Zones Proposed for Waterfowl Season

Idaho may return to a zone system for this year's waterfowl 107-day seasons. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is scheduled to set waterfowl seasons on August 14. Fish and Game encourages public comment before the end of business August 12. Comment may be submitted through the Internet at www2.state.id.us/fishgame or by mail to Waterfowl Seasons, IDFG, P.O. Box 25, Boise, ID, 83707. Comment may also be turned into regional offices. After reviewing data with federal authorities and other states, the department proposes returning to a zone system with northern and eastern Idaho, including the Panhandle, Clearwater, Salmon, Upper Snake and Southeast regions, opening both duck and goose seasons October 4 and ending January 16. Pintails and canvasbacks would be hunted only from October 4 through December 2. The Fort Hall area will probably be under the same season. Recommendations for the Southwest and Magic Valley regions are seasons running from October 11 through January 23 for both ducks and geese. In these two regions, pintails and canvasbacks would be open only October 11 through December 9. Limits would be the same as they were last season. The waterfowl youth hunt is set for September 27 and 28 statewide. Waterfowl program manager Tom Hemker said the mid-continent breeding mallard count is 8.8 million this summer, compared to 8.5 million last year. Late snows and rain brought the pond count up more than double the 1.74 million of last year to 3.5 million this year, boding well for waterfowl nesting. Rearing conditions were improved substantially in the portion of the province of Alberta where many ducks that come to Idaho are produced. Besides an improvement in the outlook for this year's flight, waterfowl harvest in the Pacific Flyway is relatively low. Changing to a shorter season would not make a big difference in waterfowl numbers. The fall flight for mallards is expected to be about 10.3 million. "It looks like a better waterfowl season is in store for Idaho," Hemker said.