NY, Long Island zone 2015-16 season dates.

F

Frank Lopez

New member
First off, thanks to everyone that answered the poll. I think your input was a great influence on the committee. The results of the poll showed that almost 50% of the respondents favored the Nov 21 - Nov 29 and Dec 12 - Jan 31 dates. 29% favored the Nov 26-21 and Dec 7 -Jan 31 dates and 15% favored the late and straight season, After a good deal of discussion and for reasons that took into account some things that have an indirect effect, the following was decided on.
Ducks
Nov 26 - Nov 29 and Dec 7 - Jan 31 2016.
Canada Geese
Western zone
Oct 10 - Oct 25, Nov 26 - Nov 29 and Dec 7 - March 2
Central Zone
Nov 26 - N0v 29 and Dec 7 - Feb 10 Plus Feb 11 - Feb 15 in the special zone north of Rt 25A
Eastern Zone
Nov 26 - Feb 2
Sea Ducks *
Oct 17 - Jan 31
Snow Geese
Nov 25 - March 10
Brant **
Nov 26 - Nov 27 and Jan 6 - Jan 31

* Sea Ducks - It is very likely that the special sea duck season will be closed for the 2016-17 season and possibly beyond. Poor production is the reason cited. Sea ducks, scoters, eiders and Old Squaw will still be allowed to be taken as part of the regular duck bag during the regular season, similar to what is done now outside of the special zone.
** Brant. It is very likely that the brant season will be closed for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Three consecutive years of less than 10% reproductive rate is being blamed on predation. Apparently there has been an explosion of fox in the artic where brant breed. My take on this is that it is due, at least in part, to the collapse of the fur market (my opinion).
Other changes and announcements.
Next year, it is likely that the task force meeting will take place in February or early march due to various political decisions surrounding the way the season guidelines are set. This means that next year, I'll be pestering you guys all that much sooner, likely during the season.
If anyone has any questions regarding this or how these recommendations were arrived at, fire away. I'll try and answer them as best I can.


Frank
 
Frank,

Its not really a political issue that is leading to the setting of seasons in advance starting this fall. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is changing the way and schedule for setting seasons. So after December 1, 2015 hunters will know the proposed seasons 9 months in advance of the seasons and all seasons will be finalized by June 1st. In the past seasons weren't necessarily finalized until several weeks before the opening date. This should allow for better planning for hunters, more time for public involvement at the individual state commission and USFWS level, more certainty for everyone involved with participating in migratory bird hunting seasons.
 
Frank~

Thanks for your work on this - and for a great set of dates.

Question: Do you have any information about the Arctic Fox harvest in the High Arctic? Just coincidentally, I was reading last night about Dewey Soper discovering the breeding grounds of the "Blue Goose" on Baffin Island circa 1925 - right where I trapped and banded Brant in 1984. We were a long way from any settlements - about 200 miles from Iqaluit (formerly Frobischer Bay) and I would have thought that there is little or no fur trapping in that part of the world. But, I have no real information.

Also, given the dramatic warming across the Arctic, I cannot help but wonder if the tundra ecology is changing significantly.

All the best,

SJS
 
Brad, yes, I agree. "Political" was a poor choice of words on my part.


Kevin, believe it or not, over the last 15 years we've only lost the Thanksgiving morning hunt once. And that year it opened on the Friday.


Frank
 
Steve,


I don't have any information about the fox harvest, so I really can't comment. As I said, it was my opinion that the decline in the fur market at least helped the predator explosion. I will say that you raise a very good point about the tundra ecology changing.


Frank
 
** Brant. It is very likely that the brant season will be closed for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Three consecutive years of less than 10% reproductive rate is being blamed on predation. Apparently there has been an explosion of fox in the artic where brant breed. My take on this is that it is due, at least in part, to the collapse of the fur market (my opinion).
Other changes and announcements.
Next year, it is likely that the task force meeting will take place in February or early march due to various political decisions surrounding the way the season guidelines are set. This means that next year, I'll be pestering you guys all that much sooner, likely during the season.
If anyone has any questions regarding this or how these recommendations were arrived at, fire away. I'll try and answer them as I best I can.

Good!
Because whats going on around here is terrible. Lots of skybusting and wanton waste of Brant by guys that dont know how to hunt puddlers the right way.
Guides and outfitters from other parts of the Island bringing truck loads of hunters here and just pounded the heck out of the poor birds..Then they complain there's no other birds on the marsh...They scared them all to the next county with the constant barrages!
Plus all the extra activity has DEC on alert and pulling everbody over all the time.
Then ask them how they prepare the brant for the table?,eat?..what? they are target practice and end up in the trash bins at the launch ramp...
Just horrible
I prefer the marsh more quiet with occasional shots at puddle ducks.
Just my opinion
 
I stopped shooting Brant many years ago. I couldn't find anyone that knew how to cook the damn things. That is one foul tasting fowl.
 
Good!
Because whats going on around here is terrible. Lots of skybusting and wanton waste of Brant by guys that dont know how to hunt puddlers the right way.
Guides and outfitters from other parts of the Island bringing truck loads of hunters here and just pounded the heck out of the poor birds..Then they complain there's no other birds on the marsh...They scared them all to the next county with the constant barrages!
Plus all the extra activity has DEC on alert and pulling everbody over all the time.
Then ask them how they prepare the brant for the table?,eat?..what? they are target practice and end up in the trash bins at the launch ramp...
Just horrible
I prefer the marsh more quiet with occasional shots at puddle ducks.
Just my opinion
Click to expand...

I don't dispute your opinion, but that isn't the problem, however sever it may be. The problem is simply poor reproduction due to predation, probably with a dose of loss of habitat. Now, consider this. Do you think these guys are going to stop just because the brant season is closed? Highly unlikely. In my opinion, they are not going to close shop, but they are going to start targeting other species. And with the eminent closing of sea duck as well as brant, guess what they'll be after. They'll barge into all the secluded places that we hunt and shoot up the place. More than likely, they'll set up real close to the populated areas where the ducks traditionally feel safe. When that happens, the residents will be up in arms and the towns will respond by closing the areas to gun shot.
Click to expand...
 
Joe~

A Brant that's been feeding on Eelgrass is great, but - when they are feeding on cabbage (Sea Lettuce - Ulva lactuca) I can barely stand the smell in my car as I drive them north. But, marinated overnight in Newman's Own Balsamic Vinagrette salad dressing - they are fine on the grill.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve ... If your recipe works on West Merrick Bay Brant (sea cabbage) it would work on anything. Maybe even Mergansers. I will try it.


Joe
 
We brine the breasts and run them through the smoker.
but you still have to be raised on it to like it!
not for everybody
 
I also do not mind the Brant closure, I was raised as a puddle duck hunter in small grass boats and have always focused on puddlers. I think it will be a much quieter season and I have seen a decline in numbers of brant in the GSB there is still a bunch around but not the numbers we had 5 years ago. Was there any talk about Broadbill at the meeting?
 
As Chairman of the Barnegat Bay Chapter of Delta Waterfowl, I meet with the state biologist every year to discuss the season dates in a closed meeting with the NJ Waterfowlers and DU in attendance. It has been expressed to us that the NJ Brant season is hanging on by a thread as well and will most likely be closed. The Sea Duck season is going to be affected as well. It was mentioned that the Sea Duck season is going to be reduced in the number of days. Feds are citing over harvesting and that more studies need to be done (banding-nesting success etc.) We have a long Sea Duck season but we are burning 30 plus days before the birds even really show up, so shortening the season won't be doing much other than leaving some feeling short changed.....
 
Joe:
I brine brant and sea ducks for 3 days. Then I grind them and make chili or tacos. Everyone that has tried it has liked it.
All of the brant we’ve gotten have come from the Merrick-Bellmore-Wantagh area.
 
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