Milford chronicle., 1963-09-06
Behind The
W uterfowI
R Regulations

Northeast gunners can look
forward to a modest relaxation
of the recent tight restrictions
on waterfowl hunting, under the
regulations just announced by
the Secretary Of the Interior,
according to John S. Gottschalk,
Director of the Northeast Region,
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and
Wildlife of Interiors; Fish and
Wildlife Service.
The addition of one bird In the
bag, he explained, is a reflection
of improved breeding conditions
In the more westerly breeding
grounds and to q generally sat-
isfactory outlook for duck pro-
duction in the nesting grounds of
the Northeast.
Noting that despite curtailed
seasons and bag limits, the black
duck, the northeast hunter's
prime target, has not bounced
back to the abundance of the mid
SOS, Gottschalk stated that 1t is
believed that the one bird in
crease In bag limit and the 10
days added to the Canada Goose
season, will provide more hunt
ing opportunity without jeopar-
dizing the essential breeding
stocks.
He warned, however, that tie
federal bureau believes that any
gr eater liberalization under
present conditions would result In
excessive shooting pressure and
would likely delay recovery of
black duck populations. "The
duck situation, nationwide, is
much improved", he said, 'but
the northeast gunner has no cause
for a complacent attitude. Marsh
destruction goes on apace In the
wtntering grounds and may prove,
in the long run, to be far more
calamitous to waterfowl than the
gum"
Director Gottschalk points out
that In forecasting changes In the
fall flight of ducks In the Atlantic
Flyway, breeding ground survey
data is not used as In the other
three flyways because of the
physical difficulty of.making sur
vevs in the important Quebec
Labrador breeding grounds. It is
necessary to depend to a large
extent, he explains, on the results
of the annual winter survey, plus
the record of breeding success
from the proceeding year, In
determining trends In the breed
ing propulation of this flyway.
The winter survey revealed
that all ducks collectively, in
creased z percent with the chief
Increases occurring among NAL
lard, shoveler, green winged
teal, redhead, ring-neck and
golden eye. There were de-
creases In scaup, ruddy, and
merganser. The latter generally
do not figure prominently In hunt
ing interest In the Northeast.
The framework from which
States In the Atlantic Flyway
select their seasons is as follows:
Between the outside dates of
Saturday, October S, 1868 and
Sunday, January 5, 1864, all
States In this flyway may select
concurrent open seasons on
ducks Except canvasback and
redhead) and coots Of so con-
secutive days or a split season
totaling As days with basic limits
on ducks collectively of 8 daily
and In possession; or 40 con-
secutive days or a split season
totaling 36 days with basic limits
on ducks collectively of 4 daily
and in possession. The daily
bag limit is s coots and the pos
session limit is 16 coots under
either option. Shooting hours will
be from sunrise to senset, EST
The daily bag limit may not
include more of the following
species than: (a) l hooded mer-
ganser; (b) wood ducks; (c) mall
lard or black ducks, sngly or In
the aggregate of both kinds. The
possession limit may not include
more of the following species
than: (a) 2 hooded mergansers;
! QD) 2 wood ducks; (c) 4 mallard
or black ducks, singly or in the
aggregate of both kinds.
In all States In the Flyway, a
daily bag limit of 5 and a pos
session limit of 10 American
and red-breasted mergansers,
singly or In the aggregate of
both kinds, is permitted In ad-
dition to the basic limites on
ducks collectively.
In the entire States of Della
ware, New Jersey, Pennsylvan-
Ia, New York, Connecticut,
Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
Vermont, New Hampshire, and
Maine, and In six specified areas
of Florida, daily bag limit of
2 and a possession limit of A
scaup ducks is permitted in adj
dition to the basic limits on
ducks collectively.
Between the outside dates of
Tuesday, October l, 1868, and
Wednesday January Is, 1864, all
States in this f1yway may select
concurrent open seasons on geese
Except snow geense) and brant
of 10 consecutive days or a split
season totaling 20 days with a
daily bag limit of and a pos