Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the dates for the 2015-2016 migratory bird hunting seasons, which include seasons for hunting ducks, geese, woodcock, snipe, and rails. Specific details on season dates, bag limits, regulations, and other reminders are published in the 2015-2016 Migratory Bird Hunting Guide, which is available on the DEEP’s Web site at www.ct.gov/deep/hunting. The print version will be available from DEEP and town clerk offices by late August.
New for 2015-2016 – The canvasback daily bag limit will be increased from one to two. Canvasback populations are 30 percent above their long-term average and additional harvest opportunity is available. The Atlantic brant season will be curtailed to a 30-day season with a daily bag of one brant. Atlantic brant have experienced four consecutive years of low productivity and the population is declining.
September Canada Goose Season
The September Canada goose season will be split to accommodate the Labor Day holiday. The first split for the early season in the North Zone (portion of the state north of Interstate 95) will be September 1 – 4, and the second split will be September 8 - 30, 2015. The season in the South Zone (portion of the state south of Interstate 95) will run from September 15-30, 2015. The daily bag limit remains at 15 geese. The September goose season provides the opportunity to harvest resident Canada geese that breed and spend the majority of their lives in Connecticut. The season is scheduled at a time when most migrant geese have not yet entered the state. Connecticut’s growing resident goose population continues to cause substantial nuisance problems. The September season affords the opportunity to harvest these birds.
Ducks, Mergansers, and Coots
The North Zone early duck season runs from October 7 - 17, 2015. The South Zone early season is from October 7 - 10, 2015. The late North Zone season will be November 13, 2015 through January 9, 2016. The late South Zone season will be November 17, 2015, through January 20, 2016.
The sea duck season in the coastal areas and streams seaward of the first upstream bridge has been set for September 22, 2015 to January 20, 2016. Due to continued concern over the status of sea duck populations and increasing hunting pressure, the total sea duck bag limit remains at five. Sea duck hunters should be prepared that reductions in season lengths are anticipated for 2016-17. This may also be accompanied by changes in the bag limit.
The Atlantic brant season remains at shortened to a 30-day season and will be from December 7, 2015 through January 9, 2016, in the North Zone and December 17, 2015 through January 20, 2016, in the South Zone. The daily bag limit for Atlantic brant has been reduced to one for the upcoming season.
Legal shooting hours for all waterfowl hunting (except for the September Canada goose season) are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Legal shooting hours for the September Canada goose season are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Regular and Late Canada Goose Seasons
The North Atlantic Population (NAP) Canada goose hunt zone was split into two zones – the NAP-L Unit and the NAP-H Unit – in 2002. These zones were created to exert more harvest pressure on resident geese in areas where nuisance problems persist. These zones were changed for the 2008-2009 hunting season to account for changes in distribution of migrant and resident Canada geese. The NAP-L Unit was removed, and a new zone, the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population (AFRP) zone, was created. These same units are in place for the 2015-2016 season. See the 2015-2016 Migratory Bird Hunting Guide for complete descriptions of the AFRP, NAP-H and AP hunting units.
Hunters have indicated their preference for the goose and duck seasons to overlap as much as possible. The regular goose season in the AFRP Unit will be divided into two periods. The first period will be from October 13 - 17, 2015. The second period will be from November 19, 2015 through February 13, 2016. This zone has been effective at targeting resident geese. A recent analysis indicated that over 98 percent of the birds harvested in this zone are resident birds. The daily bag limit in the AFRP Unit is five geese.
In the NAP-H Unit, the regular goose season, in both the North and South Zones, will be divided in two. The first period will be from October 7 - 17, 2015, while the second will be from November 16, 2015 to January 23, 2016.
The AP Unit goose season will be divided into two periods. The first period will be from October 13 - 17, 2015, while the second will be from November 19, 2015 to January 9, 2016. The daily bag limit will be three geese.
Sportsmen also will have the opportunity to harvest resident Canada geese during the special late season (in the South Zone only east of the Quinnipiac River) from January 25 through February 13, 2016. The bag limit during the late season is five geese, and no special permit is required for this season. Hunters are urged to read the goose zone descriptions. The AFRP zone contains part of the old South Zone (west of the Quinnipiac River), and the AFRP zone is open to goose hunting in January and February.
The dates for the snow goose season in the North Zone are October 1, 2015 to January 15, 2016, and from February 23 to March 10, 2016. In the South Zone, the snow goose season will be from October 1 to November 28, 2015, and then from January 6 to March 10, 2016.
Youth Waterfowl Hunting Training Days
Connecticut will hold two Youth Waterfowl Hunter Training Days on Saturday, October 3, and Saturday, October 31, 2015. Participants must be 15 years of age or younger, possess a valid junior small game hunting license and a HIP permit, and be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age. Adults must possess a valid hunting license; however, they are not allowed to hunt waterfowl. Ducks, geese, mergansers, and coots may be hunted. Bag limits and shooting hours are the same as for the regular duck and goose hunting seasons.Woodcock, Snipe, and Rail Seasons
The woodcock and snipe seasons will be split into two segments. The first segment will be from October 23 through November 21, 2015. The second segment will be from November 23 through December 7, 2015. The rail season will open on September 1 and go until November 7, 2015.
A Few Reminders
All waterfowl hunters are required to obtain an annual Harvest Information Program (HIP) permit, in addition to obtaining a hunting license. Waterfowl hunters 16 years of age or older also are required to purchase a federal Duck Stamp and a Connecticut Duck Stamp. Federal Duck Stamps are available from many local post offices for $25.00. Connecticut Duck Stamps ($13.00) and HIP permits ($4.00) can be purchased at all Connecticut town clerks’ offices and on-line at www.ct.gov/deep/sportsmenlicensing. A HIP permit also is required to hunt woodcock, snipe, coot, and rails. The 2015 Connecticut Duck Stamp will expire on December 31, 2015. Hunters must purchase the 2016 Connecticut Duck Stamp before January 1, 2016, if they plan to hunt into the early portion of 2016. Along with the purchase of a Duck Stamp, an additional $2.00 donation can be made to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.
Hunters are also reminded to think before they hunt, while they are hunting and after they hunt. Be respectful of the environment and other people enjoying the outdoors. And, as always, be safe and have fun.
Hunters should report waterfowl leg bands. Band return information provides vital information for the continued sound management of the waterfowl resource. Please report bands to the USGS by calling 1-800-427-BAND or on the Internet at www.reportband.gov.
No comments:
Post a Comment