Bmac
07-22-2005, 02:46 PM
Copied from another site. It sounds like it could be a 60 day season with Pintails all 60, 1 per day (I never see them anyway :rolleyes: ). Scaup days and/or bag may be restricted also due to low population.
2005 Preliminary Harvest-Management Considerations
Division of Migratory Bird Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
July 20, 2005
The purpose of this document is to provide Flyway Councils and other interested organizations initial considerations regarding harvest strategies for the 2005 hunting season developed by the Division of Migratory Bird Management (MBM). The suggestions and recommendations below for various waterfowl species and populations do not necessarily reflect positions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) or the Service=s Regulations Committee. MBM staff will be present at all Flyway Council meetings, and subsequent technical discussions may influence final MBM harvest management recommendations.
Ducks
Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM): The Service is continuing development of an AHM protocol that would allow hunting regulations to vary among Flyways in a manner that recognizes each Flyway’s unique breeding-ground derivation of mallards. For the 2005 hunting season, we believe that the prescribed regulatory choice for the Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways should continue to depend on the status of midcontinent mallards. We also recommend that the regulatory choice for the Atlantic Flyway continues to depend on the status of eastern mallards. Investigations of the dynamics of western mallards (and their potential effect on regulations in the West) are continuing; therefore we are not yet prepared to recommend an AHM protocol for this mallard stock.
For the 2005 hunting season, the Service is continuing to consider the same regulatory alternatives as those used last year. The nature of the restrictive, moderate, and liberal alternatives has remained essentially unchanged since 1997, except that extended framework dates have been offered in the moderate and liberal regulatory alternatives since 2002. Also, the Service agreed in 2003 to place a constraint on closed seasons in the western three Flyways whenever the midcontinent mallard breeding-population size (traditional survey area plus MN, MI, and WI) is >5.5 million.
Optimal AHM strategies for the 2005 hunting season were calculated using: (1) harvest-management objectives specific to each mallard stock; (2) the 2005 regulatory alternatives; and (3) current population models and associated weights for midcontinent and eastern mallards. Based on this year’s survey results of 7.54 million midcontinent mallards (traditional surveys area plus MN, WI, and MI), 3.9 million ponds in Prairie Canada, and 1.05 million eastern mallards, the prescribed regulatory choice for all four Flyways is the liberal alternative.
Pintails: At the early season regulations meeting, the Service endorsed the continued use of the pintail harvest strategy without alteration from the provision adopted in 2004. With an observed spring breeding population of 2,561,000 and a projected fall flight of 3,215,000 pintails, the harvest strategy prescribes a full season and a 1-bird bag in all Flyways. Under the “liberal” season length, this regulation is expected to result in a harvest of 603,000 pintails with 2,288,000 birds in next year’s breeding population.
In addition, we support continued review and revision of the strategy as discussed during the early season regulations meeting.
Black Ducks: During this past year, we have continued dialogue with the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways regarding assessments of the harvest potential of black ducks. We are particularly concerned with evidence of a long-term decline in the productivity of black ducks, which implies declining harvest potential. Harvest rates of black ducks have increased concurrently with implementation of AHM and the return to longer seasons. Current harvest rates as measured by reward banding are now at or near the levels which are likely to produce maximum sustainable harvests. If the decline in productivity continues and harvest rates are not reduced, harvest and population size can be expected to decline as well. In light of the assessment work conducted to date, MBM does not support any regulatory changes this year.
Canvasbacks: Based on regulatory actions in recent years and recommendations from the Flyway Councils, the canvasback harvest strategy was modified in 2004 to allow partial seasons within the regular duck season. The modification allows a canvasback season length equal to that of the “restrictive” AHM regulatory alternative if a full season is not supported, but the reduced harvest from the restricted season predicts a spring abundance the following year equal to or greater than the objective of 500,000 birds. Otherwise, the season on canvasbacks would be closed. Further, based on a recommendation from the Pacific Flyway Council, Alaska would have a 1-bird daily bag limit for the entire regular duck season in all years unless the Service determines that it is in the best interest of the canvasback resource to close the season in Alaska as well as the lower 48 states.
This year’s spring survey resulted in an estimate of 520,574 canvasbacks. The estimate of ponds in Prairie Canada was 3.9 million, which was 17% above the average. The allowable harvest in the U.S. calculated from these numbers is 84,424 birds, which is below the predicted U.S. harvest of 118,904 thousand associated with the ‘liberal’ duck season alternative. Thus, for 2005-06, a canvasback season the entire length of the regular season is not supported. However, the “restrictive” season length within the regular duck season is expected to result in a harvest of about 61,758 canvasbacks, and is supported.
Scaup: A recent assessment of scaup population and harvest dynamics suggests that scaup harvest potential has decreased along with the observed population declines, and that current scaup harvest levels may be at or approaching maximum sustainable yield (MSY) levels. In addition, this assessment work suggests that scaup harvest rates have continued to increase since the early 1990’s while population sizes have continued to decline. Based on the historical low scaup breeding population observed this year and continued harvest levels close to MSY, we recommend that the Flyway Councils consider regulatory changes to reduce the level of scaup harvest by 25%. We believe that this is a reasonable objective in the short term, recognizing that future assessment work will be required to determine if this level of decrease results in a meaningful reduction in harvest rates. If not, then further harvest restrictions may be required. In the interim, we will continue our assessment work with the goal of developing a framework that will support the use of a state dependent harvest policy to inform scaup harvest management. Therefore, we urge the Councils to consider changes in regulatory options (bag limit and/or season lengths) that achieve this level of harvest reduction.
Mottled Ducks: A recent review by Service staff of population status information for mottled ducks on the Western Gulf Coast has highlighted a growing concern for the declining population of this locally popular gamebird. Recent drought conditions continue to adversely impact habitats in the western portions of the species’ range. We recommend that the Central and Mississippi Flyways give serious consideration to possible management options for reducing harvest and increasing survival of mottled ducks on the Central and Western Gulf Coast during deliberations of this year's hunting regulations. In the coming year, we would like to cooperatively review available status information on mottled ducks with the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyway Councils, and begin reviewing the adequacy of monitoring programs and ensuring appropriate levels of harvest.
2005 Preliminary Harvest-Management Considerations
Division of Migratory Bird Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
July 20, 2005
The purpose of this document is to provide Flyway Councils and other interested organizations initial considerations regarding harvest strategies for the 2005 hunting season developed by the Division of Migratory Bird Management (MBM). The suggestions and recommendations below for various waterfowl species and populations do not necessarily reflect positions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) or the Service=s Regulations Committee. MBM staff will be present at all Flyway Council meetings, and subsequent technical discussions may influence final MBM harvest management recommendations.
Ducks
Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM): The Service is continuing development of an AHM protocol that would allow hunting regulations to vary among Flyways in a manner that recognizes each Flyway’s unique breeding-ground derivation of mallards. For the 2005 hunting season, we believe that the prescribed regulatory choice for the Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways should continue to depend on the status of midcontinent mallards. We also recommend that the regulatory choice for the Atlantic Flyway continues to depend on the status of eastern mallards. Investigations of the dynamics of western mallards (and their potential effect on regulations in the West) are continuing; therefore we are not yet prepared to recommend an AHM protocol for this mallard stock.
For the 2005 hunting season, the Service is continuing to consider the same regulatory alternatives as those used last year. The nature of the restrictive, moderate, and liberal alternatives has remained essentially unchanged since 1997, except that extended framework dates have been offered in the moderate and liberal regulatory alternatives since 2002. Also, the Service agreed in 2003 to place a constraint on closed seasons in the western three Flyways whenever the midcontinent mallard breeding-population size (traditional survey area plus MN, MI, and WI) is >5.5 million.
Optimal AHM strategies for the 2005 hunting season were calculated using: (1) harvest-management objectives specific to each mallard stock; (2) the 2005 regulatory alternatives; and (3) current population models and associated weights for midcontinent and eastern mallards. Based on this year’s survey results of 7.54 million midcontinent mallards (traditional surveys area plus MN, WI, and MI), 3.9 million ponds in Prairie Canada, and 1.05 million eastern mallards, the prescribed regulatory choice for all four Flyways is the liberal alternative.
Pintails: At the early season regulations meeting, the Service endorsed the continued use of the pintail harvest strategy without alteration from the provision adopted in 2004. With an observed spring breeding population of 2,561,000 and a projected fall flight of 3,215,000 pintails, the harvest strategy prescribes a full season and a 1-bird bag in all Flyways. Under the “liberal” season length, this regulation is expected to result in a harvest of 603,000 pintails with 2,288,000 birds in next year’s breeding population.
In addition, we support continued review and revision of the strategy as discussed during the early season regulations meeting.
Black Ducks: During this past year, we have continued dialogue with the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways regarding assessments of the harvest potential of black ducks. We are particularly concerned with evidence of a long-term decline in the productivity of black ducks, which implies declining harvest potential. Harvest rates of black ducks have increased concurrently with implementation of AHM and the return to longer seasons. Current harvest rates as measured by reward banding are now at or near the levels which are likely to produce maximum sustainable harvests. If the decline in productivity continues and harvest rates are not reduced, harvest and population size can be expected to decline as well. In light of the assessment work conducted to date, MBM does not support any regulatory changes this year.
Canvasbacks: Based on regulatory actions in recent years and recommendations from the Flyway Councils, the canvasback harvest strategy was modified in 2004 to allow partial seasons within the regular duck season. The modification allows a canvasback season length equal to that of the “restrictive” AHM regulatory alternative if a full season is not supported, but the reduced harvest from the restricted season predicts a spring abundance the following year equal to or greater than the objective of 500,000 birds. Otherwise, the season on canvasbacks would be closed. Further, based on a recommendation from the Pacific Flyway Council, Alaska would have a 1-bird daily bag limit for the entire regular duck season in all years unless the Service determines that it is in the best interest of the canvasback resource to close the season in Alaska as well as the lower 48 states.
This year’s spring survey resulted in an estimate of 520,574 canvasbacks. The estimate of ponds in Prairie Canada was 3.9 million, which was 17% above the average. The allowable harvest in the U.S. calculated from these numbers is 84,424 birds, which is below the predicted U.S. harvest of 118,904 thousand associated with the ‘liberal’ duck season alternative. Thus, for 2005-06, a canvasback season the entire length of the regular season is not supported. However, the “restrictive” season length within the regular duck season is expected to result in a harvest of about 61,758 canvasbacks, and is supported.
Scaup: A recent assessment of scaup population and harvest dynamics suggests that scaup harvest potential has decreased along with the observed population declines, and that current scaup harvest levels may be at or approaching maximum sustainable yield (MSY) levels. In addition, this assessment work suggests that scaup harvest rates have continued to increase since the early 1990’s while population sizes have continued to decline. Based on the historical low scaup breeding population observed this year and continued harvest levels close to MSY, we recommend that the Flyway Councils consider regulatory changes to reduce the level of scaup harvest by 25%. We believe that this is a reasonable objective in the short term, recognizing that future assessment work will be required to determine if this level of decrease results in a meaningful reduction in harvest rates. If not, then further harvest restrictions may be required. In the interim, we will continue our assessment work with the goal of developing a framework that will support the use of a state dependent harvest policy to inform scaup harvest management. Therefore, we urge the Councils to consider changes in regulatory options (bag limit and/or season lengths) that achieve this level of harvest reduction.
Mottled Ducks: A recent review by Service staff of population status information for mottled ducks on the Western Gulf Coast has highlighted a growing concern for the declining population of this locally popular gamebird. Recent drought conditions continue to adversely impact habitats in the western portions of the species’ range. We recommend that the Central and Mississippi Flyways give serious consideration to possible management options for reducing harvest and increasing survival of mottled ducks on the Central and Western Gulf Coast during deliberations of this year's hunting regulations. In the coming year, we would like to cooperatively review available status information on mottled ducks with the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyway Councils, and begin reviewing the adequacy of monitoring programs and ensuring appropriate levels of harvest.