My ideal duck season dates, what's your?

[Deadly D]

Originally Posted by Lreynolds

I understand. I struggled with that in making the 2016-17 proposals. In August, the Commission moved the opener to the first Saturday in November AND put 4 weeks in the first split. Since nothing has changed since August with regard to duck regulations, I considered proposing the same structure but with a second Saturday opener. However, with a 12-day split, that would put us opening the second season on Christmas Eve and having the season closed when all the kids get out of school for Christmas break. That left me the choice of accepting that or using a 3-week first season, or a 5-day split and closing the second season on January 15 instead of the 22nd. So we decided to go with the traditional 3-week first season, a 12-day split, and running to Jan. 22.

How about north south zone like 190 to split the zones. Open south zone 2nd weekend or 3rd weekend of November and run a straight 60 days?

[Lreynolds]

Originally Posted by Deadly D

How about north south zone like 190 to split the zones. Open south zone 2nd weekend or 3rd weekend of November and run a straight 60 days?

Our state does not have major habitat divisions north and south; our major habitat division are east and west. NW LA is very different from NE LA. That is why we have had West and East Zones since the very first day that states were allowed to use zones (1975). Our configuration is not new, unjustified, or made up on a whim; it is long established based on major habitat differences that tend to influence chronology of duck use.

North-south zones puts the Piney Woods and reservoirs in the same zone as the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and recall the harvest data that shows NW LA has an earlier harvest signature than even the coastal marshes. That is why the 3rd zone was put in NW LA. In case you don't remember, here is the harvest chronology breakdown from a 10-year period when the old West Zone had consistent season dates: