The Department of Natural Resources has approved dates and bag limits for its 1996-97 and 1997-98 hunting seasons, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has completed its proposals for the coming waterfowl seasons -- including a continuation of the moratorium on the hunting of migratory Canada geese in the Atlantic Flyway.
The most significant change in DNR's dates and bag limits is a change in the dates for the early muzzleloader season for deer. The opener of the three-day season would be moved up to Oct. 17 this year and would remain the third Thursday in October in ensuing seasons.
DNR's dates and bag limits, which were explained to the public at four open meetings around the state before final adjustments, have been submitted for regulatory adoption.
The regulations now will change only every two years, unless special circumstances require adjustments within that term.
The USFWS, which sets the frameworks within which individual states shape their waterfowl and migratory bird seasons, is proposing a duck season in the Atlantic Flyway of not more than 50 days between Oct. 1 and Jan. 20. The bag limit would be five.
Longer seasons and larger bag limits are the result of three successive good breeding years, said John Rogers, acting director of the USFWS. Across the four major flyways, some 83 million ducks should migrate south this year, compared with about 57 million annually in the late 1980s.
"Keeping in mind that these are good times, with abundant water on the prairies, we also need to recognize there will be drier years sometime in the future," said Rogers. "Therefore, we must continue our efforts to conserve and restore wetland habitat through such programs as the North American Waterfowl Management Plan."
Maryland's season for resident Canada geese will run Sept. 3-14 in all or parts of 15 counties and Sept. 3-25 in all or parts of nine counties. The resident season will be closed in Kent and Queen Anne's counties.
"The season dates are set to avoid migrant Canada geese, which start to arrive on Maryland's Eastern Shore from their Quebec breeding grounds in late September," said Joshua Sandt, director of DNR's Wildlife and Heritage Division.
"Very few migrant Canada geese occur in the western part of the state, so extending the closing date in this area will not affect the migrant population."
