Zenner at work again!

OK......I finally figured out how to paste the whole propasal here......


PROPOSED as of Feb. 5, 2010
2010-2011 MIGRATORY GAME BIRD SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS
These recommendations assume federal migratory bird hunting regulations for 2010 will be the same as 2009.

NORTH DUCK ZONE* SOUTH DUCK ZONE*
Ducks, Mergansers and Coots Sept. 18 – 22
Oct. 16 – Dec. 9 Sept. 18 – 22
Oct. 16 – Dec. 9
Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days Oct. 9 – 10 Oct. 9 – 10
NORTH GOOSE ZONE* SOUTH GOOSE ZONE*
Canada geese and Brant Sept. 25 – Oct. 10
Oct. 16 – Dec. 12
Dec. 18 - Jan. 2, 2011 Oct. 2 – Oct. 10
Oct. 16 – Dec. 12
Dec. 18 - Jan. 9, 2011
White-fronted geese Sept. 25 – Dec. 5 Oct. 2 – Dec. 12
Light Geese (white and blue phase snow geese and Ross’ geese) Sept. 25 – Jan. 9, 2011 Oct. 2 - Jan. 16, 2011
SPECIAL SEPTEMBER CANADA GOOSE SEASONS
Canada geese Sept. 1 – 15
Only in designated zones around Des Moines, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City and Cedar Falls/Waterloo.
STATEWIDE
Light Geese Conservation Order (white and blue phase snow geese and Ross’ geese) Jan. 17 - April 15, 2011
Additional regulations apply
Woodcock Oct. 2 - Nov. 15
Snipe Sept. 4 - Nov. 30
Rail (Sora and Virginia) Sept. 4 - Nov. 12
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset for all species except woodcock, which is sunrise to sunset.
Daily Bag Limits:
Ducks: Daily limit is 6, including no more than 4 mallards (of which no more than 2 may be female), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 scaup, 1 black duck, 1 pintail, and 1 canvasback.
Mergansers: Daily limit is 5, including no more than 2 hooded mergansers.
Coots: Daily limit is 15.
Geese: Daily limit is 2 Canada geese, 2 white-fronted geese, 1 brant, and 20 snow geese, except during the special September Canada goose season in the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City and Cedar Falls/Waterloo Zones when the bag limit is 5 Canada geese.
Woodcock: Daily limit is 3.
Snipe: Daily limit is 8.
Rail (Sora and Virginia): Daily limit is 12.
Possession Limits:
Possession limits are twice the daily bag limit for all the above species except light geese for which there is no possession limit.
*Duck and Goose Hunting Zones:
For the purpose of duck and goose hunting, the state is divided into north and south zones by a line beginning on the Nebraska-Iowa border at State Highway 175, east to State Highway 37, southeast to State Highway 183, northeast to State Highway 141, east to U.S. Highway 30, and along U.S. Highway 30 to the Iowa-Illinois border.


PROPOSED to as of Feb. 5, 2010
2010-2011 MIGRATORY GAME BIRD HUNTING SEASON REGULATIONS
Guy Zenner, Waterfowl Research Biologist
February 5, 2010

RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATIONALE:

Duck and Goose Seasons (Chapter 91)
There are no indications at this time that the 2010 duck hunting regulations (season length, bag limits, etc.) will be substantially different from 2009. Mallard breeding populations and pond numbers determine the overall duck season length and bag limit. The seasons and bag limits for canvasbacks, pintails, black ducks, and scaup are based on the population status of these species. Final season lengths and bag limits, as well as season dates, could be different from this proposal if duck populations and/or pond numbers are substantially different from last year.

The proposed duck and goose season dates for 2010-11 were adjusted for changes in the calendar and to allow seasons to open on weekends. Because federal regulations do not allow us to open the duck season before Oct. 10 if we use 5-days in September and Oct. 10 is a Sunday in 2010, I recommend we wait to open the second segment of the duck season in the north zone until Saturday, Oct. 16. We opened the duck season on a Sunday (Oct. 15) in 1995, instead of waiting until the next Saturday, and that proved to be extremely unpopular. Hunters did not like having a 1-day opening weekend. The majority of the Wildlife Bureau staff (79% of 57 that expressed an opinion) believe Oct. 16 to be the appropriate date to open the second segment of the duck season in the North Zone.

After discussing the proposed season dates (Jan. 24 version) with the Wildlife Bureau staff, I have revised the recommended season dates for the second segment of the duck season in the South Zone. The majority of the Wildlife Bureau staff (66% of 61 staff that expressed an opinion) felt that the second segment of the duck season in the South Zone should open on Oct. 16 instead of Oct. 23. They felt that we would provide more and better hunting opportunities for the majority of waterfowl hunters in the South Zone during the week of Oct. 16-22 than during the week of Dec. 10-16. Waiting to open the season on Oct. 23 could very likely result in the loss of a week of hunting opportunity if average winter weather develops during December 2010. The North and South Zones had the same duck season dates in 1999 (Oct. 16), 2000 (Oct. 14), 2001 (Oct. 13), 2004 (Oct. 16), and 2008 (Oct. 18, although this date proved to be very unpopular with North Zone hunters). When we were faced with this choice in 1999 and 2004, the consensus was that the second segment of the duck season should open on Oct. 16 instead of Oct. 23 in the South Zone. The majority of the wildlife staff still believe Oct. 16 is the better choice for the majority of waterfowl hunters in the South Zone.

The proposed 2010-11 goose season dates have also been adjusted for shifts in the calendar. Our Canada goose hunting opportunities are currently limited to 90 regular season days plus 15 Special September Season days in our metro zones. I do not anticipate reductions in goose season lengths in 2010. Federal regulations allow us to open the goose season on the Saturday nearest Sept. 24, which is Sept. 25 in 2010. Given these conditions and the desire by some goose hunters for the season to remain open through January 1, I split the Canada goose season into 3 segments in both zones. The majority of the wildlife staff support the recommended dates (75% of 52 staff that expressed an opinion on the north zone dates and 61% of 57 staff that expressed an opinion on the south zone dates. The difference in opinion in the South Zone was about when the first segment of the goose season should open: Sept. 25 versus Oct. 2 versus Oct. 9.)

Last year, we changed the goose hunting zone boundary to match the duck hunting zone boundary. I received very few comments on this change, so I suggest we use the same goose hunting zones we used in 2009. The duck hunting zones cannot be changed until 2011. In 2011, we will have the opportunity to determine how we want to structure our duck seasons for the next 5 years. (Note: 71% of respondents to the Iowa Waterfowl Hunter Survey in 2006 preferred the duck and goose zone boundaries be the same.)

Special September Canada Goose Seasons
I am not recommending a special September Canada goose season for the state as a whole. Iowa’s Canada goose breeding population, as indicated by both aerial and ground surveys, appears to be stable to slightly declining, although these trends vary from region to region. Goose production was below average in 2006, 2007, and 2008 (2008 production estimate was the lowest since 1996). This lack of production will reduce the number of reproductive geese recruited into the breeding population for several years (most geese do not nest until 3 years old). Furthermore, Iowa’s Canada goose population has been subjected to additional hunting pressure for the past 4 years (2006-09) because the season was increased from 70 to 90 days, effectively subjecting the birds to 3 more weeks of hunting. Taking all these factors into consideration, I do not believe a statewide special September season is warranted in 2010.

I am recommending a 15-day Special September Canada Goose Season for the metropolitan zones (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, and Cedar Falls/Waterloo) in 2010. There are a few indications that numbers of urban geese may be declining, but the declines do not appear to be substantial at this time.

Youth Waterfowl Hunt
The season dates were adjusted for changes in the calendar.

Canada Goose Closed Hunting Zones
No changes have been proposed for Canada goose closed hunting zones.

Landowner Hunting in Canada Goose Closed Hunting Zones
Last year, we changed the closing date for the landowner hunt in the Canada goose closed hunting zones from October 15 to October 31. This change was favorably received. No additional requests for landowner hunting in Canada goose closed hunting zones were received from staff.

Nontoxic Shot Requirements (Chapter 51)
571—51.10(481A) Use of nontoxic shot on wildlife areas.
Doug Chafa and Angi Bruce have requested the following addition to the list of areas where nontoxic shot is required:
Luton WMA and Table Marsh WMA in Woodbury County
Since the language regarding handicapped persons’ use of motor vehicles on wildlife management areas may be revised this year, I suggest waiting until the rule is opened to address this issue and make the changes to the nontoxic shot areas list at that time. Meanwhile, wildlife staff should discuss adding major waterfowl migration/staging areas to the list of areas where nontoxic shot is required for all shotgun shooting.

Waterfowl Refuges (Chapter 52)
As of this date, no new areas have been proposed to be added to the list of wildlife areas under 52.1(2) Wildlife refuges. However, several areas have been suggested to be removed from the list. These include:
Area County
Wildlife Exhibit Area Boone
Spring Run Dickinson
Prairie Rose Lake Shelby
Lake Cornelia Wright
(Note: Change Snyder Lake to Snyder Bend when rule is revised.)


Controlled Hunting Areas (Chapter 53)
After consulting with Bill Ohde, Wildlife Biologist, Don Pfeiffer, SE District Supervisor, and Bob Dolan, Wildlife Management Supervisor, I am recommending that the controlled hunting program at Lake Odessa be terminated. The number of permits issued per day has dropped 50% since the 1980s:

In 2009, revenue from the controlled hunt program was $4,560. Costs were $6,986, estimating the AmeriCorps person’s costs at $2.00/hr. However, without an AmeriCorps person, a Natural Resources Aide would have been hired at $9.34/hr and the costs would have been $14,600, approximately $10,000 more than the revenue from the permit sales. It appears at this time that temporary help may not be available to help run the check station during the fall of 2010. In that case, permanent staff would have to perform all the jobs associated with running this controlled hunting program and the costs would be $25,850. The Lake Odessa controlled hunt was primarily implemented to control hunter densities. Densities of hunters on Lake Odessa when all stakes are occupied, an extremely rare event, are 1 hunter for every 6.9 acres. On an average day, the hunter densities are 1 hunter for every 13.8 acres. Waterfowl hunter densities are as high or higher on other wildlife management areas in Iowa and hunters are able to cope with the congestion without a controlled hunting program. For example, Myre Slough (230 acre marsh, Winn. Co.) had 44 vehicles around it on the opening day in 2009. Assuming an average of 1.9 hunters/vehicle (1994 bag check data, N=929 vehicles), this equates to a density of 1 hunter for every 2.7 acres. Goose Lake (380 acre marsh, Green Co.) had 38 vehicles around it on opening day in 2007, which equates to one hunter for 5.3 acres. At Green Island, 109 vehicles were counted on all the pools (1360 acres) on the opening day in 2009, equating to 1 hunter for every 6.5 acres.

Rails, Snipe and Woodcock (Chapter 97)
Season dates were adjusted for changes in calendar. No substantive changes are proposed for 2010 and no action is needed by the NRC.

Mail it off and make your calls folks " Enough of this

I am writing tonight to advise that this proposal by Guy Zenner is not acceptable to southern Iowa duck hunters, period! Especially this one.

What survey was taken this year that allowed them to come to this conclusion? I will tell you ABSOLUTELY NONE. As a duck hunter of the region I am repulsed by the fact that staff members opinions and suggestions matter more than the folks who buy the license to duck hunt in this state. Some seem to think that opportunity can be dressed up to look like a duck. In fact we might as well call for a White Rhino season in Iowa and put the bag limit at 1 and make the permit equal to a waterfowl hunting lic. Chances are you will not kill a WHITE RIHNO but that isn't the point. We just sold you the opportunity to hunt White Rhino in Iowa and you should feel privileged.

As one of this states most active waterfowlers I have not seen 1 question that asks me the Million dollar question, Would you prefer October 16th or October 23rd as your second start date for the southern zone duck season? Special Note. 2009 duck season question? When did the ducks show up in the Mo. Valley region in huge numbers and concentrations?

I oppose October 16th as the suggested start date for the south zone and anything earlier than October 23 is an absolute insult to Southern Iowa Duck hunters, especially on the heels of one of the worst duck seasons ever. As a duck hunter of this state I would much rather take the risk of going later with the start date that secures me the opportunity to hunt ducks when they are here than it is to open early and close early before they get here.

I will be calling about this matter because the proposal as is, is unacceptable. Please be advised my fellow Iowa Duck hunters, If you are as repulsed by the suggested dates for the southern zone, please contact the director of the IDNR and your state senator & representative. This is killing Iowa duck hunting and at this rate I would be hard pressed to give you a plug nickel for the date being suggested!

I can be reached 24/7 at any of the contacts and I look forward to hearing from you.

William J. Smith
Sioux City Iowa
Region 5 Waterfowler
Region 3 Conservationist
712-253-0362 Cell
[email protected]

E -mail addresses below or you can call 1-515-281-5918 and tell the receptionist who you would ike to speak with in the IDNR, The director number 1 and Dale Garner number 2.

[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]

Just got done emailing a letter to these guys so hopefully others have done the same.

For those that still want too, here is the surrounding state dates last year if you want to use that information in your letter.

Province of Manitoba: November 30
Province of Saskatchewan: December 16
North Dakota (Low Plains): December 6
North Dakota (High Plains): December 6, reopens December 12 – January 3
Minnesota: December 1
South Dakota (High Plains): January 14
South Dakota (Low Plains North & Mid Zone): December 8
South Dakota (Low Plains South Zone): December 22
Nebraska (High Plains): January 13
Nebraska (Low Plains Early): December 20 and December 26/27
Nebraska (Low Plains Late): January 3
Illinois (North Zone): December 15
Illinois (Central Zone): December 29
Illinois (South Zone): January 12

Iowa (North Zone): December 3
Iowa (South Zone): December 10

Sorry I missed this post when it first came up, IMO you guys are personalizing this too much. Guy is just doing what he thinks is best and just like last year the people to talk to are the NRC. There doesn't have to be an evil enemy, just a strong difference of opinions.

Also Guy's staff includes himself and Al, the staff he's talking about is the entire (or nearly the entire) Wildlife Bureau.

he has also asked for input from the law enforcement staff on this pre-draft.

1: IMO you guys are personalizing this too much. Really that's because it is personal to each of us as it will effect each of us.
2: Guy is just doing what he thinks is best. There is an element here , the he part should consider the WE PART!
3: There doesn't have to be an evil enemy, just a strong difference of opinions. I don't view Guy as the evil enemy but man if we listen to each other a little bit we wouldn't need some arbitrary commission as a middle man in the first place!
4: The staff he's talking about is the entire (or nearly the entire) Wildlife Bureau.
he has also asked for input from the law enforcement staff on this pre-draft. You do not want to go there because the consensus from this region was later than what was suggested! So much for consideration.