DUCK HUNTERS FACE CHANGED RULES THIS YEAR DATES ADJUSTED FOR POPULATION.Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News Duck Duck hunters will see similar regulations as in recent years for most species, but the season for pintails will be more restricted and the canvasbacks season will be closed, according to a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal. The organization sets overall guidelines that states must follow in setting local seasons. Earlier this year, the USFWS USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service also agreed to extend, by about a week, the earliest opening and latest closing dates that individual states can use to set their hunting seasons. The USFWS' proposal was developed after consultation with representatives from the four Flyway flyway: see migration of animals. Councils (Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific), which help manage waterfowl waterfowl, common term for members of the order Anseriformes, wild, aquatic, typically freshwater birds including ducks, geese, and screamers. In Great Britain the term is also used to designate species kept for ornamental purposes on private lakes or ponds, while in populations. The USFWS will publish its proposal in the Federal Register and is accepting public comments until August 30. After the USFWS publishes its final late-season framework in early September, states will set their own season dates, lengths and bag limits within these guidelines. Under the proposal, the hunting season on pintails would be reduced from 107 to 60 days in the Pacific Flyway, with a bag limit of one pintail pintail Any of four species (genus Anas, family Anatidae) of sleek, long-tailed, long-necked dabbling ducks that are swift fliers and popular game birds. The common, or northern, pintail (A. per day. The USFWS is proposing to close the hunting season on canvasbacks because of recent population declines and a poor outlook for production. Canvasbacks are extremely sensitive to breeding habitat conditions, and season closures have been used in the past because of their relatively low abundance. Breeding populations of scaup scaup Any of three species (genus Aythya, family Anatidae) of diving ducks. The greater scaup, or big bluebill (A. marila), breeds across Eurasia and most of the Nearctic region. The lesser scaup, or little bluebill (A. affinis), breeds in northwestern North America. remain well below their long-term average, and as a result the USFWS is proposing to maintain restrictions enacted in 1999 that reduced the bag limit from seven in the Pacific Flyway to four in the Pacific Flyway per day. The USFWS said its proposal to allow relatively liberal hunting regulations for most species of ducks was based on biological assessments, primarily on the mallard mallard: see duck. mallard Abundant “wild duck” (Anas platyrhynchos, family Anatidae) of the Northern Hemisphere, ancestor of most domestic ducks. The mallard is a typical dabbling duck in its general habits and courtship display. , conducted within a process developed by the USFWS and Flyway Councils to bring more scientific rigor rigor /rig·or/ (rig´er) [L.] chill; rigidity. rigor mor´tis the stiffening of a dead body accompanying depletion of adenosine triphosphate in the muscle fibers. and objectivity to the regulations-setting process. Aside from season length and bag limits, weather, duck migratory behavior and other environmental factors affect hunter success. ``Certainly, we cannot guarantee good hunting success in any year,'' said USFWS director Steve William, who added he believes the proposal will provide hunters the best opportunity consistent with maintaining healthy duck populations. |
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