl season is for pintail ducks, like the male above. The limit has gone from one to two thanks to improved numbers.
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If the weather north of us cooperates, Alabama waterfowlers should expect to see some ducks flying this winter, and lucky hunters may get the chance to down an extra pintail in their limit.
DCNR Waterfowl Biologist David Hayden said the surveys in the Mississippi Flyway were good this year, and he’s expecting a good season.
“The numbers up north look good,” he said. “Some species are up a little bit; some species are down a little bit. It’s going to be very similar to last year.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports similar population numbers to last year, except for blue-winged teal, canvasbacks and pintails. Blue-winged teal populations took a 14 percent dive from last year. However, they remain above the long-term average. Canvasback numbers also declined, by 12 percent, but their numbers are on par with the long-term average. The prohibition on harvest of cans, which was lifted for last year’s season has not been re-implemented, and the limit on cans is still one per day.
Pintails were the happy surprise in this year’s figures. Surveys show an estimated 9 percent increase for these dabblers from last year, and the population estimate is higher than it has been since 1997. As a result, the limit on pintails will rise from one to two ducks this season.
“Their numbers historically have never been really high up there like the mallards, gadwalls and so forth. So they’ve had a restricted bag for a long time. The breeding numbers and fall flight numbers look like they’re better than last year, and it was high enough that the bag limit came in as two instead of one,” said David. “They are a pretty popular duck because it is a real pretty duck. The males have that long tail on them. It’s supposed to be a good-eating bird, too, so folks like to get them when they have a chance.”
Of course Alabama’s waterfowl season always depends on what’s going on with the weather north of us.
“If we’re going to have a good year this year, we’re going to need cold weather north of us, and we really need some snow cover up north of us,” David said. “We need to freeze up some of their ponds and lakes and cover up some of the fields where the grain and stuff is and drive the ducks down this way.”
2010-11 Waterfowl Seasons and Bag Limits
Seasons:
Special Canada Goose: Sept. 1-15
Special Snow/Blue Goose: Oct. 30-Nov. 14
(Escambia and Monroe counties only)
Special Teal: Sept. 11-26
Youth Waterfowl Days: Feb. 12-13
Duck, Coot, Merganser: Nov. 26-27, Dec. 4-Jan. 30
Goose: Sept. 25 - Oct. 6, Dec. 4 -Jan. 30
Bag Limits:
Ducks: Six a day, may include no more than four mallards (no more than two of which can be hens), three wood ducks, one mottled duck, one black duck, two redhead, two pintail, one canvasback and two scaup. Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.
Mergansers: Five a day, only two may be hooded mergansers. Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.
Coot: 15 a day, 30 in possession.
Goose: Five a day, shall not include more than two Canada geese or two white-fronted geese. Possession limit of five shall include no more than four Canada geese and white-fronted geese in aggregate.
Special Canada Goose: Five Canada geese a day, 10 in possession.
Special Teal: Four a day, eight in possession.
Special Snow/Blue Goose: Five a day, 10 in possession.
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