OHIO WILDLIFE COUNCIL APPROVES 2005-06 WATERFOWL SEASON DATES

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio hunters will enjoy a 60-day duck season and a six-duck bag limit this year, including a full season for pintails. The Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone daily bag limit has also been increased to two geese and the season lengthened by five days. The 2005-2006 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, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

“Ohio hunters should have a great duck and goose season this year,” said Steven A. Gray, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. “Waterfowl production in the prime nesting areas has been good this year.”

The waterfowl hunting seasons are set to open October 15 in Ohio’s North Zone and October 22 in the South Zone. Hunters 15 years of age and younger will have their own special season statewide October 8-9.

The duck-hunting season (except canvasbacks) in the North Zone is October 15 through December 4, with a second season opening December 24 through January 1, 2006. Canvasbacks can be hunted from November 14 through December 4 with a second split season opening December 24 through January 1, 2006 in the North Zone.

In the South Zone, duck season (except canvasbacks) is open October 22 through November 13, with a second season opening December 17 through January 22, 2006. The South Zone season for canvasbacks will be December 24 through January 22, 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 two scaup. The scaup daily limit is reduced from last year’s limit of three per day. Possession limits after the first day are twice the daily bag limit.

In the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone, the goose season is October 15 through
October 31, with a second split season opening December 10 and running through January 1, 2006. The goose season for the remainder of the North Zone is October 15 through November 27, with a second split season December 17 through January 1, 2006. In the South Zone, goose season is October 22 through November 6 with a second split December 17 through January 29, 2006.

The daily bag limit for Canada geese is two. 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 14 through February 4, 2006. 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.

“Waterfowl hunters have proven to be great contributors to conservation. Every year they pay an additional $30 for their state and federal hunting stamps, and that revenue is significant to acquiring and improving Ohio wetlands,” added Gray.

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 when hunting waterfowl, in addition to an Ohio hunting license. The 2005-2006 hunting licenses and wetland stamps are on sale now and remain valid through February 28, 2006.

Legal shooting hours for all waterfowl will be one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Copies of this season’s waterfowl regulations (Publication 295, Waterfowl Hunting Regulations) will be available to hunters at all license vendors, online at ohiodnr.com/wildlife and at Division of Wildlife district offices in Akron, Athens, Columbus, Findlay, or Xenia, or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.