Indiana DNR Proposes Waterfowl Season Dates
OutdoorHub 08.11.11
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is proposing the same number of days as last year for waterfowl hunting season in all three zones – 60 days for ducks and 74 for Canada geese – but is recommending a change in how those days are distributed in the state’s North Zone.
The North Zone will be split into two segments for hunting of ducks, coots and mergansers, and into three segments for Canada geese. In recent years, North Zone duck hunting dates ran consecutively and the Canada goose season was in two segments.
“If you go straight through for 60 days in the North Zone duck season, it would open on a Saturday and close on a Tuesday,” said Adam Phelps, waterfowl biologist for DNR Fish & Wildlife. “So, we moved the two extra days to later, basically to try to give a weekend to those folks who want to hunt late.”
The dates are not final until approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in mid to late September. Historically, dates have been accepted as proposed. The DNR’s recommended dates for ducks, coots and mergansers are:
• North Zone, Oct. 15 to Dec. 11, and Dec. 24-25
• South Zone, Oct. 22-30, and Nov. 23 to Jan. 12
• Ohio River Zone, Oct. 29-30, and Nov. 26 to Jan. 22
For Canada geese, the proposed dates are:
• North Zone, Oct. 15 to Nov. 6, Nov. 23 to Jan. 8, and Jan. 14-17
• South Zone, Oct. 22-30 and Nov 23 to Jan. 26
• Ohio River Zone, Oct. 29-30 and Nov. 21 to Jan. 31
“What we’ve done in the past (for Canada geese) is open for two days in the North Zone, close until November, and then resume,” Phelps said. “We’ve gotten feedback from hunters who want to hunt over open water. So we gave them more days early, then a break, and then went as lateas we have in the past. We’re trying to keep pressure on Canada geese in late January, but still give the folks who want to hunt over open water a chance as well.”
The North Zone is that part of Indiana north of a line extending east from the Illinois border along Indiana 18 to U.S. 31; north along U.S. 31 to U.S. 24; east on U.S. 24 to Huntington; and southeast on U.S. 224 to the Ohio border.
The South Zone is the area south of that line but north of the Ohio River Zone.
The Ohio River Zone is that portion of Indiana south of a line extending east from the Illinois border along Interstate 64 to New Albany; east on Indiana 62 to Indiana 56; east on Indiana 56 to Vevay; along Indiana 156 to North Landing; north on Indiana 56 to U.S. 50; and northeast on U.S. 50 to the Ohio border.
The daily bag limit for ducks in all zones is six, including no more than four mallards (of which no more than two can be hens), three wood ducks, two pintails, two redheads, two scaup, one canvasback, one black duck, and one mottled duck. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.
The daily bag limit for Canada geese in all zones is two with a possession limit of four.
DNR also has proposed a 15-day late season for Canada geese from Feb. 1-15 in selected areas. Indiana conducted what was scheduled as a three-year experiment authorized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to target resident giant Canada geese without negatively impacting migratory geese. Last season was the third year of the experiment, and although most areas achieved the USFWS requirement that at least 80 percent of the late season harvest consist of resident giant Canada geese, areas around Terre Haute reported only 78 percent.
“So now we’re in a holding pattern, but they are letting us continue to evaluate,” Phelps said.
Consequently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will authorize the late season only in the same counties as previous years. Those counties are: Adams, Allen, Boone, Clay, DeKalb, Elkhart, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Huntington, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Noble, Parke, St. Joseph, Shelby, Steuben, Starke, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vigo, Wells and Whitley.
Special restrictions apply; a free permit is required. The daily bag limit is five, and the possession limit is 10.
Statewide season dates for light geese and brant are Oct. 15 to Jan. 27. The bag limit is 20 light geese (snow and/or Ross’ geese) and one brant. The possession limit is two brant. There is no possession limit on light geese.
Statewide season dates for white-fronted geese are Oct. 15 to Nov. 6 and Nov. 23 to Jan. 26. The daily bag limit is one, and the possession limit is two.
For more information: Phil Bloom, DNR Communications, (317) 232-4003, pbloom@dnr.in.gov.
DNR aims to clear up possession limit rules
The Department of Natural Resources has proposed rule changes to clear up ambiguity regarding possession limits for legally taken fish and wildlife that have a bag limit, without adversely affecting wildlife species or unnecessarily encumbering legal anglers and hunters.
“There are varied opinions and interpretations of the existing possession limit rule that cause confusion within the fishing and hunting public” said Col. Scotty Wilson, director of DNR Law Enforcement. “Therefore, we’re seeking a rule change to clearly define possession restrictions where a bag limit is established and at what point legally taken wild animals no longer count toward a possession limit.”
The Natural Resources Commission, an autonomous board that must approve rule changes requested by the DNR, granted preliminary adoption of the proposed change at its July 19 meeting. The measure is open for public comment on the NRC website (www.in.gov/nrc/2377.htm), which also includes full text of the proposed rule language. Public comments will be included in a report to the NRC prior to consideration of final adoption at a future date.
A nine-month review of current regulations by two DNR divisions – Law Enforcement and Fish & Wildlife – prompted the agency to seek the change, which would exempt from the possession limit restriction legally taken wild animals that have been processed and stored at an individual’s primary residence.
Several other state wildlife agencies that were contacted as part of the review already have adopted similar rules.
Currently, daily bag limit is defined (Indiana Code 14-8-2-18) as the quantity of individual wild animals that may be taken in one day of a specified season or during the entire season. For example, the daily bag limit for Northern pike is three. The daily bag limit for rabbits is five.
Confusion begins with possession limit, which is intended to be twice the daily bag limit.
However, common questions asked of the DNR point to the challenge of a universally accepted definition:
• Does possession limit apply only in the field, while at camp, cabin, or hotel?
• Does it include fish and wildlife stored at my home in my freezer?
• Do last season’s rabbits still in my freezer count against this year?
• If I currently have two times the daily bag limit in my freezer, can I hunt/fish for that species again before using some of it?
• If not, what are the requirements for becoming legal? Do I have to eat it, give it away, or simply dispose of it to become “legal”?
• Does part of a wild animal, such as two hind legs of a rabbit, count as a full rabbit?
Current fishing regulations complicate the issue, depending on where fish are caught. Daily bag limits only apply to public waters. Fish taken from private ponds or impoundments may be taken in any quantity.
“This proposal will clarify language that seems to make criminals out of someone simply because he or she is an avid and successful hunter or angler,” Wilson said.
These changes would not apply to migratory birds and waterfowl. U.S. Fish and Wildlife authorities interpret possession limit to include processed and stored specimens. Wilson said, “at this time we feel it would be too problematic to have state and/or federal laws that contradict each other on these particular species.”
For more information: Lt. William Browne, DNR Law Enforcement, (765) 509-0207, wbrowne@dnr.in.gov.
