North Dakota Outdoors Magazine August-September 2012 ...

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MIGRATORYBIRDSThere shouldn’t be a shortage of waterfowl hunting opportunitiesthis fall in North Dakota.CRAIG BIHRLE DUCKS AND GEESEIn 2012, Game and Fish biologists conductedthe Department’s 65 th annual breeding duck survey,perhaps the longest running operational breedingwaterfowl survey in the world, covering morethan 1,800 miles on eight transects, assessing springwetland conditions and the number of waterfowl inthe state.What biologists saw in 2012 was different than2011. Last year’s flooded conditions have dried considerably,although many roads were still underwateror impassable. Given the dry fall and snowless winter,spring wetland conditions were considerably belowthe near record-high of last year. The 2012 waterindex was down 57 percent from 2011, and 6 percentbelow the 1948-2011 average.Breeding duck numbers generally track waterconditions, but this year was an exception, with largenumbers of birds returning to nest in North Dakota.Numbers of breeding ducks were the third highest onrecord, up 16 percent from last year, which was the10 th highest index on record. The 2012 duck indexwas 112 percent above the long-term average.Changes from 2011 for individual duck specieswere variable. Mallards were unchanged and downalmost 25 percent from a high in 2001. Only pintails,shovelers and canvasbacks were down from 2011.All other species were up from 17 (redheads) to 125(green-winged teal) percent. Blue-winged teal wereat their highest since a record high in 2001.All species were above the long-term average.Wigeon (plus 88 percent) and green-winged teal(plus 221 percent) were at record highs. Mallards,gadwall, blue-winged teal, shovelers, redheads andruddy ducks all exceeded the long-term average bymore than 100 percent. Pintails (plus 26 percent) andcanvasbacks (plus 53 percent) were also above thelong-term average.The large number of ducks tallied is consistent withthe well-above-average populations North Dakotahas carried since 1994, because of wet conditions andthe exceptional nesting cover provided by CRP.Our July brood survey indicated that water conditionswere down 48 percent from 2011, but were 10percent above the 1955-2011 average. Brood numberswere up 110 percent from 2011, and were 155percent above the long-term average.The average brood size was 6.9 ducklings per brood,down .84 ducklings from last year and .2 below the12 ND Outdoors August-September 2012
long-term average. We forecast thatNorth Dakota’s contribution to thecontinental fall duck flight will beabout twice that of last year.Numbers of resident Canadageese, Western Prairie Canada geeseand arctic nesting Tallgrass PrairieCanada geese, and snow geese andRoss’s geese all remain high. Reportsindicate that snow and Ross’s geeseexperienced below average productionthis year, while the TallgrassPrairie Canadas had about averageproduction. Hunting opportunitiesfor all these birds are good.As always, however, fall weatherand migration patterns will have abig influence on hunting success forducks and geese. Last fall ducks andgeese arrived early and stayed late,providing one of the best huntingseasons in recent memory.Mike Johnson, Game ManagementSection Leader, BismarckYOUTH WATERFOWLSEASON(For legally licensed residents andnonresidents ages 15 and younger.)Opens: Sept. 15Closes: Sept. 16Shooting Hours: Half-hour beforesunrise to sunsetDaily Limit: Ducks – same asregular duck season. ThreeCanada geese.EARLY CANADA GOOSESEASONOpens: Aug. 15 (statewide)Closes: Sept. 7 (Missouri RiverZone), Sept. 15 (statewide)Shootings Hours: Half-hourbefore sunrise to sunsetDaily Limit: 15Possession Limit: 30Note: Nonresidents can hunt duringthe early Canada gooseseason in Benson, Ramsey,Richland, Sargent and Townercounties without countingagainst their 14-day regularseason period. Nonresidents whohunt in other counties duringthis season would have at least aseven-day period count againsttheir 14-day license.CANADA GEESEREGULAR SEASONOpens: Sept. 22 (residents only),Sept. 29 (nonresidents)Closes: Dec. 28 (Missouri RiverZone), Dec. 20 (rest of state)Daily Limit: 3Possession Limit: 6WHITE-FRONTED GEESE(STATEWIDE)Opens: Sept. 22 (residents only),Sept. 29 (nonresidents)Closes: Dec. 2Daily Limit: 2Possession Limit: 4LIGHT (SNOW) GEESE(STATEWIDE)Opens: Sept. 22 (residents only),Sept. 29 (nonresidents)Closes: Dec. 30Daily Limit: 20, no possessionlimitShooting Hours for all Geese:Half-hour before sunrise to 1p.m. each day through Nov. 3.Starting Nov. 4, shooting hoursare a half-hour before sunrise to2 p.m. each day.Exception: Shooting hours are ahalf-hour before sunrise to sunseton all Saturdays and Wednesdaysthrough the end of each season.Starting Dec. 1, all-day huntingis also allowed on Sundaysthrough the end of each season.2004949GlenUllinThe daily limit for snow geese is 20 birds.21200MercerBeulahGrantColeharbor TurtleLakeMcLeanUnderwood2004183WashburnOliverNewSalem94Morton6SiouxSelfridge4183BurleighMandan94Bismarck66WiltonSheridanMISSOURIRIVERCANADAGOOSEZONE83LintonEmmonsHazeltonWellsKidderStrasburg83CRAIG BIHRLEBRIAN HOSEKAugust-September 2012 ND Outdoors 13
Page 2 and 3: MATTERS OF OPINIONTerry SteinwandDi
Page 4 and 5: 2012 HUNTINThe forecast for 2012 ca
Page 6 and 7: These extremes are easily identifie
Page 8 and 9: Pheasant hunters shot683,000 birds
Page 10 and 11: BIGGAMECRAIG BIHRLEDeer licenses fo
Page 12 and 13: ELKFor season details, refer to the
Page 16 and 17: REGULAR DUCK SEASONLow Plains UnitO
Page 18 and 19: fFURBEARERSFURBEARERSFor season det
Page 20 and 21: A sharp-tailed grouseutilizes the c
Page 22 and 23: FIRST TIMEStory and Photos by Craig
Page 24 and 25: Brittany Fish (above),Bismarck, and
Page 26 and 27: Upper left: Kari Charvart, Mandan,b
Page 29 and 30: WMA CAMPING RESTRICTIONSGAME AND FI
Page 31 and 32: CRAIG BIHRLEHunting permits for Nor
Page 33 and 34: North Dakota huntersare reminded to
Page 35 and 36: By Ron WilsonMy introduction to ruf

North Dakota Outdoors Magazine August-September 2012 ...

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