Posted By:
rearle
WFC Sponsor
Everglades 12-21-2003 13:47
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
Small flocks of ringnecks at first light provided some shooting. After that very slow.
Posted By:
Kenneth-Schubel
WFC Sponsor
PCS- Pond 8B 12-20-2003 16:07
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
High amount of birds flying early morning before shooting time. Seen mostly Shovlers, Ringers and scattered GWT, and Mergansers. Big flock of tree ducks early morning but come shooting time they were gone.
Posted By:
Kenneth-Schubel
WFC Sponsor
INDIAN RIVER LAGOON 12-19-2003 07:58
– – –
Taken from a United Waterfowler’s Florida email:
http://www.unitedwaterfowlersfl.org/
PUBLIC MEETING ON INDIAN RIVER LAGOON-SOUTH PROJECT
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District will hold a public meeting on the Indian River Lagoon South Project (IRL-S). The purpose of the meeting is to provide information on the current status of the project and to obtain public comment on the draft Project Implementation Report. This project is a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).
When: Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Time: 6:30 p.m. Open House / Displays
7:00 p.m. Presentations / Public Comment
Where: Indian Riverside Park, 1707 NE Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach, FL 34957
The IRL-S project features will be located in Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee Counties and will include: reservoirs, storm water treatment areas, natural storage areas and removal of muck within the St. Lucie Estuary. The project will improve the water quality and habitat within the St. Lucie Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon by reducing the damaging effects of watershed runoff, and high peak flow discharges. The project features will control salinity levels while reducing nutrient loads and sediments running into the estuary. The project will restore the wetland-upland mosaic and improve agricultural water supply, while maintaining existing flood protection.
For more information on this project, please contact Michael Rogalski, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at 904-232-1460 or Dave Unsell, South Florida Water Management District, at 561-682-6888. Assistance for individuals with special needs is available by calling Jean Pavlov, at 904-232-1106, at least five days prior to this event.
The draft PIR is posted at http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/studies/irl_south_pir.cfm
Public comments are being taken until February 10, 2004.
Driving directions to Indian Riverside Park are at http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed=7_eGhOp_0ToNg.wi0ur0B5X4iOtT4OwqGNExyV.1jkFbRFA-&csz=Jensen+Beach%2C+FL&country=us
Should you wish to be removed from this notification list, please reply to this e-mail with delete in the subject line.
For more information on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), please visit our web site at www.evergladesplan.org
Posted By:
Straygator
Guest
Mulberry 12-14-2003 13:17
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 50-60 Degrees
Saturday 12/14/03
Teal still present in good numbers, Divers showing up as doubles. Saw mallards late evening approx 20, Our bag 1 BW teal drake, 1 GW Teal drake, 2 male ringnecks and 1 large male Hooded Merganser. As usual they like the ponds we do not have access to to the north and south.
Reports from Kissimmee are not good, my buddies are not seeing ducks, same goes for farther south Sebring way.
Good luck
Posted By:
Kenneth-Schubel
WFC Sponsor
Polk County 12-11-2003 06:34
– – –
Taken from a United Waterfowlers – FL email
http://www.unitedwaterfowlersfl.org/
Duck Hunting OK’d
Commissioners adopt a hunting season for Circle B Bar Reserve after a litany of locals’ objections.
By Tom Palmer
The Ledger
tom.palmer@theledger.com
BARTOW — Duck blinds and gunfire will become part of the sight and sounds at the marsh at Circle B Bar Reserve that is frequented by local bird-watchers.
County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to allow duck hunting this winter in a portion of the reserve, a 1,267-acre site on Lake Hancock purchased in late 2000 under the county’s Environmental Lands Program and opened to the public in February.
Commissioner Neil Combee said a limited duck season was a fair way to share the property.
“Ninety-three percent of the time there will be no hunting there,” he said.
The vote was a defeat for local environmentalists, who warned commissioners that hunting would drive away other visitors and stunt Circle B’s potential to become a premier nature-based attraction to boost local tourism revenue.
Commissioners told county staffers to report back next spring on any problems or user-conflicts that arise.
Marian Ryan, one of the leaders of the effort to defeat hunting at Circle B, was angered by the commission’s action.
“It proves once again we are a backwater where the process means nothing and a selected few have the commission’s ear,” she said.
During Wednesday’s nearly three-hour discussion, six of the seven residents who spoke on the proposal opposed it.
The requests for duck hunting emerged in recent months in a handful of e-mails to commissioners from local businessmen such as Wogan Badcock III, nearly a year after the county scheduled a series of public meetings to get citizen comments on future uses for the property.
The public meetings are part of the process used to prepare management plans for the county’s environmental sites.
Hunting was discussed at those meetings and unanimously rejected.
The Conservation Land Acquisition Selection Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to commissioners on environmental lands issues, recommended against duck hunting, suggesting instead the county work with hunting groups to improve access to duck hunting on Lake Hancock.
Ryan, a local Sierra Club activist, said she thinks a decision to allow hunting will cause increasing user conflicts as plans progress to develop more trails and wildlife-viewing areas at Circle B.
A staff presentation showed the main trail runs a safe distance from the hunting area, but bird-watchers testified they frequently hike and observe birds from areas much closer.
Ken Morrision, a longtime local environmental leader from Babson Park, said the presence of hunting will deter other outdoor enthusiasts, regardless of assurances they may receive that the danger is minimal.
“You may as well put a sign that says it’s closed to the public,” he said.
Purchase and management of the environmental lands sites are financed from the proceeds of a property tax of 20 cents per $1,000 of taxable value. Voters approved the tax in a 1994 referendum.
Veteran local bird-watcher Chuck Geanangel said Circle B has the potential to attract bird-watchers and other wildlife enthusiasts from all over the country. Geanangel said hunting will drive away wildlife, which was what happened in duck-hunting areas on mined land he visited.
“The birds got up and left,” Geanangel said.
But Jeff McGrady, regional wildlife biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, disputed Geanangel’s assertion.
“The birds leave (when hunting is under way), but return quickly,” he said, citing the number of active bald eagle nests around Lake Kissimmee, a popular area for duck hunting.
Tom Palmer can be reached at tom.palmer@theledger.com or 863-802-7535.
Posted By:
Straygator
Guest
Lakeland 12-10-2003 20:23
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 60-65 Degrees
Scouted Lakeland and the eastern Polk parkway
Lake Mirror ringnecks 50 or so
Lake Morton ringnecks 200 or so
Lake by the dump increasing numbers of divers looks like 1000 birds out there
Report from Zephyrhills, ringnecks rafting in good numbers at nite and head south during the day, seem to be moving in…
Good luck
Posted By:
Kenneth-Schubel
WFC Sponsor
Alachua County 12-07-2003 08:04
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
Because of the split the woodies were up and moving on Sat. morning, saw a few ringers and mergansers. No teal activity to speak of since last Sunday, It looks as though they have moved from our spot.
[Edited By Kenneth-Schubel on 2003-12-07 08:05]
[Edited By Kenneth-Schubel on 2003-12-07 08:05]
Posted By:
Straygator
Guest
Mulberry 12-05-2003 18:42
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
Hunted Nov 30,
Blue wing Teal in fair numbers, groups of 5 -10, One very large group of 100-200 birds circled a pond about 400 yds from our spot and landed never got up. Small groups of widgeon. Our Bag 5 BW teal, 1 widgeon, 1 hooded Merganser. The birds flew fairly well until 10 am when we gave up. Seems they liked every pond except ours! Cannot figure out where they are rafting at nite!
Good luck to all
Posted By:
naustin
Guest
Lake Okeechobee 12-01-2003 07:59
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 40-45 Degrees
Went hunting this past holiday weekend on the big O. Limited out on Fl. Mallards saw numerous amounts of teal and ringneck. Lots of hunting pressure causing ducks not to decoy well, having to shoot on the fly. With the weather finally breaking should see more action in the later part of the month.
Posted By:
Kenneth-Schubel
WFC Sponsor
Ocala 11-26-2003 06:19
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 60-65 Degrees
Saw two medium sized groups of Canada’s flying over SR 40 in the middle of town today and one just south of Paine’s Prairie. Also seen a small group of Hooded Merganser’s in town. Hearing report also of the teal picking up to fill up more of the hunter’s bag than of opening day.
