May 2008 Advisory Council Minutes
ADVISORY COUNCIL ON WILDLIFE & FRESHWATER FISH
MINUTES
TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2008
Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium
89 Kings Highway, Dover, Delaware, 19901
Phone 302-739-9912, FAX 302-739-6157
ADVISORY COUNCIL DIVISION OF FISH & WILDLIFE PUBLIC
Edward A. Montague, Chair Greg Moore 3 Visitors
J. Richard Berry, Vice Chair (Absent) Pat Emory
David J. Healey Ken Reynolds
Garrett H. Arai (Absent) Joe Rogerson
Terry Higgins Rob Hossler
Ted Palmer Matt DiBona
Al Townsend Karen Kennedy
Raymond F. Burris
Wayne G. Steele
Taped micro-cassettes of this meeting are available for listening at the Richardson & Robbins Building in Dover. For further information contact the Wildlife Section at (302) 739-9912.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Edward Montague at 7:30 PM.
Agenda Item 1. Approval of Minutes (Chairman Montague).
Motions were made and voted unanimously to approve both the March 25 and April 29, 2008 minutes as written.
Agenda Item 2. Antique Firearm for Deer Hunting (Alexander Garcia).
Mr. Alexander Garcia gave a presentation on antique firearms. Mr. Garcia requested the Council consider adding the following primitive firearms to the shotgun deer season in Delaware. They include the Harrington & Wesson (H&R) 45/70 1871 Buffalo Classic rifle, 1867 Remington Rolling Block, Winchester 1885 single shot high wall, Single shot Ballard, Model 1885 “High Wall” Rifle, The Model 1885 Low Wall and 1865 Springfield Trapdoor. Mr. Garcia suggested that to simplify the current law and add the new criteria the wording should state, “Primitive firearms” for the purpose of hunting deer, are defined as single shot, breech loading, black powder cartridge rifles (.45 caliber or larger) of a kind and type manufactured prior to 1900, and replicas, reproductions or reintroductions of those type rifles. Mr. Garcia then requested that we also change the paper patch to include a grease grooved bullet with black powder cartridges. He stated that the velocity (1200 to 1600 fps) is the same as the paper patch bullets but inherently more accurate than the paper patch bullet. He suggested the change should read black powder cartridges.
Wildlife Administrator Greg Moore asked Mr. Garcia if they weapons were breached loaded. Mr. Garcia responded that they were. Mr. Moore stated that he would like to discuss this request with his staff but that he would consider this request very cautiously because the regulation was written for very specific firearms only.
Chairman Montague requested that this item be placed on the agenda of the June 24th Advisory Council meeting.
Agenda Item. 3. Update on Turkey Harvest (Ken Reynolds).
Ken Reynolds provided a summary of the spring turkey hunting results. It was a record season with a harvest of 248 birds. The previous record was set in 2007 with 178 birds. 135 birds were adult males, 112 were juvenile males (jakes) and one bird was a hen. The heaviest bird weighed 26 ½ pounds; the second heaviest on record for Delaware. A record number of birds were taken on public land with 51 (20.6% of the total harvest). Redden State Forest accounted for 20 of these birds. Birds were also harvested on Taber State Forest, Blackbird State Forest, and the following State Wildlife Areas: Midlands, Old Furnace, Nanticoke, Little Creek, Marshy Hope, Assawoman and Blackiston.
Agenda Item 4. Waterfowl Season/Avian Influenza Update (Rob Hossler).
POTENTIAL WATERFOWL CHANGES FOR 2008-09 SEASON
Mr. Rob Hossler (Wildlife Program Manager - Game Species) gave a summary of some of the potential changes currently being discussed by the Atlantic Flyway and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Rob cautioned that all these changes are just PROPOSED! As they all need USFWS approval in late June or USFWS and Flyway approval in July. The following proposals are listed in order (in his opinion) from most likely to least likely to occur.
* Black Ducks - An international agreement with Canada should provide for a continued 1-bird bag limit for black ducks for the entire duck season through 2010-11. Canada has been putting pressure on the U.S. to reduce their harvest as currently the U.S. harvests more black ducks (56%) than Canada. The black duck population would need to drop or increase by 15% (~100,000 birds) throughout the next 3 years for a possible change + or -. The current breeding population is 701,500 black ducks.
* Doves - The daily bag limit on doves might be raised to 15-birds with a continued 70-day season. An interim strategy has been developed that will allow for a 10, 15 or 20-bird bag limit depending on the population index. The DFW is currently pursuing the option of additional days to be included in the final dove harvest strategy targeted for 2013. The DFW will be implementing both a banding and a wing collection program in the state this year and is requesting hunters participate by reporting bands from harvested birds and providing wings from harvested doves at collection barrels located at dove fields and wildlife areas.
* Resident Canada Geese - An experimental 10-day extension of the September Canada goose season might be permitted in Delaware allowing a 1-25 September season. No expanded hunting methods will be permitted (unplugged guns, electronic calls, or hunting ½ hour after sunset). We are currently awaiting USFWS final approval.
* Mallards - Elimination of the hen restriction might occur, thereby allowing 4 mallards of either sex permitted in the daily bag limit as opposed to the 2-hen restriction. The other flyways might weigh-in on this and prevent it from being approved.
* Wood Ducks - A 3-year experimental, 3-bird bag limit was proposed for wood ducks, an increase over the current 2 wood duck daily limit. This proposal still needs agreement from the Mississippi and Central Flyways. NOTE - Since the Advisory Council meeting both the Mississippi and Central Flyway have voted against the proposal.
* Scaup - Related to the declining populations of greater and lesser scaup, a hybrid season has been proposed in an effort to both lower harvest levels while still allowing a few multiple-bird bag limit days in an effort to maintain some diving duck hunting tradition. This hybrid season would permit a 20-day, 2-bird bag limit and a 1-bird bag limit for the remaining 40 days.
* Youth Waterfowl Hunt - Currently youth waterfowl hunt days can be any two consecutive days when kids aren’t in school. Unfortunately in those states without Sunday hunting this usually only permits a one day youth hunt. A proposal to eliminate the consecutive day clause will allow states like Delaware to possibly have two youth days i.e., possibly associated with a state or federal holiday.
* Canada Geese - There is a possibility that the migratory Canada goose season will be extended from a 45 to a 50-day season. If permitted these extra days would be added to the end of the proposed season (27-31 January 2009). This proposal is VERY PRELIMINARY and will depend on this year’s breeding population estimates, the USFWS and what other Atlantic flyway states propose.
* Snow Geese - The Final Conservation Order and Record of Decision which would allow extended hunting opportunities/depredation order for snow geese has cleared the Policy and Directives (27 May 2008) Section of the Department of Interior and is headed to the Office of the Solicitor. No known date of this rule becoming operational is know as the Office of Management and Budget is next.
* Avian Influenza - During the 2007-08 sampling season, Delaware was first nationwide in sample collection. Delaware collected a total of 2,697 samples 26 more than Alaska and double that of most states. High Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza (H5N1) has still not been found in North America but it is still causing significant problems in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Sixty-one countries now have HP H5N1 causing millions of poultry to be euthanized and over 236 human deaths. Of the Delaware samples, 22% tested positive for a variant of AI; however only 23 or 0.4% tested positive for a strain of concern to poultry. Without supplemental funding from the State due to budget constraints, Delaware will only collect 800 samples in 2008-09. Either way, we will still request hunter cooperation at lottery stations and picking houses.
Agenda Item 5. Legislative Update (Director Pat Emory).
Director Pat Emory stated that there was no legislation to report on for this month.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Advisory Council will be on June 24, 2008. The agenda is as follows:
AGENDA FOR THE 6/24/08 ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING
1. Antique Weapons - Greg Moore.
2. Quail - Bill Jones/ Chris Williams.
3. Canada Banding Trip - Rob Hossler.
4. Display of Hunting License - George Roof.
5. Legislative/Regulations Update - Director Pat Emory/Greg Moore.
There being no further business, a motion was made, seconded and carried that the meeting be adjourned at 8:10 PM.
Sincerely,
Karen Kennedy
Recording Secretary
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