Waterfowl hunting season opens Sept. 1 over much of Alaska and several regulations changes – including increases to daily bag limits for canvasbacks, snow geese and brant – spell good news for duck and goose hunters this fall.
Canvasback limits statewide will increase from one to two birds per day, six in possession, said a press release from Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The bag limit bump comes after 2016 breeding population estimates were determined to be 26 percent greater than the long-term average of the last 50 years. Canvasback populations in North America have increased recently to more than 725,000 birds.
The bag limits for “light” geese (snow and Ross’ geese) increase statewide this season from four to six birds per day, 18 in possession. Breeding surveys of light geese in the western Arctic, including on Alaska’s Arctic Coastal Plain, indicate these populations are increasing and have potential to reach undesirable population levels. The harvest increase is not expected to significantly reduce these populations.
Statewide bag limits for brant will increase from two to three birds, nine in possession. The 2016 winter brant survey counted 140,000 birds. An increased harvest was approved by the Pacific Flyway Council as part of a cooperative harvest strategy when the population exceeded 135,000 birds.
Waterfowl hunters are reminded that amendments last year to the federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act raised the price of federal waterfowl stamps from $15 to $25 and redefined which hunters must have a federal stamp to hunt waterfowl. All waterfowl hunters 16 years of age or older must have a current federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp; exceptions include those who are permanent rural residents of an “included area” or permanent rural residents eligible for subsistence under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. “Included areas” are those areas where spring/summer migratory bird subsistence harvest is currently legal. Included areas and subsistence harvest regulations can be found at fws.gov/alaska/ambcc/Regulations.htm.
