# Waterfowl season survey



## quackaddict35 (Sep 25, 2015)

Anyone else just get the email about possibly changing the season dates? 

Topics they were surveying were, 

Moving general waterfowl opener to a week earlier. (Last Saturday of September rather than first Saturday of October) 

Extending youth hunt to 2 days instead of 1


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## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

I just did it. It brings up some interesting things. I think I would like to see a hunt for first time hunters. I think that would be a good way to bet new people involved in waterfowling. Now if they could give us a split season on Scaup up north so that we can shoot them through the end season, that would be great.


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

*Survey*

I did get it and I completed it. I essentially told them that if it ain't broke, DON"T try to fix it. The first Saturday in October is PLENTY early enough. And 2 days for the youth hunt would NOT be a good thing. All it would accomplish would be to discourage young hunters with a 75 to 80 % reduction in birds seen on the second day compared to the first day and would not (IMHO) generate more enthusiasm for the sport.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

SidVicious said:


> I just did it. It brings up some interesting things. I think I would like to see a hunt for first time hunters. I think that would be a good way to bet new people involved in waterfowling. Now if they could give us a split season on Scaup up north so that we can shoot them through the end season, that would be great.


Ha Ha! I wrote that in my comments about the scaup season. It should run until the end of the season and be closed early season.

I said NO to a 2 day youth hunt, because it would close the regular season on a Friday instead of Saturday.

I don't care if the youth hunt is moved to 1 week before the opener, because the gates open 2 1/2 weeks before the regular opener and everyone runs their boats anyway. No big deal.

I said NO to the early season opener. The first Saturday in October is plenty early. If anything I would rather see it open 1 week later.


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## quackaddict35 (Sep 25, 2015)

Yeah, I voted on no changes. Don’t fix what ain’t broke. 


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

I honestly had the feeling that dates would start switching around once they announced a northern and southern zone opener.


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

It would be interesting to know what started this conversation and what is the driving force behind it, the season dates have been what they are for enough years now and they work so well, why change them?


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## robiland (Jan 20, 2008)

I did the survey. 

I said 1 day is plenty for youth. I have 2 right now and they loved the youth hunt last week. They both got 4 each on pretty good shooting. My boys are 13 and 11. 

I also said start the season 1 week later if anything. Opening week we seem to shoot more hens since the colors are not that good. But I am also colorblind with some colors. But others in our group feel the same.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

The only advantage I see with starting the season a week early is that it would eliminate the conflict with general elk season. After thinking, though, I voted no. Typically what seems to happen is that opening week blows the birds out, and then we get a period of awful hunting for as long as the weather stays warm. It lasted a few weeks last year. I think if we started the season a week earlier, we'd blow the birds out a week early, but nothing new would show up until the weather got cold, same as usual. Essentially we'd have an extra week in October with hot weather and lousy hunting. I wouldn't want to trade the last week of the season for another hot, duckless October week.

I also think 1 youth day is plenty, and I don't want to give up my closing Saturday for it either. I relish that final day. In fact, I haven't missed a closing day of duck season since I started hunting. 

I also put a plug in for a later scaup season. I'd love to see that addressed.

Finally, I voted no to allowing any more special groups on youth hunt day. I don't see how they could realistically monitor who is a first-time hunter and who isn't. I think a lot of folks would be tempted to pose as a first-timer just to take advantage of the good hunting that day. That, and the increased crowding that would result would diminish the experience for youth hunters.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Who comes up with these ideas and presents them at the RAC meetings? Certainly not anyone who has hunted waterfowl for many years. According to a statement I read, the early season suggestion almost passed last year. Who the hell wants to shoot eclipsed birds in 80 degree weather with mosquitos and horseflies nibbling on your a$$ all day long? Bad idea! 

If any changes are possible, I would like to see a longer split in the Wasatch zone that would allow us to hunt urban geese into mid February. Also, don't open the Scaup season until later, allowing us to hunt them until the end of the season.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm glad we all seem to be on the same page, I voted no on the earlier season too. Like others have said, my favorite time to hunt is late in the season and the later it goes the better for me. I also suggested the later scaup season, it would be nice if we got on the same page as Idaho in that regard.


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Shadow Man said:


> It would be interesting to know what started this conversation and what is the driving force behind it, the season dates have been what they are for enough years now and they work so well, why change them?


You know there are going to be some tickets wrote in the southern zone on the opener of the northern zone. I'm not saying they did this to write tickets but some people just don't read the proc.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Open the Utah waterfowl season earlier, like the same day as the Wyoming opener. 

PLEASE

.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I voted NO on everything!
I'm all about youth BUT, 1 day is fine for them. Why can't every day be a "youth" day? Guy's! take your kids hunting! like others said, I dont want my last day of duck season falling on a Friday while I'm at work. I as well relish the last day of the season for both ducks and geese. it is tradition.

I commented that I would prefer to start the hunt LATER in the season for the fact of hunting ducks until the end of January and possibly into February like geese. 

There are tons of ducks that show up mid to late January every year... some ducks migrate out, absolutely BUT, they are never just gone. They might move around the valley/state a little bit according to conditions.. I hunt a field in mid January where the ducks load into it by the hundreds all in the last week of the hunt and I only get 1 maybe 2 cracks at them. they hit those fields like that through February.. point being, year after year I see tons of Mallards show up during the last week of the hunt

If you aren't finding birds, Stop doing what your doing and think outside the box and try new things.

Plenty of ducks from Day 1- Day 107 
But to start the hunt earlier would be a complete wast of 7+ days of Duck season


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

My only hope is that enough people get on the DWR site and take this survey to convey the silliness of these ideas. I honestly can't imagine any reason to have two days for youth hunt, or to move the season up a week. Makes no sense whatsoever. Why try to fix something that is not broken?
R


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

How does this kind of stuff "almost pass" after a RAC meeting? Who the hell are the people that bring this kind of nonsense to the RAC meetings? Pretty sure they are not the voice for the majority of Utah's waterfowling community.


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