Spaulding Outdoors
By Jack Spaulding

The 2010 early migratory bird season dates have been submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), as listed below. As in past years, the dates are not final until the FWS approves them.

The season dates fall within the framework provided by FWS, so no changes are anticipated. Indiana’s requested seasons have never been altered by the FWS after submission; however, there is always the slight possibility of change, so the dates below should not be interpreted as being final.

Bag limit, possession limit and licensing information can all be found at www.in.gov/dnr/fish wild

•Mourning Doves: Statewide, 15-bird bag/30-bird possession limit: Sept. 1-Oct. 17 and Nov. 5–27

•Sora Rails: Statewide, 25-bird bag/25-bird possession limit: Sept. 1-Nov. 9

•Woodcock: Statewide, 3-bird bag/6-bird possession limit: Oct. 15-Nov. 28

•Common Snipe: Statewide, 8-bird bag/16-bird possession limit: Sept. 1-Dec. 16

•September Teal: Statewide, 4-bird bag/8-bird possession limit, blue- and green-winged teal only: Sept. 4-19

•Canada Geese: Statewide, 5-bird bag/10-bird possession limit: Sept. 1–15

Regular waterfowl seasons
The regular-season waterfowl dates, as proposed to the FWS by the Indiana DNR, are listed below. Once again, the dates are not final until approved by the FWS in mid- to late September.

Ducks, coots, and mergansers: North Zone, Oct. 16-Dec. 14; South Zone, Oct. 23-31 and Nov. 24-Jan. 13, 2011; and Ohio River Zone, Oct. 30-31 and Nov. 27-Jan. 23. The bag limit is six ducks daily, including no more than four mallards (no more than two of which may be hens), three wood ducks, two pintails, two redheads, two scaup, one canvasback, one black duck and one mottled duck. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.

Canada geese: North Zone, Oct. 16-17 and Nov. 6-Jan. 16; South Zone, Oct. 23-31 and Nov. 24-Jan. 27; and Ohio River Zone, Oct. 30-31 and Nov. 21-Jan. 31. Bag limit is two Canada geese daily; possession limit is four.

Late Canada Goose Zone: Feb. 1-15.  The late Canada Goose Zone includes the following counties: Adams, Allen, Boone, Clay, DeKalb, Elkhart, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Huntington, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaPorte, LaGrange, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Noble, Parke, St. Joseph, Shelby, Steuben, Starke, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vigo, Wells and Whitley.

Special restrictions apply; a free permit is required. Special regulations are in effect for the Terre Haute Subzone (Vermillion, Parke, Vigo, Clay, Sullivan and Greene counties). All birds harvested in this subzone during the special season must be checked at a state goose check station. Station locations and hours will be sent to participants with their permits, and will be available beginning in December at www.in.gov/ dnr/fishwild

Light geese and brant: Statewide, Oct. 16-Jan. 28. A bag limit of 20 light geese (snow and/or Ross’ geese) and one brant; possession limit is two brant. There is no possession limit on light geese.
Light goose conservation order: Feb. 1-March 31 EXCEPT within the Late Canada Goose Zone of Feb. 16-March 31. No bag or possession limit. A free permit is required; details will be available later in the winter.

White-fronted geese: Nov. 6-Jan. 30. A bag limit of one white-fronted goose, with a possession limit of two.
Youth waterfowl hunt: North Zone, Oct. 9-10; South Zone, Oct. 16-17; and Ohio River Zone, Oct. 23-24. Bag and possession limits are the same as for the regular seasons. Season is open to youths 15 years of age or younger, accompanied by an adult.
Extended falconry

Ducks, coots and mergansers: North Zone, Sept. 27-30 and Feb. 14-March 10; South Zone, Oct. 16-22 and Feb. 17-March 10; and Ohio River Zone, Oct. 23-29 and Feb. 17-March 10.

Late Canada goose season will continue. The Late Canada Goose Zone season will continue. The season will be open Feb. 1-15 in the following counties: Adams, Allen, Boone, Clay, DeKalb, Elkhart, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Huntington, Johnson, Kosciusko, La Porte, LaGrange, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Noble, Parke, St. Joseph, Shelby, Starke, Steuben, Sullivan, Vermillion, Vigo, Wells and Whitley. During the season, hunters may take five Canada geese per day.

The evaluation of the late seasons for the past three years has shown most of the state exceeds the 80 percent giant harvest required by the FWS for special late seasons; however, the Terre Haute subzone did not reach 80 percent. The FWS has allowed the DNR to continue the hunt in the subzone as long as we continue to evaluate harvest there.

Hunters will still be required to obtain a special permit; however, only birds taken in the Terre Haute subzone will need to be checked at a DNR check station. Details will be available later this winter.

In the Late Canada Goose Zone, the Light Goose Conservation Order does not open until Feb. 16, the day after the Late Canada Goose season closes.

2010 Dove Draw results posted
The 2010 Dove Draw results are now posted online at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild

Click on the “Reserved Hunt Information” link, then choose “View Draw Results.”

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.