Wildlife Commission Sets Liberal Waterfowl Season

Waterfowl hunters can now dust off their shotguns and make sure their waders are water tight because the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners has approved an upcoming waterfowl season that will last nearly four months and have liberal bag limits.

Youths 15 and younger will be the first to get into the action when they have a special one-day duck and goose hunt on Saturday, Sept. 24, in all Nevada counties except Clark and Lincoln. A youth waterfowl hunt will be held in Clark and Lincoln counties on Feb. 4-5.

All hunters will be able to wade into the action on Saturday, Oct. 8, when duck hunting opens statewide. Duck season will run through Jan. 20 in Clark and Lincoln counties and will close the following day in the rest of the state.

Limits for ducks are the same as last year with the daily limit being 7 with a possession limit of 14. There are again restrictions on the harvest of canvasback, pintail, mallard, redhead and scaup.

Goose hunting opens statewide on Saturday, Oct. 22, and will run through Sunday Jan. 29, except in Washoe Valley in Washoe County, where it closes on Sunday, Jan. 8. Hunting is not permitted for snow and Ross’ geese in Ruby Valley within Elko and White Pine counties.

“Snow goose populations are on the rise along the Pacific Flyway and managers are concerned about the increasing population. Therefore, the daily limit this year has been increased from three to four,” said Craig Mortimore, Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) staff biologist.

Pintail duck numbers have increased as well, and the result is that hunters will not have an abbreviated season for this species like they did last season. Hunters will be allowed to harvest one pintail per day and have two in their possession throughout the season.

Scaup have experienced a recent decline that has brought concern from waterfowl managers. Because of this, hunters will be able to harvest no more than three per day, which is one fewer than last year.

Again this year, the limits for Canada geese are three per day with six in possession in all counties except Clark and Lincoln where the limits are two daily and four in possession.

Hunters are required to have Nevada hunting licenses, a federal migratory bird stamp and a Nevada duck stamp when hunting waterfowl in the state. Season dates and regulations along with information on licenses may be obtained by visiting any NDOW office or online at www.ndow.org.