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09-03-2004, 08:35 AM
OUTDOORS
Later seasons give waterfowl hunters more of a shot
Thursday, September 02, 2004
D'Arcy Egan
Plain Dealer Outdoors Writer
Northern Ohio waterfowl hunters will have another 60-day duck season and 70-day Canada goose campaign, a better chance of bagging a prime canvasback duck and an extra mallard in the daily bag limit.
The Ohio Wildlife Council recently approved the regular waterfowl seasons recommended by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, including a North Zone duck season that is Oct. 16 through Nov. 28 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 2 with a daily bag limit of six ducks. Declining populations of canvasback and pintail ducks will still be protected with short 30-day seasons and a daily bag limit of one pintail or canvasback. The canvasback season is Nov. 15-28 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 2. The North Zone season for pintails is Oct. 16 to Nov. 28.
The second half of the North Zone duck season has been pushed back and will slip into January this year (after ending Dec. 23 in 2003) to give Buckeye sportsmen the chance for some holiday hunting around Christmas and New Year. The later start to the second half of the duck season has been opposed by northwest Ohio marsh owners who fear a loss of hunting days should their shallow water areas freeze.
The bag limit on mallards increases from three to four per day, but only one mallard hen, and one black duck, two wood ducks and three scaup, or bluebills, and mottled ducks.
The North Zone goose season is Oct. 16 to Nov. 28 and Dec. 8 to Jan. 2. The daily bag limit is two geese. The heavily restricted Lake Erie Zone has the most home-grown giant Canada geese in Ohio and is saddled with the shorter 35-day season and daily bag limit of only one goose. The Ohio Division of Wildlife's bid to increase the daily goose bag limit in that zone to two geese was rejected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which sets the parameters for Ohio's waterfowl seasons.
"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dictates the exact hunting dates in the Lake Erie Zone to protect goose populations in Canada's Southern James Bay," said ODOW Chief Steve Gray. "We wanted an extra goose in the bag limit, rather than the five extra days of hunting, but it was not approved."
The ODOW made a major change in the canvasback season to give hunters a better chance at killing one of the big ducks, which generally don't show up in Ohio until after the duck seasons have ended. Instead of holding the 30-day canvasback season during the first half of the general duck hunting season, as it did a year ago, the ODOW split the season to allow canvasback ducks to be hunted until the very end of the regular duck season on Jan. 2.
The South Zone duck season is Oct. 23 to Nov. 7 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 30. The canvasback and pintail seasons are Dec. 18 to Jan. 16. The South Zone goose season is Oct. 23 to Nov. 17 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 30.
There is also a late Canada goose season on Jan. 16 to Feb. 4 in areas of northwest Ohio, in Summit County south of I-80 and in Geauga County north of Ohio 6. A special statewide Ohio youth season is Oct. 9-10.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
degan@plaind.com, 216-999-6136
© 2004 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.
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Later seasons give waterfowl hunters more of a shot
Thursday, September 02, 2004
D'Arcy Egan
Plain Dealer Outdoors Writer
Northern Ohio waterfowl hunters will have another 60-day duck season and 70-day Canada goose campaign, a better chance of bagging a prime canvasback duck and an extra mallard in the daily bag limit.
The Ohio Wildlife Council recently approved the regular waterfowl seasons recommended by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, including a North Zone duck season that is Oct. 16 through Nov. 28 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 2 with a daily bag limit of six ducks. Declining populations of canvasback and pintail ducks will still be protected with short 30-day seasons and a daily bag limit of one pintail or canvasback. The canvasback season is Nov. 15-28 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 2. The North Zone season for pintails is Oct. 16 to Nov. 28.
The second half of the North Zone duck season has been pushed back and will slip into January this year (after ending Dec. 23 in 2003) to give Buckeye sportsmen the chance for some holiday hunting around Christmas and New Year. The later start to the second half of the duck season has been opposed by northwest Ohio marsh owners who fear a loss of hunting days should their shallow water areas freeze.
The bag limit on mallards increases from three to four per day, but only one mallard hen, and one black duck, two wood ducks and three scaup, or bluebills, and mottled ducks.
The North Zone goose season is Oct. 16 to Nov. 28 and Dec. 8 to Jan. 2. The daily bag limit is two geese. The heavily restricted Lake Erie Zone has the most home-grown giant Canada geese in Ohio and is saddled with the shorter 35-day season and daily bag limit of only one goose. The Ohio Division of Wildlife's bid to increase the daily goose bag limit in that zone to two geese was rejected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which sets the parameters for Ohio's waterfowl seasons.
"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dictates the exact hunting dates in the Lake Erie Zone to protect goose populations in Canada's Southern James Bay," said ODOW Chief Steve Gray. "We wanted an extra goose in the bag limit, rather than the five extra days of hunting, but it was not approved."
The ODOW made a major change in the canvasback season to give hunters a better chance at killing one of the big ducks, which generally don't show up in Ohio until after the duck seasons have ended. Instead of holding the 30-day canvasback season during the first half of the general duck hunting season, as it did a year ago, the ODOW split the season to allow canvasback ducks to be hunted until the very end of the regular duck season on Jan. 2.
The South Zone duck season is Oct. 23 to Nov. 7 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 30. The canvasback and pintail seasons are Dec. 18 to Jan. 16. The South Zone goose season is Oct. 23 to Nov. 17 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 30.
There is also a late Canada goose season on Jan. 16 to Feb. 4 in areas of northwest Ohio, in Summit County south of I-80 and in Geauga County north of Ohio 6. A special statewide Ohio youth season is Oct. 9-10.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
degan@plaind.com, 216-999-6136
© 2004 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.
Print This E-mail This
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/109411759093401.xml