2 blacks a day?

Chris Finch

Chris Finch

Well-known member
i saw something that Mike Braden posted up on Facebook from delta waterfowl that the models support an increase to 2 blacks a day for the atlantic flyway, even though they know that the model is flawed.

does anyone from USFW know if this is actually true?

as much as i would love to shoot 2 blacks a day, i don't know if its a good idea....
 
Chris did Mike post up a link to the data/model? If so could you post it? While it's trying at times only being able to kill one black duck when there are so many in NJ I know deep down it is for the best. There is no more iconic bird along the upper portion of the Atlantic Coast and I'd much prefer to only be able to take 1 a day for the rest of my life then have a time when I have to sit and watch them because we as hunters were too greedy for a couple of years
 
I do tend to agree that taking only one is the best at this point. I do believe that hunting is not the primary issue with the black duck as at times it seems that black/mallard hybrids are as common as the pure blacks.
 
I have also noticed a large increase in the hybrids and I'm not just talking about the hybrids that have two white bars on the speculum and some green specks in the head I mean clear 50/50 mixes. So does anyone have any ideas on how best to solve that issue as well?
 
Chris , the subject came up at our spring Zone meeting. As explained by our DEC the one bird a day limit is directly tied to Black harvest in Canada. The population numbers have increased but I don't know if the harvest up north has.
I would agree with you , not sure about increasing the take to 2 a day.
 
There wasn't any data or model linked to the memo, it was announced through delta Waterfowl by Mike.

As much as I would like to shoot two blacks I would much rather a long history of increasing population. But I think the black duck has a lot going against it.
 
With my handful of years waterfowling, Ill be more than happy to shoot one black as I still haven't been had an opportunity on one, or a mallard for that matter!
 
Any ideas on what caused the die off?
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Ice....just got so thick and crushed the bottom and covered everything. It was crazy. The DEC put up a trap to catch and band them (not connected with the die off) but I found three banded blacks within 10 yards of the trap....I think I found four bands in total and I'd say close to 100 ducks. All thin and sleek....sad.

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Not gonna happen IMO.....there are only about 600,000 black ducks in a great year. They are too fragile to winter kill and loss of habitat .
 
The gist of Mike's post is that whatever model they were using to determine hunter harvest on black ducks was flawed and it was determined that increasing the bag limit to 2 per day would not have an adverse effect on the population. Or at least that's what I understand. This is not just a NJ change, it is being made for the entire Atlantic Flyway, with each state then deciding if they want to bump the limit to 2 per day or not. There is going to be a meeting to discuss this on January 13th at 7 PM at Jakes Branch County Park in NJ but it sounds like it is going to happen for next season.

I am also skeptical as this is something that has been spoken about for longer than I have been gunning and all of a sudden the models or data were determined to be flawed?
 
The gist of Mike's post is that whatever model they were using to determine hunter harvest on black ducks was flawed and it was determined that increasing the bag limit to 2 per day would not have an adverse effect on the population. Or at least that's what I understand. This is not just a NJ change, it is being made for the entire Atlantic Flyway, with each state then deciding if they want to bump the limit to 2 per day or not. There is going to be a meeting to discuss this on January 13th at 7 PM at Jakes Branch County Park in NJ but it sounds like it is going to happen for next season.

I am also skeptical as this is something that has been spoken about for longer than I have been gunning and all of a sudden the models or data were determined to be flawed?
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Now it's more clear. I thought the model had determined that the number of black ducks had increased to a level that could sustain a 2 bird limit not that we aren't killing very many
 
I just love it when the feds bandy about liberal verbiage like sustainable. The black duck, due to problems with mallards, is probably in more trouble than we would care to imagine. Even in their heyday, they were always a formidable foe, and it would be unworthy to exploit them just because some $^$^%&%#^^$ computer model says it's ok!
 
Like Craig stated as far as my sources are concerned it's gonna happen flyway wide. I am not in favor for many reasons, not the least of which that true strain black ducks are a trophy imho and one a day should be fine for all. Why change it now?
 
Darwinism at it's best. Unfortunately the Mallard is more dominant than the Black duck and you will not change that. Outside of killing off the Mallard you will not be rid of hybrids. The late great biologist from NJ Freddy F educated me on the issue years ago and it still rings true,
Tom
 
Darwinism at it's best. Unfortunately the Mallard is more dominant than the Black duck and you will not change that. Outside of killing off the Mallard you will not be rid of hybrids. The late great biologist from NJ Freddy F educated me on the issue years ago and it still rings true,
Tom
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Well, Darwinism with a healthy dose of help from us humans . . . . .


My understanding is that one of the factors in the increasing number of hybrids are human-induced habitat changes that have made much of the former area dominated by black ducks more favorable for mallards and less favorable for blacks.

I guess my feeling about a 2 duck limit on blacks would be "just because you can doesn't necessarily mean you should".

I'd always choose to err on the side of conservation over harvest.
 
Isn't the limit in Canada 4 ? Not sure the science behind their bag limit.

I would like to be able to take more than one on the rare days that I even have the opportunity to
 
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