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Wisconsin's Northern and Mississippi River zone duck seasons open

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mudbrook:
Wisconsin's Northern and Mississippi River zone duck seasons and Mississippi River Canada goose subzone open Sept. 27

MADISON -- Hunters should look forward to seeing good numbers of waterfowl when Wisconsin's Northern and Mississippi River zone duck hunting seasons and Mississippi River Canada Goose Subzone open Sept. 27, according to state wildlife officials.

"Although a few areas in the southern half of Wisconsin have started to dry out, areas in northern portion of the state have received abundant rainfall, and Wisconsin waterfowlers have potential for a good hunting season," said Kent Van Horn, migratory game bird ecologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Continental breeding surveys that have been conducted for 59 years have reported record numbers of ducks this spring. However, even with excellent continental breeding indications, local water levels, fall weather, and time spent scouting will be the most important factors when pursuing ducks this fall."

The duck hunt in the Northern Zone will open Saturday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. and will continue through Nov. 25. The Mississippi River Zone will also open Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. and will run through Oct. 5. The first portion of the Mississippi River Zone will be followed by a 12-day split and will reopen Oct. 18 and continue through Dec. 7. After opening day in each respective zone, hunting hours will begin 30 minutes before sunrise.

The Southern Zone duck season will open Oct. 4 at 9 a.m., and will run through Oct. 12. Following a brief closure, the Southern Zone will reopen Oct. 18 and run through Dec. 7.

The Mississippi River Canada Goose subzone will open Sept. 27, and will run through Oct. 5. Following the same 12-day closure as the Mississippi River Duck Zone, the Mississippi River Canada Goose Subzone will reopen Oct. 18 and run through Jan 8, 2015.

Many of the ducks harvested statewide are birds that breed in Wisconsin's wetlands, Van Horn said. The four most abundant ducks in Wisconsin's fall hunting harvest are mallards, wood ducks, green-winged teal and blue-winged teal.
The daily bag limit statewide will be six ducks, including no more than:
four mallards, of which only one may be a hen;
three wood ducks;
one black duck;
two redheads;
three scaup;
two pintail; and
one canvasback.

The daily bag limit for mergansers is five, to include no more than two hooded mergansers. The daily bag limit for coot is 15.

The possession limit has been increased from two times the daily bag limit and is now three times the daily bag limit.

"As always, hunters who do the early legwork - scouting for good wetland conditions and observing what areas birds are using -- will be the ones having a good hunt," Van Horn said. "Hunter survey data in Wisconsin show that duck hunters who scouted there or more times harvested an average of 14.7 ducks, while those who did not scout harvested an average of 4.8 ducks per season."
Licenses and stamps required include a Wisconsin small game license, Wisconsin waterfowl stamp, and 2014 federal migratory bird stamp. Those who wish to hunt Canada geese are required to purchase an additional zone-specific goose hunting permit.

A $15 federal stamp can be purchased at a U.S. Post Office. Hunters may also purchase a federal stamp privilege at license vendors for an additional $2.50 surcharge. This purchase will be noted on their license, but the stamp itself will arrive at a later point via mail.

Waterfowl and other migratory bird hunters must also register each year with the federal Harvest Information Program, which places them on a list of hunters that may receive a mailing with an option to provide a harvest summary. HIP registration is free, and can be completed at the time each hunter purchases a license. HIP registration may be completed at a later time if a hunter decides he or she may pursue migratory game birds.

State licenses and stamps, permits, and HIP registration are also available through Wisconsin's Online Licensing Center.

For information on-the-go hunters can use a mobile device to check out the official DNR hunting and fishing mobile application to gain access to useful fishing, hunting and wildlife watching information. Users are able to easily locate great places to enjoy the outdoors and view on-the-spot species profiles, rules, regulations, permit and license details and sunrise and sunset times. For more information, visit www.dnr.wi.gov and search keywords "mobile apps."
For more information regarding waterfowl hunting in Wisconsin, visit www.dnr.wi.gov and search keyword "waterfowl."
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn, DNR Migratory Game Bird Ecologist - (608) 266-8841

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