The spring survey numbers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service came out this past week, bringing us one step closer to the 2004 – 2005 waterfowl season.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
With the season framework due out in the next few weeks it is time to start planning and gearing up for this fall. New gear in the ProShop and the first booking for this year’s WFC Timber Hunt are a sure sign that the season is fast approaching.
This year WFC Timber Hunt will be held at Mallard Retreat in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Twenty WFC members and a handful of staff will join the good folks at Mallard Retreat for three days of duck and goose hunting on some of the finest land in the Grand Prairie. The new owners of Mallard Retreat took over the lodge last summer and have secured a wide variety of leases and lands. So, will this be the year WFC Timber Hunt hits it big? The only way to know is to be there. For full details check out Timber Hunt – 2005 in the Member News department of the WFC home page. With three days of ducks, geese and sporting clays and the added bonus of a free duck mount, all at a discounted price for WFC members, it will be a big time for sure. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, so start making plans today.
The Lucky #13 issue of WFC Journal is starting to take shape. Be sure to check your profile and update your address or renew your account to ensure delivery. This issue’s “From the Tailgate” takes us down to the Sportman’s Paradise to spend a little time getting to know The Duck Commander himself, Phil Robertson. This issue of the journal will also feature member mojo and ducky charms used to ward off “the skunk.” Add to that a little layout hunting action from Washington State and a few other tricks, and this issue promises to help ward off many of the bad luck evils of the waterfowling world. The Lucky Thirteen issue goes to print mid-August, so get your profile in line and keep your luck rabbit’s foot handy. The latest issue of WFC Journal should be showing up in your mail box about the time the early seasons kick off in September.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
The May Breeding Bird Survey from the USFWS shows duck numbers down this year. Overall waterfowl numbers from the survey area dropped 11% from last year’s numbers. The mallard and pond numbers used to select season packages under Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) would put this year’s season right on the line between liberal and moderate framework options if there is no adjustment to the AHM matrix. Final word on AHM, the season option and bag limits should be out in the next few weeks.
There is good news in some areas, though. The Maine and Maritime population survey was the second highest on record, and Canvasback numbers from the traditional survey areas rose.
The preliminary harvest data from the 2003-2004 waterfowl season is in. Duck and Goose harvest was mixed across the board last year. In the Atlantic flyway both duck and goose harvests were down. Harvest increased for both the Mississippi and Pacific flyways and harvest was split in the Central flyway, with duck harvest down and goose harvest up from the previous year.
Over the next two weeks, Flyway councils and state and federal meetings will be held to determine the seasons and bag limits for the 2004 – 2005 season. WFC will report the decisions as they start to roll in, so stay tuned.
