OUTDOOR CORNER: DUCK NUMBERS CONTINUE TO RISE

As the month of October draws to an end, I am reminded of the upcoming holiday season. If you hunt in Missouri, you might very well compare this time of year to having dinner in a fancy restaurant.

October hunting seasons such as archery deer and turkey, rabbit, grouse, woodcock and fall firearms turkey are merely appetizers for the banquet of hunting seasons that open in the month of November. For many, the main course will include firearms or muzzleloading deer, quail, furbearers and even a "taste" of crow hunting.

While looking over the "menu" you might be wise to save some room for "duck soup". Now I make no claims of being any kind of cook (I don't even qualify as a poor one) but I do know that the main ingredient in "duck soup" is ducks. Local waterfowl hunters will soon have the opportunity to "get things cooking".

The state is divided into three waterfowl hunting zones, each with different season dates.

The north zone opened October 23 and runs through December 21. The middle zone opens October 30 and continues until December 28. Middle/south zone boundaries follow a line running west from the Illinois border on Missouri Highway 34 to Interstate Highway 55 at Cape Girardeau; then south on I-55 to U.S. Highway 62, then west. Those areas south and east of that line fall into the south zone where duck season runs from November 13 to January 11, 1998.

Regardless of which zone you hunt, the potential is there for some excellent hunting opportunities. Wildlife researchers measure duck populations in two ways. Breeding duck surveys estimate the number of adult ducks returning to northern nesting areas each summer.

Fall flight estimates predict the number of ducks that will migrate south this autumn.

This year researchers have estimated the total number of breeding ducks at almost 43 million. That's a 13 percent increase from 1996 and the highest number since surveys were established in 1955.

Among key duck species, mallards increased 25% from 1996 (9.9 million for 1997). Record numbers of gadwalls, shovelers, and redhead ducks also were tallied. Numbers of widgeon, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, and canvasbacks were at least as high as 1996.

The pintail population (3.6 million) increased nearly 0.8 million birds from last year.

The projected fall flight of nearly 92 million ducks is the highest in more than two decades. The mallard fall flight estimate (14.4 million) is up almost 2 million birds from last year.

Weather plays a huge role in the waterfowl season for Missouri hunters. Cold weather to the north is needed to push large numbers of birds south to "hungry" hunters. Combine a timely cold front with periodic rains and we could have the recipe for an excellent waterfowl season.

Now that we have a list of ingredients for our "duck soup", all we need to do is follow the recipe (or regulations) to partake of our feast. Regardless of the zone being hunted, the daily bag limit is six (6) ducks. It may include no more than four (4) mallards (no more than two (2) of which may be female), two (2) wood ducks, two (2) redheads, one (1) black duck, one (1) hooded merganser, three (3) pintail and one (1) canvasback.

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must carry on their person a valid Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Permit and Conservation Stamp (Federal duck stamp) signed in ink across the face by the user, a Missouri Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit, and valid Small Game Hunting Permit.

Shells possessed while hunting waterfowl must be loaded with material approved as nontoxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The only shot currently approved as nontoxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is steel shot, bismuth shot, tungsten-iron shot, copper-, zinc-, or nickel-plated steel shot for which the plating represents less than 1% of the shot's weight. Lead shot plated with copper, nickel, or other material does not qualify.

For additional information, consult Missouri Department of Conservation's 1997-98 Migratory Bird Digest, available from permit vendors statewide.

Gene Myers is a Missouri Department of Conservation agent in Cape Girardeau County.