From: bob mcguire
Sent: ?Monday?, ?December? ?30?, ?2013 ?10?:?19? ?AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
In an effort to move the discussion towards some sort of resolution, I have
have a couple of questions. Does anyone have answers?
1) Has the late waterfowl hunting season overlapped with the Ithaca CXBC for
ever? If not, since when?
The DEC must work each year within guidelines established by the US Fish and
Wildlife Service. Those guidelines can change each year based on surveys of
breeding pairs of ducks across a wide swath of Canada and the northern US and
surveys of ponds in the prairie pothole region of the Great Plains. Results of
these surveys affect total season length, bag limits for ducks (including for
specific species and even hens vs. drake ducks), and whether states can have a
split season or just one set of inclusive dates for hunting ducks. These
guidelines differ for each of the four major flyways in North America (we are
in the Atlantic Flyway; the others are the Mississippi, the Central, and the
Pacific). New York is the only state in the nation that is allowed by federal
regulation to have five management zones for hunting waterfowl. Most states
are limited to no more than three. NY's topography and habitat diversity are
unique when it comes to waterfowl. The five zones allow for a finer resolution
on harvest management.
In years when duck populations are low (often corresponding to drought in the
pothole region), seasons are short, bag limits are low, and usually split
seasons don't occur. Compared to historical trends, populations of many (not
all) species of waterfowl are relatively high this year. Thus, federal
guidelines allow states to have the maximum number of days for hunting ducks
(60 in NY), liberal bag limits, and a split season. (NY has a split season
this year in that the first split starts in October and goes for a 43 days this
year in the western zone and then started again on December 28 for another 17
days for a total of 60 days).
2) Who (office or person) in the DEC sets the season dates? Is it strictly a
matter for the DEC, or is US Fish & Wildlife involved?
NY has a waterfowl management team made up of biologists from across the state.
They set the start-end dates for hunting in the different management zones
based on a host of data, including average freeze-up dates (e.g., beaver ponds
in the northern part of the state freeze over by early November causing ducks
to move out of that part of the state), timing of waterfowl migration, when
waterfowl hunting have time available for hunting (which is why the season
dates try to maximize weekends and holidays), and other factors. Having done a
lot of research on waterfowl hunters and waterfowl hunting for DEC to use in
season setting over the last 25 years, I can say that I am aware of no
mechanism through which DEC could change season timing or other regulations
within a small area of one of the five major management zones in the state.
3) I know we have a TRADITION of counting on New Year's Day. (And I love to
start the new year this way.) But would counting on a different day change the
value of the data we collect? And in a significant manner?
I know others can speak to this more knowledgeably that I can. I recall in
previous years so good discussion of the pros and cons of changing the timing
of counts, etc.
Hope this helps
Jody Enck
Chris T-H: If this discussion gets too far off topic for the listserve, let us
know!
Bob McGuire
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