Oregon waterfowl hunters will see their record run of long duck seasons reach 14 this fall as another maximum hunting season looms. Solid duck counts along the Pacific Flyway, as well as decent local duck production, means Oregon hunters again will have 107 days of duck hunting this fall and winter.
Duck numbers in major breeding areas of Alaska, Canada, Montana and the Dakotas are up 21 percent compared with the long-term average, with redheads and green-winged teal still hovering at near-record levels. Counts in Alaska and the Canadian provinces are major drivers in whether the flyway gets the maximum 107 days of hunting allowed by treaty, or whether the season gets tamped down to 86 days — the next option based on season frameworks. "We weren't even close to hitting the 86 days," says Brad Bales, who runs the migratory bird program for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Population counts in western states and provinces are really driving hunting seasons now," Bales says.
The duck and merganser season opens Oct. 9 and runs through Nov. 28 in Zone 2, which includes Klamath and Lake counties, as well as most of Eastern Oregon. After a short break, hunting resumes Dec. 1 and runs through Jan. 23. Duck hunting in Jackson County and the rest of Western Oregon opens Oct. 16 and runs until Oct. 24. Hunting then reopens Oct. 27 and runs through Jan. 30. The daily limit remains seven ducks.
Oregon's waterfowlers increased 3.4 percent last year, when 51,636 hunters bought the state's waterfowl validation stamp. And though their numbers remain somewhat small, they continue to be a dedicated lot. About 18,700 hunters spent more than 147,600 days afield last year, killing about 361,000 ducks in Oregon.
Then WHY? did the Oregon Chapter slay 0?
Conspiracy
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