Hunting Archery Duck Deer

The increased bag limit means Maine hunters will be able to harvest the same number of ducks as those in neighboring states, such as New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts, all of which had six-duck limits last year.

“We took a hard look at the data, and decided the ducks could handle the increased bag limit,” biologist Mike Schummer said.

In a public hearing Wednesday in Augusta, Schummer said mallard duck populations were high and growing in Maine and largely underutilized by hunters.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends the six-duck limit as part of its federal waterfowl management framework. States are free to choose more conservative regulations, as Maine has done in the past, but never more liberal.

Schummer said he had little concern that higher bag limits this year would affect duck populations in Maine.

“It’s not the bag limit that kills ducks, it’s the length of the season,” he said. Schummer said very few hunters actually shoot their limit on any given day of the season — and rarer still are those who do it on multiple days. He estimated the increased limit would only result in an additional five percent harvest rate.

The federal framework also requires only two ducks in a limit be hen mallards — ensuring that females are available for breeding.

Schummer said the increase allows those who enjoy a full day of hunting to stay out a little longer, and it also encourages Maine hunters to take advantage of abundant mallard ducks.

“The six-duck limit will be directed towards mallards. There’s lots of them, and they can handle the pressure,” he said.

Season length remained the same: 60 days north and south, with a split season in the southern zone.

HAPPY HUNTERS

Most hunters seemed enthusiastic about the increased limit.

Thirty or so hunters attended the hearing; some traveling from as far as Aroostook County and downeast Maine. Camo hats, Ducks Unlimited T-shirts and pick-up trucks with license plates that read “DKHNTR” and “EIDER” decorated the parking lot at the Civic Center Holiday Inn, where the meeting was held.

“This brings us in line with our neighboring states. I appreciate the data behind this decision,” said duck hunter Charles Bell of Belgrade. Bell was upset last year because he said the possibility existed for a six-duck bag limit, but biologists chose to stay with the more conservative four, based on hunter input.

“I know a lot of guys that live close to the New Hampshire border and just hunt waterfowl over there, because they can stay out longer and get their two extra ducks,” Bell said.

Other hunters, like Gene Sirois of Gardiner, wondered if it might be possible to leave the season open a little longer, to encourage the harvest of more mallard ducks.

“I travel all across the state and I see the mallards. They don’t leave, they stay all year. There’s flocks of mallards in the bays along the coast all winter,” he said.

Schummer said the current federal framework doesn’t allow a season longer than 60 days, but said a season more heavily weighted towards winter could someday be possible, particularly with flights of ducks coming later and later in recent warm weather years.

BLACKDUCKS DOWN

Several hunters wondered why black duck limits remained at one, particularly those from coastal Maine, where the black duck is the primary target of hunters.

For many in eastern Maine, hunters felt it was hardly worth a trip to the marsh for only one duck.

Biologist Brad Allen explained that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires that states allow no more than one black duck per day per hunter, as the species is declining over most of its range. According to federal studies, long-term black duck productivity, which is measured by counting the number of ducklings per hen, is down 50 percent over most of its range.

Scientists are still looking for reasons why, though some hunters speculate that competition from mallards on small marshes may be part of the reason.

“No one knows exactly what is going on,” Schummer said.

The concern for black ducks nearly prompted a 30-day season on black ducks — as opposed to the standard, 60-day season for other species.

Another reason, said Allen, to harvest more mallards.

“The old days of not going out because you could only shoot one black duck are behind us, now there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see some mallards out there, too,” he said.

Overall, Allen and Schummer said duck populations in Maine were comparable to, or up slightly from, 2005.

The exceptions were cavity-nesting ducks, such as buffleheads, goldeneyes and wood ducks, which fared poorly this spring.

“Some of our marshes had poor to non-existent broods of wood ducks,” Schummer said.

Blue- and green-winged teal also experienced declines in waterfowl surveys. For that reason, bag limits are limited to four, as opposed to six, to protect local breeding populations.

“Shooting six teal from a local marsh would be too much,” Schummer said.

Many hunters and biologists were as concerned with the decline in hunter numbers as they were in that of ducks.

Maine duck stamp numbers have hovered around 7,000 in recent years — relatively low compared to Midwest states, where duck hunting is far more popular.

In Canada, Schummer said numbers are plummeting, and even in Maine, fewer and fewer hunt each year.

Game Warden Chris Dyer noted that he sees fewer and fewer kids in the field each year.

“There’s been a slow, steady decline in hunter numbers,” Dyer said. “Hunting pressure is going down. Not just ducks, either. Upland, deer, whatever. As hunters age, no new people are coming in to take their place. Kids don’t have time nowadays. Allowing a little more opportunity may bring some people back.”

Dave Sherwood — 621-5648

dsherwood@centralmaine.com

DUCKS

North Zone: Oct. 2 through Dec. 9

South Zone: Oct. 2 through Oct. 28 and Nov. 13 through Dec. 23

Youth Waterfowl Day: Sept. 23

Daily Limit 6 ducks, no more than 4 of any one species. Possession limit 12, no more than 8 of any one species, with the following exceptions:
a) Closed season on Harlequin ducks
b) Daily limit: 1; possession limit: 2 for black ducks, pintail and canvasback.
c) Daily limit: 2, possession limit: 4 for hen mallard, wood ducks and redhead ducks.
d) Daily limit: 2; possession limit: 4 for scaup.
e) Daily limit of 4; possession limit: 8 for teal (blue and green-winged teal, single or in aggregate)
f) Daily limit on mergansers is 5 in the aggregate, possession limit 10 with following exception: 2 hooded mergansers per day (4 possession limit) and 5 American coot per day (10 possession limit)

CANADA GEESE

Special Early Season: Sept. 5 through Sept. 25, 2006

Daily limit: 4; possession limit: 8.

Regular Goose Season

North Zone: Oct. 2 through Dec. 9

South Zone: Oct. 2 through Oct. 28 and Nov. 13 through Dec.

23

Daily Limit: 2, Possession limit 4.

SEA DUCKS

Oct. 2 through Jan. 31

Daily Limit: 7, Possession Limit 14 with following exceptions:

Scoter: daily limit:4; possession limit: 8

Common Eider: daily limit: 5; possession limit: 10.

WOODCOCK

Oct. 2 through Oct. 28 and Oct. 30 through Nov. 1

Daily limit: 3. Possession Limit: 6.