Wildlife Commission to Hear Comments
On Proposed Waterfowl Season Rules

RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 5, 2005) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has scheduled a series of public meetings statewide to discuss the upcoming waterfowl hunting seasons.

Federal regulators this year have proposed a liberal, 60-day season for most late-season species of ducks. The federal frameworks also propose season lengths, bag limits and other regulations for geese, brant and other waterfowl. Working within these federal guidelines, the state Wildlife Commission will establish 2005-2006 waterfowl season regulations at its Aug. 26 meeting.

Commissioners will take into account comments from nine public meetings scheduled the previous week. Three meetings will be held each day at the following locations:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 16 — Manteo, N.C. Aquarium at Roanoke Island; Albemarle, Stanly County Courthouse; and Clyde, Haywood Community College, Wildlife and Forestry, Room 318.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 17 — New Bern, Craven County Courthouse; Graham, Alamance County Courthouse; and Morganton, Burke County Courthouse.
  • Thursday, Aug. 18 — Nashville, Nash County Courthouse; Elizabethtown, Bladen County Courthouse; and Yadkinville, Yadkin County Courthouse.

All meetings begin at 7 p.m.

This year’s federal frameworks for waterfowl in the Atlantic Flyway differ only slightly from last year. The daily bag limit on scaup will be reduced from three to two under the federal rules. Pintails, on the other hand, would be eligible this year for an entire 60-day season.

Another loosening of federal restrictions would allow North Carolina’s Northeast Hunt Zone, which comprises all or parts of 11 northeastern counties, to be eligible for the area’s first Atlantic population Canada goose season since 1991. This 15-day, permit-only season would take place in mid-to-late January with a season limit of one bird.

The federal frameworks also give the state the option this year of including mergansers as part of the daily bag limit for all ducks. In previous years, North Carolina duck hunters had a separate limit for mergansers of five per day, with no more than one hooded merganser. The alternative under consideration would allow duck hunters to include up to six mergansers (no more than one hooded) among their daily bag of six ducks.

Regular season frameworks for waterfowl, as proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, include:

  • ducks, coots and mergansers – 60 days with no more than three splits between Sept. 24 and Jan. 29. (Canvasback season 30 days only; black and mottled duck season closed until Dec. 1; no season for harlequin ducks.)
  • special sea ducks – in sea duck zones only, Sept. 24-Jan. 31.
  • brant – 30 days with no more than two splits between Sept. 24 and Jan. 31.
  • light geese (snow, blue and Ross’ geese) – 107 days, three splits between Oct. 1 and March 10.
  • tundra swan – 90 days, no splits between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31, permit only.
  • dark geese (Canada and white-fronted) – Resident Population Zone, 70 days between Oct. 1 and Feb. 15; Southern James Bay Zone, 70 days between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31; and Northeast Hunt Zone, 15 days between Jan. 14 and Jan. 31, permit only.
    See the state’s goose hunting zones     (pdf - opens to new window).

Compensatory days are allowed for Sundays.

Proposed daily bag limits under the federal frameworks include (possession limit would be twice the daily limit, unless otherwise noted):

  • ducks – six ducks with no more than: one black duck or one mottled duck; four mallards with no more than two hen mallards; two wood ducks; two redheads; two scaup; four scoters; one canvasback; one fulvous tree duck; and one pintail.
  • snow geese – 15 with no possession limit.
  • brant – two.
  • coots – 15.
    Proposed bag limits for Canada and white-fronted geese (in aggregate) vary by time and zone:
  • September, statewide (except Dare County special zone) – five.
  • September, Dare County special zone – two.
  • Resident Zone, regular season after Sept. 30 – five.
  • Southern James Bay Zone, regular season after Sept. 30 – two.
  • Northeast Hunt Zone, permit-only after Jan. 14 – one per season with permit.

To voice an opinion on how the Wildlife Commission should set waterfowl regulations within these federal frameworks, attend one of the nine public information meetings, or submit written comments by Aug. 22 to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Division of Wildlife Management, 1724 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1724, or call (919) 733-7291.

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