Texas again has the nation’s most liberal laws
By SHANNON TOMPKINS
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
Aug. 7, 2010, 9:32PM

When duck and goose hunting seasons open later this year, Texas’ 100,000 waterfowlers will, for the 15th consecutive year, operate under the most liberal package of duck hunting regulations allowed under current federal management protocols.

For most Texas waterfowlers, that means a 74-day duck season with a six-duck daily bag limit that will, for the first time since the 1997-98 season, allow taking of more than one pintail per day throughout the season.

For goose hunters, it means a continuation of the most liberal season lengths and bag limits most have seen. The rules were ordained this past week when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s regulations committee released its draft of regulatory frameworks governing hunting of migratory game birds during the 2010-11 seasons.

Those frameworks, modified annually, include season length, bag limits, earliest opening dates and latest closing dates for those seasons and other rules. Individual states are allowed to set their waterfowl hunting regulations, but those rules must fall within the federal frameworks.


Survey says
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will officially set the state’s late-season migratory game bird seasons at its Aug. 26 meeting in San Antonio. And it’s almost a cinch the Commission will adopt the season dates and bag limits recommended by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff.

This spring’s survey of the 10 most populous duck species on the major nesting grounds of the north-central U.S. and central Canada yielded a population index of 42 million birds, 21 percent above the long-term average.

Most goose populations remain above or near population goals. The overall mid-continent population of “light” (snow, blue and Ross’) geese has more than doubled since the 1970s.

Most of this year’s federal frameworks governing the Central Flyway almost exactly mirror those of this past season. And for Texas hunters, that includes prohibiting taking mottled ducks during the first five days of duck season.

But the 2010-11 frameworks include a couple of liberalizations for Texas waterfowlers.

The frameworks will allow two pintails in the six-duck daily bag limit. Texans have not been allowed to take more than one pintail per day since the 1997-98 season.

The change in pintail bag limits resulted from adoption of an “adaptive harvest management plan” designed for pintails. The plan indicates this year’s population can sustain a two-pintail limit.


Light, dark limits
Goose hunters in Texas’ Western Goose Zone will be allowed a five-bird aggregate daily limit of “dark” (Canada, white-fronted) geese, to include no more than one whitefront. This past year, the West Zone’s five-bird limit of “dark” geese could include no more than four Canadas and one whitefront; this season, all five can be Canadas.

While not included in this year’s frameworks, an easing of federal rules defining possession limits of waterfowl appears possible as early as 2011-12.

Currently, with exceptions only for “light” geese, possession by an individual at any time or place (even in a home freezer) of more than twice the daily bag limit of any migratory game bird is a violation of federal law.

The limit was added to federal migratory bird laws in the 1930s to help blunt illegal commercial hunting and sale of waterfowl. But today, large-scale illegal commercial hunting and sale of waterfowl is almost unknown.

The possession limit is particularly onerous for waterfowlers who travel to hunt for several consecutive days. If they have success, they can reach their limit in two or three days.

Federal waterfowl officials have agreed to consider recommending loosening possession limit rules. The first move is tentatively set for the 2011-12 season and would increase the possession limit to three times the daily limit.

Texas again has the nation’s most liberal laws RIGHT and then they cheat us out of a week of duck season the end of January.