Ducks Are on Their Way
Waterfowl hunt starts Oct. 2, 2010
Source: http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/news/
Published: Sep. 22, 2010
Despite good water conditions, the number of ducks that nested on marshes near the Great Salt Lake last spring was down 30 percent from 2009.
That wasn't the case in areas north of Utah, however. The number of ducks nesting in these areas was down only slightly—about 3 percent—from 2009. And 2009 was a good nesting year.
This year's waterfowl hunt starts Oct. 2, 2010. Tom Aldrich, migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says most of the ducks Utah hunters take at the start of the season are locally produced birds.
"You might see fewer ducks on the opener than you saw last year," Aldrich says. "But once the fall migration starts, get ready: good numbers of ducks will fly into Utah this season."
The whereabouts of nesting Canada goose last spring was the opposite of where the ducks appeared to be. In southern Alberta and states that surround Utah, about the same number of geese nested. But in Utah, the number of nesting geese was up 25 percent from spring 2009. And the total number of goslings produced in Utah was up 15 percent.
"Plenty of Canada geese will be in Utah this season," Aldrich says.
Aldrich says thousands of tundra swans will also migrate through Utah again this season. But lower water conditions on the Great Salt Lake might cause the birds to leave the state sooner.
Marsh conditions
As ducks, geese and swans arrive in Utah this fall, the water conditions they find will vary. The state waterfowl management areas that are fed by rivers—Farmington Bay, Ogden Bay, Howard's Slough and Harold Crane—will have plenty of water.
WMAs that are fed entirely by springs—such as Clear Lake and Locomotive Springs—will be drier.
Conditions at the WMAs will be updated a few days before the hunt begins. You can see the updated conditions at wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/waterfowl-opener-conditions.
Phragmites removal
When you visit the WMAs this season, you might notice how nice the marsh looks. Work to remove invasive phragmites plants from the marshes has been underway for several years.
"We've removed thousands of acres of phragmites," Aldrich says. "Removing the phragmites has opened new areas for ducks and for hunters. The marshes really look nice this fall."
Phragmites removal work went well enough last spring that Division biologists probably won't have to burn phragmites this fall. "It's still a good idea to stay updated, though," Aldrich says.
You can stay updated by visiting wildlife.utah.gov/burn throughout the season. You can also receive Twitter updates by signing up for them at www.twitter.com/DWRburn.
Reminders
Before you head into the marsh this fall, Aldrich has some reminders:
* Learn the rules—including the bag limits, season dates and shooting times—by reading the 2010–2011 Utah Waterfowl Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks and from DWR offices and hunting license agents across Utah.
"Nothing can ruin your hunt faster than receiving a citation," Aldrich says.
* Shooting in Cache, Box Elder, Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties will start 30 minutes sooner on Oct. 2, 2010.
Over the past few years, hunters in the counties have had to wait until 8 a.m. to shoot on opening day. This fall, shooting on opening day will start at 7:30 a.m.
Outside of those five counties, shooting will start at 6:55 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2010.
* The light goose hunt will be shorter across much of the state this spring.
In the Northern Goose Zone, the spring hunt runs Feb. 18–March 10, 2010. Across the rest of the state, the hunt runs March 5–10.
The spring season has been shortened so it won't conflict with the Snow Goose Festival. The festival is a popular wildlife-viewing event held in Delta each spring.
* Have fun. "And consider taking someone with you who has never hunted ducks or geese before," Aldrich says. "Introducing someone to the sport will make your hunting experience that much better."
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