Board of Commissioners Sets Waterfowl Seasons

NGPC
Source: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/
Published: Aug. 28, 2009

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Board of Commissioners set the 2009 waterfowl hunting seasons and expanded deer hunting opportunities Friday at its regular meeting in Lincoln.

The early teal and early Canada goose seasons begin Sept. 5. The early teal season was moved up one week following a public hearing at the board’s July meeting. The early Canada goose and youth waterfowl seasons were moved up to align with the early teal season.

In addition to the waterfowl seasons, the board addressed big game hunting. In an effort to allow more people to participate in the new October Antlerless deer hunting season, holders of youth, landowner and Season Choice Areas 18 and 21 permits now may hunt during that season this fall. They may hunt in areas described for Season Choice Areas 18 and 21 with legal weapons for firearm season during the October Antlerless season, which is Oct. 9-11.

Commissioners used Friday’s meeting to approve other waterfowl changes since their July meeting:

-- Restricted seasons for pintail and canvasback were expanded to coincide with the regular duck seasons.

-- The bag limit for scaup was increased from one to two and the bag limit for wood ducks was increased from two to three.

-- Changes were made to the light goose conservation action to reduce the potential impact on sandhill and whooping cranes along the Central Platte valley. In Zone 2, the conservation action closes April 1. Also in Zone 2, the buffer zone in which no hunting is allowed was reduced from 5 miles to 3 beginning after March 11.

The 2009 waterfowl hunting seasons are:

Dark Goose – East Unit, Oct. 24 - Jan. 27; Platte River Unit, Oct. 24 - Feb. 5; Niobrara Unit, Oct. 24 - Feb. 5; North Central Unit, Oct. 10 - Jan. 22; Panhandle Unit, Nov. 7 - Feb. 5.

Light Goose – Regular Season, Oct. 10 - Jan. 8 and Jan. 23 - Feb. 5; Conservation Action, Zone 1, Feb. 6 - April 18; Zone 2, Feb. 6 - April 1; Zone 3, Feb. 6 - April 18.

White-fronted Goose – Oct. 10 - Dec. 20.

Duck (including Pintail and Canvasback) and Coot – Low Plains Early, Oct. 10 - Dec. 20 and Dec. 26-27; Low Plains Late, Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24 - Jan. 3; High Plains, Oct. 10 - Jan. 13.

Early Canada Goose – Sept. 5-13.

Early Teal – High Plains, Sept. 5-13; Low Plains, Sept. 5-20.

Youth Waterfowl – Sept. 26-27.

Falconry – Extended Season: Low Plains, Sept. 1-30; High Plains, Sept. 5-13; Regular Season: Low Plains Early, Oct. 10- 20 and Dec. 26-27; Low Plains Late, Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24 - Jan. 3; High Plains, Oct. 10 - Jan. 13.

On Friday, the board also:

-- granted the parks division the authority to increase the park cash change fund at Fremont State Recreation Area (SRA) from $1,000 to $1,700 and at Pawnee SRA from $500 to $750;

-- amended concession agreements to provide for vending of off-sale spirits at Kingsley Lodge and Otter Creek Lodge, both at Lake McConaughy SRA;

-- allowed for hunting in 2009, with restrictions, for the following state parks: Indian Cave, Niobrara, Ponca, and Eugene T. Mahoney;

-- allowed for deer hunting in 2009, with restrictions, at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park; and

-- approved the establishment of a reciprocal agreement with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The purpose of the agreement is to allow people with Nebraska hunting licenses to hunt on Iowa lands and people with Iowa hunting licenses to hunt on Nebraska lands. Iowa lands are those under that state’s jurisdiction that are wholly surrounded by the state of Nebraska and Nebraska lands are those under that state’s jurisdiction that are wholly surrounded by the state of Iowa.

The board also entered into third-party cooperative agreements with the following:

-- Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (NRD) on the construction of a proposed 238-acre reservoir 1½ miles southeast of Hubbard in Dakota County;

-- Nemaha NRD on the construction of a 61-acre reservoir 5 miles west of Peru in Nemaha County;

-- Lower Big Blue NRD on the rehabilitation of a 77-acre reservoir 13 miles south of Beatrice in Gage County.

Brent Bollwitt of Lincoln won the bighorn sheep lottery permit. His entry was pulled from a barrel by Gov. Dave Heineman.

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