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For Release: Friday, September 8, 2006

DEC Announces Final 2006-2007 Waterfowl Hunting Dates

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced the final dates and regulations for New York State's 2006-07 waterfowl hunting seasons and encouraged sportsmen and women to obtain their licenses to take advantage of the excellent hunting opportunities expected this fall.

"Healthy waterfowl populations and favorable habitat conditions are expected to provide excellent hunting opportunities throughout New York this upcoming season," Commissioner Sheehan said. "People who hunt waterfowl in New York should find plenty of opportunities as a result of the abundant waterfowl resources and diverse seasons that are open across the state."

Commissioner Sheehan also urged hunters to follow simple safety guidelines, and use good judgement in choosing a place to hunt - being considerate of other people enjoying the outdoors or who live nearby - to ensure a safe and enjoyable season.

The season dates, summarized in the following table, were developed by a team of DEC biologists from around the State, with input from waterfowl hunting enthusiasts. New York's waterfowl seasons are based on federal regulatory requirements, in addition to input received from the public over the past several years. The final 2006-2007 season dates are as follows:

* in Special Sea Duck Area described below.

DEC would also like to inform waterfowl hunters that throughout this fall and winter, DEC staff will be working with U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services staff and others to obtain more than 1,600 samples from certain waterfowl species in New York for the purposes of testing for avian influenza. This is part of a larger effort on the national and international levels to sample for the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus in migratory bird species. To date, there have been no detections of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus in North America. DEC requests the cooperation of hunters and others in the sampling if they are contacted in the field and asked to allow samples to be collected. Primary species of interest include mallard, greater scaup, Canada geese, brant, and possibly sea ducks. Sampling usually entails a quick swab of fecal material from harvested birds, and recording of information about each bird and where it was taken.

September Canada Goose Seasons

Fall waterfowl hunting begins with the September Canada goose season, which opens in most of upstate New York on September 1, and will open on Tuesday, September 5 in the Lake Champlain and Long Island Zones. New York's first September goose hunting season was held in 1990 and it has since became a great opportunity for hunters across the state. This season is timed so that nearly all of the birds taken are local-nesting or "resident" Canada geese. On average, about 40,000 geese are taken by New York hunters each September, and this has helped slow the growth of these local flocks and can help alleviate problems caused by geese in areas where hunting is allowed.

Bag limits for the September Canada goose season is eight geese per day (16 in possession), except in the Lake Champlain Zone, where the bag limit is five per day and 10 in possession.

Youth Waterfowl Hunt Days

Two Youth Waterfowl Hunt Days will be held in each zone (see the above table), allowing junior hunters (12-15 years of age) to hunt ducks, coot, mergansers, Canada geese and brant. This special weekend opportunity is for experienced waterfowl hunters to help teach young hunters the techniques and ethics of this sport. The junior hunter must be fully licensed and accompanied by a licensed adult hunter in accordance with all New York State regulations, but only the junior hunter may take birds on this day (unless the respective regular season is open, such as Canada geese during September). Both the adult and youth need to have a current (2006) Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration, and the adult companion must also have a current (2006) federal duck hunting stamp. For Youth Hunt Days in September, a 2005-06 hunting license is required.

Daily bag limits for Youth Waterfowl Hunt Days are the same as during regular waterfowl seasons, except that only two Canada geese may be taken on Youth Days that fall outside of the September Canada goose season.

Regular Duck Seasons

The season selections were based largely on hunter input, with the goal being to provide diverse hunting opportunities that would best satisfy the various hunting interests in each zone. In the Western, Northeastern, and Southeastern zones, DEC adopted dates that were recommended by three waterfowl hunter task forces. This approach has helped DEC set seasons for a number of years in areas where hunter preferences are diverse.

In other zones, DEC staff relied on hunter input from correspondence and public meetings held in recent years. Dates for the Lake Champlain Zone were set by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board, based on recommendations received from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, DEC, and public input at meetings in Whitehall, New York and Burlington, Vermont.

Duck Bag Limits

Daily bag limits for ducks are similar to last year, with a few notable changes. The total daily bag limit for ducks will be 6 birds, and may include no more than 4 mallards (2 of which may be hens), 1 black duck, 2 wood ducks, 1 pintail, 2 redheads, 2 scaup, 4 scoters, 1 canvasback, 2 hooded mergansers, and no harlequin ducks.

Several species that have had closed periods during the regular duck season in recent years may all be taken on any day of the season this year. This includes black duck, pintail, and canvasback, which all showed stable or higher populations than a year ago. Also, the hooded merganser bag limit was increased to 2 per day this year, in response to steadily growing populations throughout the Atlantic Flyway.

The special sea duck season listed above for the Long Island Zone applies to outer coastal waters only, defined as the coastal waters of New York State lying in Long Island Sound, Block Island Sound, Great Peconic Bay and associated bays, and any ocean waters lying south of Long Island. The daily bag limit for this season is 7 sea ducks (scoters, eiders, and long-tailed ducks - formerly called "oldsquaw"), including no more than 4 scoters.

Regular Canada Goose Seasons

Traditional fall Canada goose hunting seasons were suspended throughout most of New York during 1995-1998 in response to a dramatic decline in the number of geese breeding in northern Quebec. The population has made a strong recovery, allowing New York to have 45-day seasons with a daily limit of 3 geese in most areas of the State. Even longer seasons (60-70 days) will be open on Long Island and across the Southern Tier of New York, where local-nesting or resident geese make up most of the birds harvested. DEC has adopted goose hunting regulations that provide the maximum allowable hunting opportunity consistent with federal regulations.

Hunters should take note that regular Canada goose hunting seasons do not follow the same hunting zone boundaries as other waterfowl seasons in New York. Instead of the five traditional zones that New York uses for duck hunting seasons, the State is divided into eight "goose hunting areas" with seasons and bag limits set for each (see map below). This approach allows Canada goose hunting seasons to be tailored according to the origins of birds that occur in each area. In general, more liberal seasons (more days, higher bag limits) are allowed where resident geese make up a larger proportion of the harvest. This approach has been used since 2002, although the boundaries and seasons have changed slightly this year.

One special regulation that was tested in the Lake Champlain Goose Hunting Area during 2004 and 2005 was a noon daily closure for all Canada goose and snow goose hunting during the month of October. This regulation was adopted by Vermont and applied to New York's Lake Champlain goose hunting area on an experimental basis. Some biologists thought this might extend hunting opportunities later into the season, but there seemed to little hunter support for continuing this regulation.

Hunters should carefully study the new hunting areas and corresponding regulations before going afield. Detailed area descriptions, based largely on Wildlife Management Units (WMU) and some waterfowl zone lines, are listed in the annual waterfowl regulations brochure and on DEC's website.

Snow Goose and Brant Seasons

Hunting regulations for snow goose remain very liberal, with 107-day seasons, a daily bag limit of 15 geese, and no possession limit. Snow goose seasons in most zones include an open period from February 17 - March 10, when some of these birds may begin their spring migration back through New York State. The Atlantic Flyway snow goose population has grown from 25,000 birds in the 1960s to nearly 1 million birds in recent years. Biologists are concerned that these birds are causing long-term habitat and agricultural damage in breeding, migration and wintering areas.

Brant seasons will again be only 30 days, with a 2-bird daily bag limit this year, in response to low population levels and poor production in the Canadian Arctic this summer.

Non-toxic Shot

Non-toxic shot is required for all waterfowl hunting in New York State. At least 10 different non-toxic shot materials have been approved for waterfowl hunting in New York during the 2006-2007 season.

License and Stamp Requirements

All waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older must have a 2006 federal duck stamp to hunt during any of the 2006-07 seasons, including those held in September 2006. Federal duck stamps cost $15 and are available at most post offices and some sporting goods stores. They are also available by calling toll-free 1-800-382-5499 or visiting the website www.duckstamp.com. Stamps must be signed across the face by the hunter before they become valid, but they do not have to be attached to the hunting license.

All migratory game bird (waterfowl, woodcock, snipe, rails and gallinules) hunters, including junior hunters, must register with New York's Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) for the 2006-07 season. Hunters must register every year and for each state in which they plan to hunt migratory game birds, and they must carry proof of compliance whenever going afield.

To register in HIP, call toll-free 1-888-427-5447 (1-888-4 ASK HIP) or visit the website: www.wetland.net. Registration is free and takes only about 5 minutes, after which a confirmation number is given as proof of compliance.

State regulations were changed last year to specify that HIP registrations are valid from July 1 to June 30 annually (the same as federal duck stamps), so every migratory game bird hunter needs to register in HIP for 2006-2007 before going afield on or after September 1 this fall.

Report Banded Birds

Hunters are encouraged to report any banded birds they shoot to the Federal Bird Banding Lab by calling the toll-free service at 1-800-327-BAND (2263). The best time to call is weekdays between 7 a.m.- 5 p.m., but extended hours and weekend coverage are planned. The operator will want to know the band number and also how, when, and where it was recovered. Bands can also be reported to http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/homepage/call800.htm. Tens of thousands of ducks and geese are banded in North America every year and band reporting by hunters helps managers determine appropriate hunting regulations for each species. DEC staff and cooperators annually band several thousand ducks and geese to help monitor populations and harvest pressure.

Hunting Ethics

Hunters are reminded to be considerate of property owners and other people using the outdoors or residing close to waterfowl hunting areas. Following regulations, avoiding interference with other activities, and safe shooting all help to ensure a positive hunting experience and continued public support for hunting in New York State.

For More Information

Copies of New York's 2006-2007 Waterfowl Hunting Seasons and Regulations brochure will be available in September at most license-issuing agents, DEC regional offices, and some post offices. However, a virtual copy of the brochure is available now on the DEC website. In addition, a copy of the brochure will also be mailed to everyone who registered in HIP last year.

Season dates and regulations have been posted on the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov . DEC will accept public comments on the regulations until November 13, 2006. Comments can be submitted to Bryan Swift, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754 or by email to blswift@gw.dec.state.ny.us . For additional information about waterfowl hunting contact any DEC wildlife office.

DEC encourages all outdoor enthusiasts to consider purchasing a Habitat/Access Stamp when they purchase their license. The Habitat/Access Stamp is an optional stamp that is available to people who want to support the DEC's efforts to conserve habitat and increase public access for fish and wildlife related recreation. Buying a $5.00 habitat stamp is the perfect way for young or old, angler or hunter, birder or photographer to help conserve New York's fabulous wildlife heritage. This year's stamp features a wild turkey, one of New York's most popular game birds. For more information, go to: http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/329.html.

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