News from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

For more information contact: Lori O'Connell, 518-402-8000

DEC Invites Hunter Input on Fall 2008-09 Waterfowl Seasons

Task Forces to Help Set Season Dates for Waterfowl Hunting in New York

ALBANY, NY (03/05/2008; 1555)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today invited waterfowl hunters to submit recommendations to regional Waterfowl Hunter Task Forces for the dates of the Fall 2008-09 duck hunting seasons.

New York State is divided into five waterfowl hunting zones: Western, Southeastern, Northeastern, Lake Champlain, and Long Island. DEC recently appointed task forces for each zone (except Lake Champlain, see below) to make recommendations for the Fall 2008 hunting seasons. Each task force includes representatives from the state Conservation Council, established waterfowl hunting organizations, and individual waterfowl hunters who were chosen to provide a broad range of input.

Task force members act as representatives of all duck hunters in each zone, and collectively recommend opening and closing dates (and split seasons if desired) and a Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend that best satisfy the diverse interests in their zone. The recommended dates must be within federal guidelines established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For Fall 2008-09, DEC biologists expect the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow a 60-day duck season, split into no more than two segments per zone, and opening no earlier than September 27 and closing no later than January 25.

DEC established hunter task forces in 1997 to help set duck hunting season dates for areas of the state where hunter preferences vary widely. Federal regulations limit the number of days that duck seasons can be open, and these Waterfowl Hunter Task Forces have helped DEC establish season dates that provide balanced opportunities for waterfowl hunting in each region of the state.

Waterfowl hunters can participate in the season-setting process by providing duck season suggestions to any task force member on or before April 3. Names and contact information for all task force members are attached. Comments can be provided by mail, telephone, or e-mail. DEC’s website has a special link for hunter input on waterfowl seasons; go to the Migratory Game Bird Seasons page (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28503.html) and click on the tab labeled “2008/09 Waterfowl Season Input”. The comment due date is important because the task forces will meet in April and DEC plans to announce tentative duck hunting season dates in June, allowing hunters time to make vacation plans.

Input on hunting seasons for other migratory game birds, including Canada geese, snow geese, brant, and woodcock, should be submitted by April 30 to any member of DEC’s season-setting team. Names and contact information for those staff are also attached.

Fall 2008-09 waterfowl seasons will be based largely on task force recommendations. However, seasons in the Lake Champlain Zone will continue to be set by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Management Board, with consultation from DEC and input from hunters in New York and Vermont. Although there is no formal task force for this zone, sportsmen and women can send their input to any DEC season-setting team members on the attached list.

Descriptions of New York State’s waterfowl hunting zones can be found on the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov and are listed in DEC’s Waterfowl Hunting Guide. The tentative waterfowl hunting season dates will be posted on the DEC website and announced by news release in June.

A list of Waterfowl Season Task Forces can be found in the attachment.

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Attachments

WATERFOWL SEASON TASK FORCES
WATERFOWL_SEASON_TASK_FORCES_LIST.doc