Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Duck Season To Open November 20

JOE MOSBY

ARK. GAME AND FISH COMMISSION

The basic questions of 1999-2000's duck hunting season have been answered by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission with one exception.

That one is, will the ducks come to Arkansas this winter in satisfactory numbers? Mother Nature will have to reply to that one in the form of weather. Last year's hunt was termed disappointing by many Arkansas duck hunters, because the birds didn't get here until after the season closed.

This year, the duck season will run through the last day allowed by the federal framework. The season will be in two segments with a five-day split ending on Christmas Day.

Duck season will open Saturday, Nov. 20, this fall in Arkansas and will cover 60 days in two segments, the commission decided Friday, August 20, at its regular monthly meeting.

The duck hunting dates are Nov. 20 through Dec. 20 and Dec. 26 through Jan. 23. One additional day, Dec. 21, will be designated youth waterfowl hunting day, for persons 15 and younger to hunt when accompanied by someone 18 or older.

Daily duck limits are the same as last year, six a day of which no more than four can be mallards, including no more than two hen mallards. Restrictions on other species of ducks were unchanged, except the allowed number of scaup were reduced from six to three a day.

Scaup populations, along with pintails, are still lagging over North America, although mallards and other species are at or near all-time highs.

The commissioners also set goose hunting dates, moving up some of them to make room for expected federal legislation that will allow the use of mechanical calls and unplugged shotguns on overabundant snow geese after other waterfowl seasons have closed.

The goose hunting dates: Canada geese: East Zone, Jan. 8-30. West Zone, Jan. 8-23. Daily limit is two. Snow and Ross' geese: Nov. 20-March 6. Daily limit is 20. White-fronted or speckle belly geese: Nov. 6-Jan. 30. Daily limit is two.

A special extended falconry season for ducks, coots and mergansers will be Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 24-Feb. 21.

Hunters will again be required to carry Harvest Information Program registrations with them. This is a nationwide program to obtain more information on migratory bird hunting. The registration is free and can be made when hunting licenses are purchased or separately after a license purchase.

For new hunters a toll-free phone call to the commission's hunter education office at 1-800-482-5795 can provide class listings.