OUTDOOR CORNER: WATERFOWL HUNTERS ENJOY GOOD NUMBERS

Waterfowl hunters in Missouri can again look forward to very good populations of ducks and geese during the 2000-2001 waterfowl season.

The duck and goose populations are near last year's record numbers. Weather and habitat are two important factors that influence the waterfowl populations. Heavy rains in early summer improved wetland quantity and quality over much of the duck breeding grounds. Recent surveys show mallard and teal populations remain well above the long term average.

The 2000-2001 duck season dates are: North Zone Oct. 26-Dec. 24; Swan Lake Zone Oct. 26-Dec. 24; Middle Zone Nov. 2-Dec. 31; Southeast Zone Nov. 2-Dec. 31; and South Zone Nov. 16-Jan. 14.

Shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise to sunset. The daily bag limit of ducks is six, including no more than four mallards (no more than two females), three scaup, two redheads, two wood ducks, one black duck, one canvasback, one hooded merganser and one pintail.

This year's goose season will result in a smaller flight than last year, due to a poor nesting season. The daily bag limits for geese are: white fronted -- two; brant -- two; and blue, snow and ross (combined) -- 20. The daily limit of Canada geese for the remainder of the season is two.

The open dates remaining for Canada geese in the North Zone are Oct. 26-Nov. 26 and Dec. 23-Jan. 20. The Middle Zone dates are Nov. 2-Nov. 26 and Dec. 23-Jan. 20. Open dates for the South and Southeast Zones are Nov. 16-26 and Dec. 16-Jan. 31. Again this year there will be a conservation order extending the light goose season (snows, blues and ross) from Feb. 1-April 30. During this season hunters can use unplugged shotguns and electronic calls. Also shooting hours are extended until an hour after sunset.

Options for the Missouri waterfowl season dates are selected every five years. It is now time to consider dates for the 2001-2005 waterfowl seasons. If you would like to have input into this selection, workshops will be held in March and April of 2001. Hunter input will have a major impact on the selection of dates and zones. Locations and dates of the public meeting will be announced in the near future.

Increased cooperation between landowners, hunting organization and conservation departments have helped duck and goose populations to increase dramatically. This continued cooperation should guarantee abundant waterfowl for many generations to come.

Gary Newcomb is a Missouri Department of Conservation agent in Cape Girardeau County.