Pennsylvania Game News - October 2008 - 37

2008-09 migratory game bird seasons and bag limits selected “WATERFOWL and other migratory game bird hunters will see expanded opportunities for wood ducks, doves and Atlantic brant,” said PGC executive director Carl G. Roe when announcing the 2008-09 migratory game bird seasons. “On the other hand, the season for canvasbacks has been closed, and bag limits for scaup have been modified.” Annual waterfowl seasons are selected by states from a framework established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Game Commission selections were made after reviewing last year’s results, waterfowl survey data, and input gathered from waterfowl hunters and the public. John Dunn, PGC Game Bird Section supervisor, said the federal frameworks are again allowing for a 60-day season with a 6-duck daily bag limit, with the usual species restrictions and bag limits, except for wood ducks, canvasbacks and scaup. Wood duck limits have been increased to three daily and six in possession; the season for canvasbacks has been closed; and bag limits for scaup have been modified to a 2-bird daily bag limit for a portion of the season and a 1-bird daily limit for the remainder of the season. “Recent analysis of wood duck harvest rates and populations by the USFWS suggest wood ducks can tolerate additional hunting pressure,” Dunn said. “An increase in the daily bag limit will provide more opportunity on this plentiful species. Wood ducks are the second most abundant duck in Pennsylvania’s waterfowl harvest. Monitoring tools such as banding and breeding population surveys are presently in place to measure any impacts caused by the bag limit OCTOBER 2008 change. Information gained from this change will help the USFWS and flyway councils develop a wood duck harvest strategy to help better manage this important species.” Dunn noted that a decline in the canvasback breeding population and poor habitat conditions in their prairie nesting habitats have made it necessary to close the season this year, because the predicted harvest with a restrictive season would exceed the allowable harvest specified in the Canvasback Harvest Strategy. Dunn added that scaup also are undergoing hard times. “Waterfowl managers continue to be concerned about the status of scaup,” Dunn noted. “This year’s breeding population estimate was 27 percent below the long-term average. The USFWS is seeking a 25 percent reduction in scaup harvest, commensurate with the scaup’s status. To maintain the diving duck hunting tradition on important scaup harvest areas, such as Lake Erie, we were allowed to implement a hybrid scaup season composed of a 2-bird bag for 20 consecutive days during the 60-day duck season.” Once again, young Pennsylvania hunters were provided with a special day of waterfowl hunting, on Saturday, Sept. 20. Also, special youth-only waterfowl hunting days are being held at the controlled hunting blinds at both Middle Creek and Pymatuning wildlife management areas. The youth day for Middle Creek is Nov. 15; for Pymatuning, Nov. 29. To participate, youngsters had to enter the goose blind drawing, just like every other interested hunter. Dunn noted that other modifications to the migratory game bird sea37

Pennsylvania Game News - October 2008

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