Mallard limit

[longspurs]

Word on the street possible mallard limit change to the daily limit. I guess they want to change it to 2 per day. Anyone else hear that ?

 

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[Roybee]

I have heard that. I am all for it! If everyone kills 2 less a day that is a lot of extra babies at the end of the year. I don't really see enough ducks to just pick drakes out and let the hens fly away. If it comes in it is dead 

[longspurs]

2 is not worth the time and work .

I think the state should try 3 before they jump to 2.

Not a good way to get people into hunting when u go out and bang bang u go home.


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[Roybee]

I guess. I shoot lots of wood duck, teal, black duck and widgon when I target puddlers so it won't really screw me up too much. I guess I am spoiled seeing mixed bag of ducks where I hunt. If a friend and I go out and shoot 4 mallards 3 wood ducks and a widgen or 2 I am a happy man. 

 

I remember reading you said you saw tons of ducks this year. Most people I talk to did not see very many at all(SLR and cny) in the early season. Boy did that change when it got cold for the second season in the west. There were ducks than I have ever seen day after day.

 

I wish they would let you shoot more than 3 geese though

 

I never thought you would be able to shoot as many black duck as mallards 

 

[longspurs]

It's almost like telling a charter captain u can't keep salmon anymore .


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[rolmops]

Maybe it can be suggested that there is a limit per permit, like maybe 10 or 8 per season. That way the trip is still worthwhile, but the numbers taken down will be less overall.

[longspurs]

I say 1 step at a time , try 3 mallards . Then go from there. Cutting it in half would push some people away.
3 per person would put u in that 9 to 15. 3 to 5 people in a normal size group.

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[GAMBLER]

If the population is down, dropping it down to 2 will only help the population rebound quicker.  It will go back up.  You will just have to ride it out.  Just like the salmon stocking cuts.  It sucks but we will be better off in the long run.  Pushing guys away would benefit the guys that still do it.  Less guys to compete with! 

[longspurs]

If it is down i agree i guess, but that's a bummer cuz it was a killer year.



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[sandwick50]

Where did you hear that?  I just found 2018-19 proposal online.  Still 4 mallards, only 2 hens.

[longspurs]

The 19 —20 season . They had some big meeting . Not sure exactly but heard from more than 1 person.

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[sandwick50]

You are in fact correct. Just found this:

""Atlantic Flyway Council and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are poised to reduce the mallard bag limit in the Atlantic Flyway from 4 to 2 birds per day starting with the 2019–2020 hunting season.

[suttontroller94]

Sure they want to do this because some people struggle to kill mallards and there was a little dip in the population meanwhile the redhead population is healthy and abundant and it's still sitting at 2

[thejigger]

I was at the Western zone season setting meeting yesterday as a member and the mallard limit will change to 2 birds for the 2019-2020 season.  There are places and times of year that the mallard population seems to be strong, but as a whole, across the flyway, the mallards have been in decline for the last 10 years. This will be a temporary thing if they see the population begin to rebound. Here are the season dates proposed by the zone task forces.Western zone=youth, Oct 13 and 14;duck, Oct 27 thru Dec 8, Dec 26 thru Jan 11;goose, Oct 27 thru Nov 26, Dec 26 thru Jan 13;goose, south area, Oct 27 thru Dec 16, Dec 26 thru Jan 13, March 1 thru Mar 10

Northern zone;youth, Sep 22, 23;duck, Oct 6 thru Oct 28, Nov 3 thru Dec 9; I don't have the goose dates as of now but will be posting them later today

Southeast youth;Sep 22 and 23;duck, Oct 6 thru Oct 14, Nov 10 thru Dec 9; Again, I will try to post the goose dates later today

[longspurs]

Did they give a reason to not push this this year ? It's common sense if numbers are down.
Hens make chicks how about 1 hen?
Jump to a conclusion but waits a whole hunting season . Get the guy /group the f out of there .


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[thejigger]

No reason was given why this is not taking effect this year. Based on the data, the Atlantic Flyway Council and USGWS figured the eastern mallards cannot support a 60 day, 4 bird bag limit. They reduced the bag limit rather than reduce the season length.

[longspurs]

New York is probably the only state that will have this law. Lmao

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[thejigger]

It is across the entire Atlantic flyway

[longspurs]

Good deal !!! I'm just heart broken . I live to hunt greenheads.

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[suttontroller94]

Crazy that they jump to conclusions so fast

[nasc620]

Have you heard if Canada is going to change anything because if they don’t that won’t help any. All I would have to do is cross over on the St. Lawrence and I can shoot 6 mallards


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[sandwick50]

From what I read the mallard population in eastern Canada has remained relatively stable.  It’s NY & PA where they’ve seen significant reductions in the population.  And, it seems like their bag limit has always been more liberal than ours.  

[longspurs]

I was sent a big survey book this year that look like a exam for duck hunting. Not the typical 1 that u get once in a while . It asked all types of questions 80 plus . I was wondering what it was all about ... Guess mine didn't matter .
I know the western zone late season dates area all about the finger lake clubs crying about divers ( Timing the cold). Then the mallards move thru when it closed in the break . Then people complain about numbers of birds.
Like gamble said just going to have to ride it out !!
Sandwick ... Its way far to the left

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[suttontroller94]

3 hours ago, longspurs said:

I was sent a big survey book this year that look like a exam for duck hunting. Not the typical 1 that u get once in a while . It asked all types of questions 80 plus . I was wondering what it was all about ... Guess mine didn't matter .
I know the western zone late season dates area all about the finger lake clubs crying about divers ( Timing the cold). Then the mallards move thru when it closed in the break . Then people complain about numbers of birds.
Like gamble said just going to have to ride it out !!
Sandwick ... Its way far to the left

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You're exactly right most our mallards move through during the split

[thejigger]

They did not comment on the limit changing in Canada. The population in Eastern Canada has not remained stable, the population across the entire flyway has been decreasing steadily for the past 10 years. Longspurs, the questionnaire you were sent represents the way the season setting process is going to change. Yesterday was the last task force meeting for the next 5 years. Beginning in 2019 the seasons will be chosen by hunters who are sent a questionnaire with different season dates to choose from. As far as your comment on Finger Lakes clubs crying about divers, look at the addresses of the task force members and notice that there are only 2 that live in the Finger Lakes. When  setting the season in the western zone, many factors come in to play because of its size, and it is impossible to make everyone happy.