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Monday, July 7, 2008
DEC Announces Tentative 2008-09 Waterfowl Hunting Season
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced the tentative schedule for
many of New York's 2008-2009 waterfowl hunting seasons, allowing
sportsmen and sportswomen to plan outdoor activities well in advance.
“We are announcing this schedule to give all hunters who enjoy
this sport a better opportunity to plan vacations and activities around
the hunting seasons,” said Commissioner Grannis. “Although the dates
won't be final until late summer when federal regulations are official,
we expect the tentative season dates will conform with federal
requirements for the coming year.”
As soon as the final federal waterfowl hunting regulations are
known, the final season dates and other regulations for 2008-2009
waterfowl seasons in New York will be posted on DEC's website and
announced by a statewide news release. Hunters should confirm the final
season dates before going
afield.
Tentative dates for the September Canada goose seasons are as
follows:
● Northeastern, Southeastern, and Western Zones: Sept. 1 -
25
● Lake Champlain Zone: Sept. 2 - 25
● Long Island Zone: Sept. 2 - 30
The bag limit for geese during Sept. is 8 per day, with the
exception of the Lake Champlain Zone, where the limit is 5 geese per
day. The Sept. season is designed to increase the harvest of
local-nesting or "resident" Canada geese, which are causing more
problems every year. Approximately 40,000 birds are taken annually by
Sept. goose hunters in New York, helping to slow the growth of
populations where hunting is allowed.
Tentative dates for the Youth Waterfowl hunting weekends
(Saturday-Sunday) are as follows:
● Northeastern and Southeastern Zones: Sept. 20 - 21
● Lake Champlain Zone: September 27 - 28
● Western Zone: Oct. 11 - 12
● Long Island Zone: Nov. 8 - 9
The Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekends provide additional days for
junior hunters (ages 12-15) to hunt ducks, geese and brant. This special
opportunity is intended to encourage experienced waterfowl hunters to
help teach young hunters the techniques and ethics of this sport. The
junior hunter must be fully licensed and accompanied by an adult hunter
in accordance with all New York State regulations, and only the junior
hunter may take birds on these days.
Tentative dates for the regular duck hunting seasons are as
follows:
● Northeastern Zone: Oct.4 - 13 and Oct. 25 - Dec. 13
● Southeastern Zone: Oct. 11 - Oct. 19 and Nov. 8 - Dec.
28
● Western Zone: Oct. 25 - Dec. 7 and Dec. 27 - Jan. 11
● Long Island Zone: Nov. 27 - Jan. 25
Overall bag limits for ducks are expected to be the same as last
year (6 ducks per day), although changes to daily limits for a few
species are possible.
Tentative dates for the regular fall Canada goose hunting
seasons have not been determined, pending completion of population
status assessments later this summer. However, tentative opening dates
have been selected for most areas, as follows:
In upstate New York, excluding the Lake Champlain Zone, the
regular Canada goose season is expected to open on Saturday, Oct. 25,
assuming that is the earliest date allowed by federal regulations. On
Long Island, the regular Canada goose season will open on Nov. 27
(Thanksgiving Day), the same as opening day for ducks.
These tentative season dates were developed by a team of DEC
staff representing all regions of New York State. The season selections
are based on anticipated federal regulations for the coming year and
hunter input, including recommendations from waterfowl hunter task
forces established by DEC for each zone. DEC has used a task force
approach since 1997, and it has been very helpful for setting seasons
where hunter preferences are diverse. DEC also conducted a survey of
waterfowl hunters this past winter and found that about 75 percent of
respondents (71-84 percent for each zone) were satisfied with the season
dates we selected for 2007-08. Seasons selected this year are similar
to last year.
Tentative dates for duck and goose seasons in the Lake Champlain
Zone are not available because they will be determined by the Vermont
Fish and Wildlife Board following a mid-August public hearing in
Burlington, Vermont. DEC urges New York waterfowl hunters to attend that
hearing and provide input on Lake Champlain seasons; meeting details
will be announced later this summer.
Copies of the 2008-2009 regulations brochure will be available
in late Sept. wherever hunting licenses are sold. DEC also plans to
mail a copy of the brochure to everyone who registered in New York's
Harvest Information Program (HIP) last year. The brochures are not
routinely provided to post offices.
For more information about waterfowl hunting seasons in New
York, visit the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28503.html
