Conservation Commission approves waterfowl seasons

JEFFERSON CITY–Waterfowl hunting regulations approved by the Missouri Department of Conservation at its August meeting include a 60-day season for ducks and possession limits of three times the daily limits for most waterfowl species.

Season dates approved by the Commission follow.

Duck Season:

North Zone: Oct. 26- Dec. 24

Middle Zone: Nov. 2-Dec. 31

South Zone: Nov. 28-Jan. 26

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag Limit: Six ducks daily with species restrictions of:

• 4 mallards (no more than 2 females)
• 3 scaup (decreased from 4 last year)
• 3 wood ducks
• 2 redheads
• 2 hooded mergansers
• 2 pintails
• 2 canvasbacks (increased from 1 last year)
• 1 black duck
• 1 mottled duck

Possession Limit: Three times the daily bag (in total 18; varies by species).

Coot season: Concurrent with duck seasons in the respective zones with a daily bag limit of 15 and a possession limit of 45.

Goose Season:

• Snow, blue, and Ross’s geese: Statewide, Oct. 26-Jan. 31 (98 days)
• White-fronted geese: Statewide, Nov. 28-Jan. 31 (65 days)
• Canada geese and brant: Statewide, Oct. 5-Oct. 13 (9 days)

Nov. 28-Jan. 31 (65 days)

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag/Possession Limit: The bag and possession limits include no more than three Canada geese daily (nine in possession), 20 snow, blue, or Ross’s geese daily (no possession limit), two white-fronted geese daily (six in possession), and one brant daily (three in possession).

YOUTH HUNTING DAYS: Any person 15 years of age or younger may participate in the youth waterfowl hunting days without permit, provided they are in the immediate presence of an adult 18 years of age or older. If the youth hunter does not possess a hunter education certificate card, the adult must meet permit requirements that allows small-game hunting and have in his or her possession a valid hunter-education certificate card unless they were born before Jan. 1, 1967. The adult may not hunt ducks but may participate in other seasons that are open on the special youth days.

North Zone: Oct. 19-20

Middle Zone: Oct. 26-27

South Zone: Nov. 23-24

Bag Limit: Bag limits and shooting hours for ducks and geese are the same as during the regular waterfowl season.

FALCONRY SEASON FOR DUCKS, COOTS, AND MERGANSERS: The federal framework allows 107 days. Falconry is open during teal season (16 days), regular gun duck season (60 days), and youth season (two days) in the respective zones, leaving 29 days remaining for extended falconry.

Statewide, Feb. 10-March 10

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag Limit: The daily bag and possession limits shall not exceed three and nine birds, respectively, singly, or in the aggregate during the regular duck hunting seasons (including teal and youth seasons) and extended falconry seasons.

LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER: Persons must possess a Conservation Order permit to chase, pursue, and take snow, blue and Ross’s geese between the hours of one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset from Feb. 1 through April 30, 2014. An exception to the above permit requirement includes any person 15 years of age or younger provided either 1) s/he is in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult hunter (must possess a Conservation Order Permit) who is 18 years of age or older and has in his/her possession a valid hunter education certificate card, or was born before Jan. 1, 1967 or 2) s/he possesses a valid hunter education certificate card. Any other regulation notwithstanding, methods for the taking of snow, blue and Ross’s geese includes using shotguns capable of holding more than three shells, and with the use or aid of recorded or electronically amplified bird calls or sounds, or recorded or electronically amplified imitations of bird calls or sounds. A daily bag limit will not be in effect during the Conservation Order.

ZONE DESCRIPTIONS:

NORTH ZONE: That portion of Missouri north of a line running west from the Illinois border at Lock and Dam 25; west on Lincoln County Hwy. N to Mo. Hwy. 79; south on Mo. Hwy. 79 to Mo. Hwy. 47; west on Mo. Hwy. 47 to I-70; west on I-70 to the Kansas border.

SOUTH ZONE: That portion of Missouri south of a line running west from the Illinois border on Mo. Hwy. 74 to Mo. Hwy. 25; south on Mo. Hwy. 25 to U.S. Hwy. 62; west on U.S. Hwy. 62 to Mo. Hwy. 53; north on Mo. Hwy. 53 to Mo. Hwy. 51; north on Mo. Hwy. 51 to U.S. Hwy. 60; west on U.S. Hwy. 60 to Mo. Hwy. 21; north on Mo. Hwy. 21 to Mo. Hwy. 72; west on Mo. Hwy. 72 to Mo. Hwy. 32; west on Mo. Hwy. 32 to U.S. Hwy. 65; north on U.S. Hwy. 65 to U.S. Hwy. 54; west on U.S. Hwy. 54 to U.S. Hwy. 71; south on U.S. Hwy. 71 to Jasper County Hwy. M; west on Jasper County Hwy. M to the Kansas border.

MIDDLE ZONE: The remainder of Missouri.

NONTOXIC SHOT: Shells possessed or used while hunting waterfowl and coots statewide, and for other species as designated by posting on public areas, must be loaded with material approved as nontoxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

-Jim Low-