Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks
1505 Eastover Drive, Jackson, MS, 39211
Phone: 601-432-2400
Friday, August 03, 2012
Liberal Frameworks Available for Mississippi Waterfowl Hunters
Jackson - States in the Mississippi Flyway
will again have the opportunity for liberal waterfowl frameworks
during the 2012-13 hunting season. In cooperation with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, the Mississippi Flyway Council approved
the liberal alternative for duck seasons during its July
meeting. This means Mississippi waterfowl hunters will again
have the opportunity to hunt 60 days with a 6-duck daily bag limit
for the 2012-2013 waterfowl hunting
season.
"As expected, high carry over from last year's
breeding season resulted in strong waterfowl breeding populations
again this year," said James Callicutt, MDWFP Waterfowl Program
Biologist. Mallard numbers increased 15% from last year to
10.6 million birds. Most interesting is the 21% increase in
the scaup population which has been in serious decline for many
years. Northern pintails were one of the only species that
experienced a decrease in breeding numbers, pintail numbers were
down by 22%.
Waterfowl hunting seasons are set through a
process called "Adaptive Harvest Management." Through this process,
waterfowl season frameworks may be liberal, moderate, or
restrictive, based on the breeding population of mid-continent
mallards and the number of ponds on the breeding grounds. In
the Mississippi Flyway, a liberal framework consists of a 60-day
season with a 6-duck limit, a moderate framework consists of 45
days with a 6-duck limit, and a restrictive framework consists of
30 days with a 3-duck limit.
The MDWFP Waterfowl Program will present its
season and bag limit recommendations to the Mississippi Commission
on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks at its August 15 meeting in
Jackson.
For more information regarding hunting seasons in
Mississippi, visit our website at www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting or
call us at 601-432-2199
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