DOW Asks Northeastern Waterfowlers for Input

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DENVER, Colo. -- The Colorado Division of Wildlife's Northeast Region will host two meetings in early March to gather input from waterfowl hunters on the five-year Central Flyway Duck Season framework.

Duck hunting seasons are established annually in each flyway, within regulatory frameworks specified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and based on the Migratory Bird Treaty. Eastern Colorado is in the Central Flyway. Every five years, the overall structure of geographic hunt zones and season dates (splits) is re-visited.

The Division of Wildlife is particularly interested in public input on a proposal to add a third zone in the Central Flyway.

Northeastern Colorado has a number of ponds which provide duck hunting before the ponds freeze. The current season structure, with two zones in eastern Colorado, provides more opportunity for late-season mallards. A third zone would allow additional flexibility in setting season dates to increase pond hunting days. The use of zones and season date splits provides flexibility in distributing duck hunting opportunity across time and space, in relation to more local-scale differences in climate, habitat availability and duck migration patterns.

Central Flyway Season framework recommendations will go before the Colorado Wildlife Commission and ultimately the Fish and Wildlife Service for approval.

Northeast Region Meetings:

DENVER:
Monday, March 7, CDOW Headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Bighorn Room, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

FT. MORGAN:
Tuesday, March 8, Morgan Community College, 920 Barlow Rd., Bloedorn Lecture Hall, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

For more information on waterfowl hunting in Colorado, go to http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/Waterfowl/

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