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Thread: Blackduck hunters rejoice

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Wateree, South Carolina
    Posts
    48,811

    Default Blackduck hunters rejoice

    The black duck daily bag limit for the 2017-18 migratory bird seasons has been increased from one to two. After more than 30 years of a one-bird limit, the Federal Wildlife Service has allowed the states to set new limits on the most prized winter bird on the North Shore.

    Population studies have been made in both the United States and Canada since the early 1990’s. Over that time it was determined that as many as 90% of these birds breed in Canada but most of them winter in the United States. The long-term average number of breeding ducks has been roughly 650,000 birds and that number has been pretty stable over the last 25 years.

    What has changed pretty dramatically is the fact that over this study period the distribution of wintering black ducks has shifted northward. As the winters become less severe in temperature, less black ducks are wintering in South and North Carolina and more are wintering in our area and southern Canada. As a result, the North Shore has seen quite an increase of wintering black ducks in places like Plum Island and the other marshes.

    While the vast majority of all of the other ducks like mallards and teal are chiefly harvested in this country, the black duck harvest is pretty evenly divided between Canada and the United States. The black duck was of particular interest of the International Harvest Strategy that was adopted in 2012 between the two countries. This strategy had three objectives. All parties wanted to maintain a sustainable black duck population, continue a robust black duck hunting tradition, and, most importantly, maintain the historical and relatively equal populations of black ducks between Canada and the U.S.

    The annual reporting of duck harvests has seen a decline of about one-third in the take over the past several years. By increasing the limits from 1 bird to 2, the wildlife managers believe that the bird populations will remain steady while increasing hunting participation across the region.

    This increase in bag limits will be closely studied following the Adaptive Harvest Management model. If the increase in harvest rates are higher than expected and have a negative effect on the breeding population, future harvests will be modified to reflect that change. Several states to the south are protecting their native breeding populations by closing their early seasons to black duck hunting. But here in the Northeast we have seen these populations increasing, so no such move is necessary.

    Below are the seasons for the coming year. This is advisory only. Please check the official websites before you head out onto the marsh. Please note that NEW for this year is for EARLY GOOSE SEASON ONLY hunting hours have been extended to1/2 hour BEFORE sunrise to 1/2 hour AFTER sunset.

    I have included only the daily bag limits. Possession limits are usually three times that. Note that the pintail take is now only one bird per day. There are two days set aside for the youth hunt: Sept 23 and Oct 7.

    http://www.gloucestertimes.com/sport...337222bcf.html

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Gobbler's Knob, GA/ Bamberg,SC
    Posts
    21,442

    Default

    For the 2018/19 season they will roll it back to one or closed season - due to over harvest.. No Dat.
    F**K Cancer

    Just Damn.

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