Mallard limit

[sandwick50]

Jigger.....in regards to eastern Canada, here is a portion of the official news release:

 

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.  Mallards are managed as three distinct population units including Western (California, Oregon and Washington), Mid-continent (prairie pothole region, parklands and boreal forest) and Eastern (northeast states and eastern Canada).  Bag limits and season lengths for the Atlantic Flyway are primarily influenced by the population status of eastern mallards through an adaptive harvest management (AHM) framework.  Band recovery information suggests that most mallards harvested from North Carolina to eastern Canada are produced within the region.  In recent years, the breeding population of mallards in eastern Canada has been stable but declining in the northeastern states especially New York and Pennsylvania. The decline is significant enough to cause the current AHM model to predict restrictive seasons in the Atlantic Flyway.

[longspurs]

When the limit is 2 Mallards are you allowed to shoot two hens?

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[Little Crappie]

So after reading this post... one things for certain... I need to practice shooting lol. I'd be lucky to get a mallard... let alone a merganser.

[steelie]

When the limit is 2 Mallards are you allowed to shoot two hens?

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Yes.. makes no sense. There were many more options proposed but...

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[thejigger]

The official news release is different than the paperwork given to the task force from the Atlantic Flyway Council. It reads "Mallard populations in eastern North America have steadily declined approximately 20% since 1998. Over the same period, mallard harvest in the U.S portion of the Atlantic Flyway has decreased by 40%."  As far as the limit on hens go, "The Atlantic Flyway Council and USFWS have not adopted a formal recommendation for a hen restriction with the change to a 2 bird bag limit. Biologists are assessing biological and scientific data (hunter diary data, harvest surveys, banding data, etc) as well as gathering input from hunters before making a final decision. A final decision on whether to continue a hen restriction will be made during the Fall of 2018 to be implemented during the 2019-2020 hunting season."

Edited April 9, 2018 by thejigger

[longspurs]

Wow if they allow 2 hens then they are the stupidest people on Earth.
Can't make chicks with out hen's.

So there is the same amount of blacks as mallards in the Atlantic flyway ? Why is balcks at 2 ?

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[longspurs]

Anyone ever think the high numbers of Mallards in 1998 was due to duck Hunters getting out of hunting when they took away lead in 91 . 7 years of breeding with alot less Hunters equals lots of birds.
Around 1998 with record high numbers in every magazine out there expect the duck hunting sport to Boom. Newer steel shot non-toxic loads brings more people. In return lower numbers. It's called common sense not much people have anymore.
Now with a lower number of birds ,and breeding . If u don't fix the hen harvest. The old saying you can't fix stupid.

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[thejigger]

According to HIP records, the number of waterfowl  hunters in New York, as well as other states in the flyway, has been decreasing for some time now. It is troubling to think that the number of Mallards  continue to decline with fewer and fewer hunters out there  to hunt them. The eastern mallard no longer greatly outnumber black ducks. Core breeding areas for the black duck and mallards are different. We generally see more mallards than black ducks, especially later in the season, because the black ducks prefer to move to coastal salt marshes. 

[longspurs]

Yes they breed in different areas. There are tons of local breeding Mallards in the area I live and have been since I can remember.
Black dark numbers are good along the coast and Inland on migration but nowhere near mallards , but soon to be 2 and 2 ? That's not right.
The way they count birds is different than what I'm used to I guess.


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