to most of you fellas but brand new info to me since I've been out of circulation for 2+ months now. Sure looks encouraging. Aside from liberal guidelines, wonder if limits and/or season lengths might be increased?

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-surveys/2014/duck-numbers

Season length would be the greatest thing to change in Texas. Give me 2 more weeks.

Just need to freeze over up north to push the big ducks down. Teal season is a crap shoot, never know what to expect. Last year teal season not good for me, 2012 was awesome.

It would be nice, but not happening this year. We can always hope for the future if it continues to get better every year.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/public_comment/proposals/201408_migratory.phtml

So if the state went to the shorter 9 day teal season (I realize the teal population numbers is what justifies the teal season length, but stick with me here), could they tack those days onto the end of duck season or is the end date already governed for them?

W'll have to wait on ben bernanke's decision on wednesday

Good Question, I read through the USFWS news releases and Federal Register and took some notes. Something does not make sense. On the TPWD proposed dates, public comment page it reads that the number of days in the September teal season count against the 107 days of total hunting opportunity allowed for ducks.



What does not make sense is the 107 days statement. We are in the Central Flyway and under the Liberal Package as far as dates go. The federal framework as it reads in the Federal Register allows 74 days in the Central Flyway and an additional 23 days (97 days) in the High Plains area. It is 60 days in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyway. Only the Pacific Flyway allows 107 days.

As an example the proposed season for the Texas North Zone is (i) all species other than "dusky ducks": November 1 - December 7, 2014 and December 20, 2014 - January 25, 2015. So 37 days plus 37 days, 74 days total, which is the maximum allowed for the Central Flyway. So it would seem that no, a shorter Teal season would not allow the state to lengthen our Duck season. It does not seem to have shortened it either.

One top of that what from what we are limited to by the Feds, the earliest duck season can open is the Saturday following September 24, and the latest it can close is the last Sunday in January. January 25th is the last Sunday in January. The season already runs as late as is allowed.

I read the paragraph you had quoted which spurred the thought. Never went back and counted the 74 days. Also didn't know there was a mandated early/late date, so that answers the question right there!

Hey Cappy, glad to see you back

Its good to see you back Jim. As for teal season. Those days can not be added to the end of the regular duck season as it can not run past the end of January(January 28th). Teal season doesn't count against the 74 day regular season nor does the youth weekend.

They kind of steer away comments that would be different than what is proposed with wording like that. Makes me wonder if it is on purpose. Take the proposed Canada Geese. It says the season and bag limit is the max allowed and zone boundaries can't be altered. That is not true.

There is no reason why the early Goose season should be shortened to 9 days if Teal season is shortened. In fact the Feds allow us up to 30 days in September. And the bag limit is not the max allowed. Texas has a 3 bird limit for early season dark geese. The Feds allow us up to 5 in the early season. The early Canada season is in an Eastern zone in Texas. The Feds proposal is for the entire state so there is no reason to even have a boundary in the Early season.

The max allowed statement is not true for regular Goose season as well. Our light goose limit is 20. The Feds allow us up to 50. Our Eastern Dark Goose Zone has a limit of 3 Canadas. The Feds allow up to 8. At least Texas did raise the Western zone limit to the max 5. But for East Texas at 3 when 8 is allowed almost makes me wonder if the bird watcher groups and places like Gambill's Goose Preserve have some kind of pull on the TPWD commission. I noticed Texas does do at least one over on the Feds at least. The Texas max age limit for our Youth waterfowl season is 16 years old. The Federal framework actually only allows for up to 15 years of age.







Central Flyway Back to Top
General Seasons
In Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas, Canada goose seasons
of up to 30 days during September 1-30 may be selected. In Colorado, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, Canada goose seasons of up to 15
days during September 1-15 may be selected. The daily bag limit may not
exceed 5 Canada geese, except in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, where the
daily bag limit may not exceed 8 Canada geese and in North Dakota and South
Dakota, where the daily bag limit may not exceed 15 Canada geese. Areas open
to the hunting of Canada geese must be described, delineated, and designated
as such in each State's hunting regulations.

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except that during
September 1-15 shooting hours may extend to one-half hour after sunset if
all other waterfowl and crane seasons are closed in the specific applicable
area.


b.. ? Geese: States may select seasons between Sept. 27, 2014 and Feb. 15,
2015, for dark geese and between Sept. 27, 2014, and March 10, 2015, for
light geese. East-tier states are able to select a 107-day season for Canada
geese with a daily bag limit of 8. For white-fronted geese, east-tier states
will be able to select either a 74-day season with a daily bag limit of 2
birds or an 88 day season with a daily bag limit of 1 bird. In the west-
1.. tier, states may select a 107-day dark goose season with a daily bag
limit of 5 birds. In the Western Goose Zone of Texas, the state could select
a 95-day season with a daily bag limit of 5 dark geese (including no more
than 1 white-fronted goose). For light geese, all states would be able to
select a 107-day season with a daily bag limit of 50.