Arizona is getting a “liberalized” waterfowl season

AZ waterfowlers are getting 107 hunt days

By Rory Aikens, public information officer, Arizona Game and Fish Department

Arizona hunters are getting a “liberalized” waterfowl season of 107 hunt days for 2007-08 thanks to a decent overall waterfowl breeding season in North America, despite the fact that much of this state’s waterfowl habitats continue to be affected by long-term drought.

New this year is a liberalization of the canvasback bag limit. The limit on canvasbacks has increased from one to two birds per day for the 2007-2008 season.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission on Aug. 11 approved the waterfowl hunting package recommended by department biologists. Once again this year, the seasons in Arizona will be split between a mountain zone and a desert zone.

Waterfowl biologist Mike Rabe explained that ducks and geese arrive earlier in the mountain areas of the state and leave as the waters freeze, but typically don’t come to the lower elevations until later in the fall when the temperatures are more temperate. Therefore, he said, utilizing mountain and desert zones offers hunters the opportunity to hunt when the birds are in those respective areas.

For general ducks and geese, the mountain zone will open Oct. 5, 2007 and continue to Jan. 13, 2008. In the desert zone, the season will open Oct. 19 and close Jan. 27.

Juniors-only hunters get a slight increase in opportunity this coming season. For the mountain zone, the juniors-only hunt is set for Sept. 29-30, and in the desert zone, for Feb. 2-3, 2008 (before and after the general seasons respectively).

Arizona waterfowl hunters this coming season will have available the following daily bag limit: sevens ducks (including mergansers), with no more than two female mallards, two redheads, one pintail, three scaup, and two canvasback.

For geese, the limits are four white geese (snow, including blue and Ross’ geese) and three dark geese (Canada and white-fronted).

Rabe said the state’s wetlands, which includes lakes, rivers, marshes and stock tanks, is still being affected by drought when the waterfowl season commences; it will not only affect the availability of waterfowl habitat during migration, but will directly influence waterfowl abundance and hunter participation.

“It’s a wait-and-see proposition each year in Arizona when it comes to waterfowl,” Rabe said. “Who knows what kind of waterfowl hand Mother Nature will deal us this year.”