Now that our seemingly, never-ending, miserable hot weather has finally begun to cool off, many people are looking forward to enjoying many different fall activities such as:
Hiking in the mountains, four-wheeling, mountain biking, photographing the changing colors of the leaves, mule deer hunting, elk hunting, trout fishing, cutting firewood, picking pine nuts, traveling to Apple Hill, Calif., etc.
Unfortunately, this column is not written for those folks.
Rather, it is specifically written for a select group of other folks, who, somehow, enjoy being out in the nastiest type of weather (wind, rain, snow, cold) to enjoy their sport in the fall and winter.
That sport is waterfowl hunting.
So, if you are someone who is in that group, and if you own a shotgun, have a hunting dog and lots of decoys, here is almost everything you ever wanted or needed to know about hunting ducks, geese and swans in the State of Nevada:
DUCKS, MERGANSERS, COOTS & MOORHENS:
Will open in the Northern Zone (All counties except Clark and Lincoln) on Saturday, Oct. 11. This season will close on Jan. 24, 2009.
Ducks & Mergansers: Daily limit of 7 with a possession limit of 14.
Coots & Moorhens: Daily and possession limit of 25.
Hours: From 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
Open to Non-Residents.
Special Note: The combined daily limit on all ducks is 7, including not more than 2 hen Mallard, 1 Pintail, Canvasback is closed, and 2 Redheads. The possession limit is twice the daily limit.
GOOSE (Canada and White-Fronted)
Opens statewide (except the Moapa Valley portion of the Overton Wildlife Management Area) on Saturday, Oct. 25. This season will close on Jan. 25, 2009.
Daily limit of 3 with a possession limit of 6.
Hours: From 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
Open to Non-Residents.
The Moapa Valley portion of the Overton Wildlife Management Area opens on Saturday, Oct. 25 (one day only) and is then open Nov. 1 through Jan. 25, 2009.
Daily limit of 3 with a possession limit of 6.
Hours: From 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
Open to Non-Residents.
GOOSE (Snow and Ross')
Opens statewide on Saturday, Oct. 25. This season will close on Jan. 25, 2009.
Daily limit of 10 with a possession limit of 20.
Hours: From 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset.
Open to Non-Residents.
Special Note: The following area is closed to hunting Snow and Ross' Geese: Ruby Valley within Elko and White Pine Counties.
SWAN
Opens on Saturday, Oct. 25 in Churchill, Lyon and Pershing Counties. Season closes Jan. 4..
Hunters must possess a Nevada hunting license, Federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Stamp, a Nevada Duck Stamp and a Swan tag.
Successful hunters are required to have their tags and swans validated at selected sites within five days of harvesting a swan.
Special Note: If a harvest of five Trumpeter Swans is reached, the swan season is closed for the remainder of the season.
STAMPS
A Federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Stamp ($16 at NDOW) is required for anyone 16 or older who hunts any migratory waterfowl. A Nevada Duck Stamp ($10) is required for any person 12-64 years old who hunts migratory birds, except mourning or white-winged dove, snipe, coot or moorhen.
HIP NUMBER
Any person 12 years or older who plans to hunt any kind of migratory game bird including ducks, geese, swans, rails, coot, doves, snipe, or gallinules in Nevada this year, is required to annually obtain a Harvest Information Program (HIP) validation number and write it on their hunting license before entering the field. That number is free and is available by calling (866) 703-4605 or going to website www.ndowlicensing.com.
The HIP is a method by which NDOW and USF&WS are developing more reliable estimates of the number of all migratory birds harvested throughout the country.
These estimates give biologists the information they need to make sound decisions concerning hunting seasons, bag limits, and population management.
SHOT
Nontoxic shot is required in Nevada: A hunter of ducks, mergansers, geese, swans, coots, gallinules or snipe shall use nontoxic shot in muzzle loaders or in shells for a shotgun when hunting in this state. Shotguns must be plugged to limit overall shot shell capacity to only three shells.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Head or fully feathered wing must remain attached, while in transit from the field for ducks, mergansers, coots and Moorhens, snipe, geese and swans.
Report any bird bands by calling (800) 327-BAND. By reporting band numbers, you will be helping to manage our waterfowl resource.
Non-Game Birds such as shore birds, song birds, hawks, ravens, owls, etc., are protected by state and federal law, and as such must not be hunted, killed or possessed.
For all of the various laws and regulations concerning waterfowl, boating, and other use regulations on state and federal lands, see the Nevada Hunt Book which is available on the Internet, at license agents and NDOW offices.
FINALLY
For information, call the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 688-1500 during regular business hours.
Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you about a popular spot for waterfowl hunters in this area.
If he grins and says, "That's easy, it's at Washoe Lake, between Carson City and Reno. And, that explains the many trucks parked along the highway in the early morning hours," he could be one of those hunters.
Don Quilici is the Outdoors editor for the Nevada Appeal