Proposed regs to Feds

[Linda G.]

Following is listed on the "for information only" agenda for the next NRC meeting: what the DNR is proposing to the Feds for our duck and goose seasons. I didn't get the proposals for the state game areas...

Goose:

Early season: as usual

Late goose season: as last year

Regular goose season: 3 options, although Option 2 and Option 3 are the same for the regular goose season, there may be changes there regarding the state game areas, I didn't get that. This was read to me over the phone.

1st option: North and middle zones-Sept. 20-October 19th, 2 birds-St. James Bay populations. MS Valley populations: September 16th-October 2. South zone-St. James Bay pops, September 16th-October 6th, MSV pops, September 16th-October 6th. 2 birds. Late December season December 14th-22nd.


Ducks:

No mention of species or bag limits, this is seasons only. All proposals are 60 day seasons.

Option #1

North & Middle Zones-September 28th-November 26th

South Zone-September 28th-November 24th

Late season-January 4th & 5th

Option #2

north/middle zones-same
south zone-October 5th-December 1st
Late season-January 4th & 5th

Option #3

north/middle zones-same
South-October 12th-December 8th
Late season-January 4th & 5th

There is also some mention of discussion of spinning wing decoys...

Now, don't get all mad, or get your hopes up...these are only the DNR's PROPOSALS to the Feds, which of course, the NRC must approve before they even go to the Feds, then the Feds can approve any of the options they like, then the NRC can ultimately decide what we get...

Linda

[michiduck]

Sounds Promising!!!

[lwingwatcher]

Door number 3 please...

[orion]

Im with lwing, #3 sounds good.

[Firetiger]

yep, the later the better,I would have prefered a seperate three zone operner,all things concedered, Supersize a number three please, oh, any word on Cans yet,good post linda

[Goldy]

#3 sure would be nice, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

[goosewa]

Firetiger,

Based on the number of Cans shot down here by hunters 2 seasons ago I would have to say that the season and bag limit would stay the same.

At least they are proposing 60 day seasons rather than the 30 and 45 day seasons that were mentioned in here.

-Goosewa

[Firetiger]

Goosewa, I'am canadian bound for sure, where did you register,(UGGG) you firearm in canada, thanks in advance,

[Old Hunter]

For all the good it will do I vote for option #3. Thanks Linda for maybe a promising season. :)

[goosewa]

Firetiger,

I am at work right now and really do not have the time to type up the process (including my personal experience). PM me with a telephone number that I can call you at I can give you a quick explaination. (You gave it to me before but I seem to have misplaced it.)

Likewise.... I am Canadian Bound. I have a couple friends that have a couple of leases on Lake St. Clair and own a place right on Lake Erie. Only if you could see our Layout Spread............

-Goosewa

[GoneFishin]

Thanks for the update Linda, keeping my fingers crossed that the Feds will be lenient.

#3 sounds great. :)

[fishandhunt]

3 with same limits as last year would be fine, hopefully they will add the Canvasback back into the normal season.

[3006]

Was at the DU State Convention in Ohio last weekend and the DNR there is saying the season for the flyway will likely be shortend to 45 days and 6 birds. I believe that is also going to be the state of ohio suggestion.

[goose hunter]

I would love to see the goose and duck season overlap. I hunt in a place I can get both in the same set-up. I like the later season for the ducks. Sept. opener is a little early for my thinking. Will have to wait and see. Lets hope for little change in our bag limit. The December goose season looks promising. May be able to take a few migrants if the winter stay's mild. Thank you, Linda. I really like to keep up dated.

[Linda G.]

A little caveat to everyone...the later seasons are the DNR's THIRD choice...so, what's most likely going to happen, I think, is that we're going to get the DNR's FIRST choice, with a little wrench thrown into it...and you all know what that is, a 45 day season, which is what little birds tell me the feds want this year...IF that should happen, and the DNR still insists on that FIRST choice...we're in trouble...UNLESS we get a normal fall/winter....when you go from 35 degrees to 90 in less than two weeks, who knows what we're going to have, weather-wise, this fall. Linda

[yoda]

We still will NOT get to wack at those flight birds (Geese) with the season closing the 19th of Oct.. I still think the Feds, and MDNR are selling us down the road to keep the Southern Hunters happy

[goose hunter]

Well, you are going to be correct I believe. I will be thankful for a little over lap of the goose/duck seasons. I love to take a limit of ducks then back off to my pits for a little honker hunting. Regardless of the season I will still be hunting. I love the Dec. season. I can live with such an early opener but would have preffered a later one. I'm hard to please anyway they go. HEHE. Lets hope they give us a little break.

[thebellman]

Linda,

Just hold on, august third promises to be a wild time at Higgins Lake!

I know were we (MDHA) stands, and after surveying as many opinions that I can throughout the state there's going be some hootin and a hollerin going on!!!!!!

I just hope I can keep my composure with everyone at the meeting! If not there is always the NRC meeting, and I think people hear me well when I YELL!!!!!

Man just thinking about last year gets my BLOOD BOILING!

Anyways, lets hope for 60 days, three openers, no bag changes, and no state ban on ROBO, good weather, and somebody who will "freaking" listen in the DNR.

Hope to see ya there.

[Linda G.]

Hi Roland-my buddy is still trying to wrangle himself a seat on the committee, so he'll be there. Not sure if I will be or not. If not, my bud will have my tape recorder in his hand...

I don't think Mr. S. is very happy with me anyway after a couple of personal opinion columns I wrote after the last meeting, he complained to my editor, but didn't bother to bring his issues to me personally, and he knows very well how to get hold of me...everyone in the Mason building knows how to find me...

hmmm....

btw, everyone, I would STRONGLY suggest you attend the August NRC meeting if word comes out of the CWAC meeting that we're going to get a 45 day, early opener season, and that's NOT what you want...


Linda

[Firetiger]

Linda..you ain't kiddin, with a 45 day season, most guys would only get out 10 or 15 times,, that my Chessie won't even get warmed up on that many birds..

How about,
60 days
Plus geese
Three openners
Leave Robo alone
Canvasbacks, one a day,all season
Parody w/Canada ( somehow)
And hope for bad(good) weather to bring the birds down

P.S. There building a breakwall to retain the spillage/leakage at the Toxic Waste site on the river, At least its something, but a joke none the less

[Linda G.]

Firetiger-the length of the season is the one thing the DNR has no control over. If the Feds say 45 days, that's what we get, period...the DNR can't help us there. What they can help us with is WHEN that 45 day season will open, and end...

again, I'm having a hard time rationalizing these early openings, when the Feds say they're so concerned about mallard numbers. If we open here in northern Michigan at the same time we did last year, that's ALL we'll be hunting...and we'll be HAMMERING them...we get very few woodies and teals up here. Usually, the first two days of the season, we all take our limit of mallards.

If they waited a couple of weeks to open, we'd take fewer mallards, and more divers, which there apparently isn't a lot of concern about. And once deer season opens up here, there's no one out there duck hunting at all. So we'd actually be CONSERVING our ducks...

But everyone up here knows that northern MI doesn't count, we were told as much by the DNR at the last CWAC meeting. And I think, personally, that's there a lot more duck hunters up here than they think there are. They, being the feds and the head honchos of the DNR that make the decisions, don't come up here to look, that's for sure.

Linda

[Mallard]

I'm in zone 2, and it does not suprise me that we will once again be on the sideline, regardles of the outcome.....I'm with Lindas last post! We are just grissel.....and I hate opening up the same day as the UP....oh wait ...that's that way so we can just keep pushing ducks south to friendly little, big money, S. Mich.

[sean]

Firetiger 60 days, robo, cans if you run for president you have my vote! What was wrong with the three separate openers? It was a dream come true. Then they took it we want it back we want #3 and we want are cans. Lets unite let them know we wont accept 45days duck hunting in the indian summer. Come on!!!!!!!!!!

[Firetiger]

If they outlaw robos ,, then only outlaws will have robos,,LOL

[goose hunter]

No! not my robo. I cant shoot and cant call. What's a hunter to do? The later the better. I want overlap on the ducks and geese.

[ytlabs]

Ok I am glued to this waiting. Last year was my first waterfowl season, and now this year I am going to try the gose thing. ( OK OK I missed it last year I was working for the DNR and had to work too much to hunt. )

So this season I am trying to learn all I can so I may just get lucky enough to get a few. SO please as the info keeps comeing let me know.

falls to his knees shakeing and whineing PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!

LOL ok ok so most of it is from excitement and anticipation for opener.

[Shawn]

Just got my mailer for the CWAC meeting. It says:

The Adaptive Harvest Management report just came out for the US Fish & Wildlife service and the updated models call for a liberal regulation alternative (i.e. 60 days 6 ducks). Keep in mind that we are far from having final regulations at this point. Although unlikely, even the choice of alternatives (i.e. liberal, moderate, restrictive, etc.) could change the pending recomendations from the flyways and deliberations at the flyway meeting. The regulations setting process is far form over and nothing is set in stone yet.

For duck Hunters only one of the four season-date options for the Proposed 60 day Michigan Duck Season were listed. It was stated that it was the preferred "workgroup" option.....operative work is workgroup, not sure who that is because nobody seemed to support any of these from CWAC at the last meeting I attended.

UP and NLP
Sept. 28 - Nov. 26

SLP
Oct. 5 - Dec. 1
Jan. 4 & 5


It was stated that the "workgroup" was uncomfortable using the 3-opener format with the 60 season.

It was also stated that there is a 35% reduction in Michigan Mallards since implementing the 60 day seasons.

If memory recalls me from Mr. S's numbers that the earlier the season start dates the greater the mix of Michigan raised mallards in the bag, something that brought them great concern, yet season dates seem to be open as early as can be, and not what most members of CWAC and they're representation want. It seems that our voices are only a check mark in the "gaining public comment" and the DNR/NRC will do as they see fit, as happened last year.

For Goose hunters it was stated Michigan was able to gain a higher proportion of the MVP harvest allocation from the total flyway allocation. It however didn't state what the new allocation was.

It was also stated that MVP numbers are slightly better than last years and "some" liberalization my occur in the MVP zone. On the flip side the SJBP birds are down and may have to reduce season days from last year. General consensus from the waterfowl "work group" was to start the "regular" season on Sept. 16 and end on or around Oct. 6.


CWAC Meeting is Aug. 3 at the RAM Center. Unfortunately I can't attend but will be waiting to see what happens.



Shawn Stahl

[ytlabs]

Thanks Shawn.

Too bad I just dont get it. seems funny that if MI mallards droped by 35% since liberal bag limits have been practiced, and the Overall Mallards Numbers are down in the flyaway, I see the feds are useing the projected numbers as they do the projected tax dollars they can spend. They say one thing and disregard their own words and implement whatever they want anyhow.

As far as goose, well again I can see that I will be watching as flight after flight of Migratory birds fly over my area ( Sanford MI ) all November, and I can sit and wonder why I am not allowed to shoot at any geese. Yet someone down in Ohio and Indiana, or even Ontario can wipe them out.

I truely think we need to find a way to Quit trying to influence them and it is time to find a way to Force them to do as we and the Biologists, say should be done.

( OOps forgot to say I know what the Biologists say, as I Hunt with a former Federal wildlife Biologist, and we used to work together for The DNR. )


Oh well Sorry all I had to Vent didnt mean to blow up.

Thanks again Shawn

[Linda G.]

Thanks, Shawn, I'll pass this on to the guys I know who will be attending CWAC, again, it's not a surprise, we're going to whack mallards again, not hunt a lot of divers, and probably miss most of the geese...in northern Michigan...and in southern Michigan, too, if we get another warm fall...

Linda