Colorado duck enthusiasts now know most of the particulars regarding the upcoming hunting season. Whether they’re any closer to solving the problems related to lagging harvest remains to be seen.
Meeting Thursday in Durango, the Colorado Wildlife Commission ratified preliminary dates for the 2008-09 waterfowl season, pending the announcement of the final federal framework Aug. 7.
Despite a significant decline in North American duck numbers, detailed in a separate feature on this page, hunters can expect another in a continuing series of liberal hunt allotments — both in total dates and bag limits. While overall duck numbers lag 9 percent below 2007 estimates, the breeding population remains 11 percent above the long-term average, 1955-2007. No surprise there.
The big news from the Durango confab is the approval of the much-discussed plan that would involved six state wildlife areas in a test aimed at determining the impact of hunting activity on harvest.
Wildlife managers have expressed growing concern over poor hunter success on public lands along the lower South Platte River, roughly from Greeley to the Nebraska line.
Much of the discussion, highlighted during a series of May meetings, centered on ways to improve duck circulation along the river in places where most public hunting takes place.
Effective for the coming season, this test will compare the six areas relative to location vis-a-vis the river, placing three of them under severe use limitations.
The restricted areas will allow hunting, both for waterfowl and small game, only on Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and legal holidays. All hunters must formally check out at 2 p.m. during waterfowl season to provide managers with harvest information.
The matchup: Jackson (restricted) with Red Lion, Overland Trail (restricted) with Atwood, Bravo (restricted) with the combined Brush/Jean K. Tool.
Deer hunting would be allowed in the restricted zones.
Developed by a blue-ribbon panel with approval from Division of Wildlife staff, this arrangement is planned for a period of three years. The test areas then will be flip-flopped for a more precise comparison. Biologists hope to use this information to determine the degree that hunting activity impacts bird movement.
In a move aimed at using hunters to stir waterfowl from refuge areas, the commission will allow hunting to the high water mark on Empire Reservoir, while also easing on-water shooting at Vancil Reservoir. Both are private.
New for 2008-09, hunting will be allowed from boats at Jumbo and Jackson reservoirs on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and legal holidays. Shooting must take place at least 150 yards from shore.
Other plans related to habitat improvement on state wildlife areas haven’t been settled. These include dredging warm-water sloughs, removing vegetation along the river channel and pumping water into riverside ponds during winter. The discussion includes compensation to farmers who make more grain available to wintering waterfowl.
Charlie Meyers: 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com
