Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    see 7.4 for first cut at this year's N.H. dates.
    
    Guy

    This rumor.... That is I got it from a stranger by word of mouth.
    
    According to him this is coming from the feds.
    
    Duck season will not start 1/2 hour before sunrise but
    is going to be cut back to sunrise.
    
    also there will be no Black Ducks in the limits this year.
    
    I feel if these are true that the first rule cutting back
    on the starting time might go hand in hand with making
    it easier to identify blacks from Mallards.
    
    bear

    I was reading the proposed dates and limits last night 
    
    It is not true about no Black ducks.
    
    We will still be allowed one black Duck ( or so it seems )
    
    BUT IT IS TRUE .
    
    * NEW SHOOTING HOUR*
    
    **SUNRISE TO SUNSET**
    
    not 1/2 hour before sunrise to sun set as in the past...
    
    This is coming from the fed and will most likely be law in every
    state in the union... 
    
    So everyone beware and read the rule and regulations carefully.
    
    Bear

    does anyone have any information on the use of steel shot this year?
    can it be used or do we have to use it?
    
    
    mike

    According to an article in my local paper (written by Mike Garzillo),
    you can use lead shot in 1988, but in 1989 it will be steel shot
    only.
    
    Mark.

    Thanks for the info!
    
    
    mike

    1988-1989 migratory bird hunting regulations.
    
    Shooting hours are from sunrise to sunset
    
    Ducks, Mergansers and Coots (including Black ducks)
    Season Dates: Inland  Oct. 12 through Oct. 30; Nov. 24 through Dec.
                          14
    Canada Geese: Inland  Oct. 8 through Dec. 16
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    Daily Bag Limit:  Inland 3 ducks 5 mergansers 5 coots 3 geese 
    Possession limit: Inland 6 ducks 10 mergansers 30 coots 6 geese
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
    Black Ducks: bag limit 1   possession limit 2
    Mallard    : bag limit 3 (only 1 hen allowed) possession limit 6
    Wood       : bag limit 2   possession 4
    Redhead    : bag limit 2   possession 4
    Hooded     : bag limit 1   possession 2
    Canvasback : closed
    Pintail    : closed
    Tail       : No bonus birds or special seasons
    Scaup      : No bonus birds or special seasons
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    Steel Shot Requirements: No portions of New Hampshire are zoned
                             as steel shot only zones.

    Was that a (freudian) typo?  Did you mean no bonus "Teal"

    I thought, or was told by the F&W dept. actually, that the feds
    were making it a manditory 30 day season this year.  How do you
    guys rate, getting 40 days (unless I counted wrong, given the 
    dates in 194.7)
    
    Geeez.....

    I saw the federal mandates and it is true you have no choice of
    the mater. The season will be no longer than 30 days.
    
    so what gives. I don't know.

    	.9 is correct about the 40 days if the dates listed in .7 ?
    are correct. Can someone enter the real dates if .7 is not correct?
    
    	RAYJ

    According to the copy of regulations sent to me by NH F&G, 
    
    Inland Duck Season:  12-Oct thru 30-Oct and 24-Nov thru 04-Dec
    Coastal              15-Oct thru 23-Oct and 24-Nov thru 14-Dec
    
    Inland Canada Goose  08-Oct thru 16-Dec
    Coastal              23-Oct thru 31-Dec
    
    Inland Snow/Blue     08-Oct thru 05-Jan
    Coastal              15-Oct thru 05-Jan
    
    Inland Brant         08-Oct thru 26-Nov
    Coastal              30-Oct thru 18-Dec
    
    Woodcock             01-Oct thru 14-Nov
    
    Wilson Snipe         15-Sep thru 30-Nov
    
    Sea Ducks            15-Sep thru 30-Dec (scoter, eider & old squaw
                          in coastal waters and rivers and streams seaward 
                          from first upstream bridge.)
                 

    	I was reading the Colorado Outdoors magazine last night, and
    in it they mentioned that although we were not much affected by the
    drought, the northern plains were. It seems that this is where the
    majority of the ducks go to breed, and the small ponds and potholes
    where they breed have dried up, and therefore there was a large
    reduction in young hatched. This is the reason for the shortened
    season etc.
    
    	George
    

    George,
    
    The reason why people are upset in the east is because our ducks
    do not come from the northern plains where the drought was so bad.
    I went to the Vermont F&W meeting where they set the limits, regs,
    etc. this year.  They showed a film which pointed this out very
    clearly.  The only ducks we get from out west are the few handfulls
    of pintails we see each year.  The duck migration forecast for the
    east is supposed to be at or a little above last year's.  Our F&W's
    atlantic flyway counsel worked hard to get the feds to tailor their
    regulations to specific flyways, to no avail.  I am not against
    what the feds did this year because it will only help our future
    migrations.  My only concern is that, when the problem has subsided
    in the west, I am afraid they will not bring back the bigger bag
    limits and the longer seasons.
    
      I hope this gives you an idea as to why duck hunters are up in
    arms over this issue in the east.  There is nothing that can be
    done about it now, however, and I hope the sport benefits in the
    future because of it.
    
    Dave (who hopes to duck hunt along side of his son someday)

    	Thanks for that input Dave. I wasn't aware of that. It seems
    like an all too typical of federal tunnel vision then.
    
    	George

    just to add...
    
    why have flyways if you are going to impose the same regulations
    across the land?
    
    Guy

    I read about the 25% shortening of duck seasons in the NRA Field
    Notes.  What really shocked me was that the Atlantic flyway started
    out with the shortest season in the country.  Are there really THAT
    many more ducks in the Pacific flyway?  Maybe I should relocate
    to a job out west :-)
    
    Here are the cuts:
    
    Atlantic		 40	to 	30 days
    High Plains		 67	to	51
    Low plains (Central) 51	to	39
    Pacific		 79	to	59
    
    
    The other thing I found interesting was the goose seasons.  While
    our goose population is booming here :-), they have reduced the
    season from 90 days to 70 in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. 
    They have also reduced the bag limit from 3 to 2 geese.
    
    
    - Mark