LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioners will set 2005 waterfowl, crow and falconry seasons at an August 31 meeting at the Kearney Holiday Inn in Kearney.

The meeting will be divided into two sessions. The first will begin at 8 a.m., during which the commissioners will deal with a number of issues. The second session will begin at 2:30 p.m., with a public hearing to set the 2005 waterfowl, crow and falconry seasons and regulations.

The staff recommendations for those seasons will be:

Ducks

Low Plains Early: Oct. 1- Dec. 11 and Dec. 17-18

Low Plains Late: Oct. 15 - 16 and Oct. 22 - Jan. 1, 2006

High Plains: Oct. 1 - Dec. 11, and Dec. 17 - Jan. 9, 2006

Daily Bag Limit: All areas - Conventional system – six ducks. Total may include no more than: five mallards of which two can be females, two scaup (greater and lesser combined), two wood ducks, two redheads, and, one mottled duck.

Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag.

Early Teal Season: Sept. 10-18; Daily Bag Limit: 4; Possession Limit 8

Early Canada Goose: Sept. 10-19; Daily Bag Limit: 5: Possession Limit 10

Youth Hunt Season: Sept. 24-25; Bag and Possession Limits: same as regular duck season

Pintail and Canvasback Season:

Low Plains Early and High Plains: Oct. 1 – Nov. 8

Low Plains Late: Oct. 15 - 16 and Oct. 22 - Nov. 27

Bag and Possession Limits – one pintail per day during the pintail season; one canvasback per day during the canvasback season

Mergansers:

Low Plains Early: Oct. 1- Dec. 11 and Dec. 17-18

Low Plains Late: Oct. 15 - 16 and Oct. 22 - Jan. 1, 2006

High Plains: Oct. 1 - Dec. 11, and Dec. 17 - Jan. 9, 2006

Daily Bag Limit – daily bag is five mergansers, one of which may be a hooded merganser

Possession Limit – twice the daily bag

Coots

Season: Concurrent with duck season dates.

Daily Bag Limit: 15. Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag

Dark Geese

East Unit: Oct. 1-2 and Oct. 22 - Jan 22, 2006.

North Central Unit: Oct.1 – Jan. 3, 2006

Platte River Unit: Oct. 29 - Jan. 31, 2006

Panhandle Unit: Nov. 12 – Jan. 31, 2006

Niobrara Unit: Oct. 29 - Jan. 31, 2006

Daily Bag Limit: All units - three geese. Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag.

White-fronted Geese

Statewide: Oct. 1 - Dec. 11

Daily Bag Limit: Two geese. Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag.

Light Geese – Regular Season

Statewide: Oct. 1 – Jan. 13, 2006

Daily Bag Limit: 20 geese. Possession Limit: None.

Light Geese – Conservation Action

Zone 1: Feb. 1 – Apr. 16, 2006

Zone 2: Feb. 1 – Apr. 16, 2006

Zone 3: Feb. 1 – Apr. 16, 2006

Daily Bag Limit: None. Possession Limit: None.

Crows

Statewide: Oct. 1 - Nov. 15 and Jan. 20, 2006 - Apr. 6, 2006

Special Public Health Hazard Order: Nov. 16 - Jan. 19, 2006

Daily Bag Limit: None. Possession Limit: None.

Falconry

Statewide: Concurrent with duck season dates within zones and management units.

Daily Bag Limit: Three ducks. Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag.

Also on the Commission meeting agenda is:

– an 8:15 a.m. public hearing to consider amendments to wildlife regulations to accommodate new statutory provisions for the requirement of a Nebraska Migratory Waterfowl Stamp and to clarify requirement for Habitat Stamps;

- an 8:30 a.m. public hearing to consider amendments to wildlife regulations to reaffirm the Commissions adoption of language concerning appropriate weapons used for hunting wildlife during the November firearm season;

– an 8:45 a.m. public hearing to consider amendments to wildlife regulations pertaining to keeping wildlife in captivity by adding Genets, and to further define wildlife exhibits which are exempted from importation restrictions;

– a 9 a.m. public hearing to consider amending wildlife regulations pertaining to the mountain sheep firearm and archery hunting season and regulations;

-- A staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to add to, delete from, update, clarify, re-paginate and amend existing regulations to meet current statutory language;

- a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to amend administration regulations to establish new permit offerings and set new permit fees as established by Legislative Bills 121 and 162 as amended and approved by the First Session of the Ninety-Ninth Legislature;

– a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to amend fishing regulations;

- a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to amend wildlife regulations for the 2006 spring turkey hunting season;

- a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to amend parks regulations pertaining to governing the maximum number of days permitted for camping at Mormon Island and Windmill state recreation areas and the reservation of campsites; regulations governing the sale of duplicate annual permits by designated vendors; and regulations governing the size and configuration of permitted improvements in private cabin areas;

- a recommendation regarding seasonal lodging/golf package fees at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park;

- a staff recommendation asking that the Commissioners accept Nebraskas Natural Legacy Plan;

- a staff recommendation regarding an interagency agreement for services between the Commission and the Nebraska Department of Justice;

- drawing for the 2005 bighorn sheep lottery permit.

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