# Waterfowl Dates Set



## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

From ODNR....

OHIO WILDLIFE COUNCIL APPROVES WATERFOWL SEASON DATES 



COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio hunters will enjoy a 60-day duck season and a six-duck bag limit, the same number of days to hunt ducks as last year. The 2004-2005 waterfowl season dates have been approved by the Ohio Wildlife Council and are the most liberal regulations allowed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 

"Waterfowl hunting should be good throughout Ohio this year due to good habitat conditions in Canada where most of our migrating ducks and geese nest. Also, the numbers of our resident waterfowl such as wood ducks and Canada geese are good and should provide some good hunting," said Steven A. Gray, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. 

According to the Division of Wildlife, waterfowl hunting seasons are set to open October 16 in Ohio's North Zone and October 23 in the South Zone. Hunters 15 years of age and younger, will have their own special season statewide October 9 and 10.

The duck-hunting season (except pintails and canvasbacks) in the North Zone is October 16 through November 28, with a second split season opening December 18 through January 2, 2005. The North Zone season for pintails opens October 16 and runs through November 14. Canvasbacks can be hunted from November 15 through November 28 with a second split season opening December 18 through January 2, 2005 in the North Zone. 

In the South Zone, duck season (except pintails and canvasbacks) is open October 23 through November 7, with a second split season opening December 18 through January 30, 2005. The South Zone season for pintails and canvasbacks will be December 18 through January 16, 2006. 

The daily bag limit for ducks is six, which may not include more than four mallards (only one of which may be female), one black duck, one pintail, two wood ducks, two redheads, one canvasback, three mottled ducks, or three scaup. Possession limits after the first day are twice the daily bag limit. 

In the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone, the goose season is October 16 through October 24, with a second split season opening December 8 and running through January 2, 2005. The goose season for the remainder of the North Zone is October 16 through November 28, with a second split season December 8 through January 2, 2005. In the South Zone, goose season is October 23 through November 17 with a second split December 18 through January 30, 2005.

The daily bag limit for Canada geese is one in the Lake Erie Goose Zone, and two in the remainder of the state. Light geese (snows, blues, Ross') have a daily bag limit of 10, and white-fronted geese and brant have a daily bag limit of two. The possession limit for brant and geese is twice the daily bag limit after the first day.

The Special Late Canada Goose Season is January 16 through February 4, 2005. Areas open to the Special Late Canada Goose Season will include all of Fulton, Henry, Seneca and Huron counties; those portions of Lucas county west of I-280 and I-75 north to the Ohio/Michigan border; the portion of Allen County north of U. S. Route 30; Summit County south of 1-80 and the portion of Geauga County north of U. S. Route 6. No special late season permits are required.

People planning to hunt waterfowl are required to answer several questions for the Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey when purchasing their hunting license. A state wetland habitat stamp endorsement and a valid and signed federal duck stamp are required in addition to a hunting license when hunting waterfowl. The 2004-2005 hunting licenses and wetland stamps are on sale now and remain valid through February 28, 2005.

Legal shooting hours for all waterfowl will be one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Copies of final approved waterfowl regulations (Publication 295, Waterfowl Hunting Regulations) will be available to hunters from all license vendors, on-line at ohiodnr.com and at Division of Wildlife district offices in Akron, Athens, Columbus, Findlay, or Xenia, or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.


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## Procraftboats21 (Apr 6, 2004)

Thanks for the dates Carl


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## beatsworkin (Apr 12, 2004)

Thanks Carl, very nice that we can get much of the info we need without surfing across the web!

Glad to see that the south zone duck season goes out the same day as goose season. No more sitting over a goose spread and watching flock after flock of mallards, blacks and other ducks swarm your decoys and us powerless to defend ourselves!


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