Proposed waterfowl season framework announced by U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service

Waterfowl hunters in the Mississippi Flyway, including Illinois, can look forward to a 60-day duck season if proposed season frameworks are accepted.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced proposed hunting season lengths and bag limits for 2012-13 late waterfowl seasons.

Proposed duck seasons include 60 days in both the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, 74 days in the Central Flyway (with an additional 23 days in the High Plains areas), and 107 days in the Pacific Flyway.

The proposed frameworks include a full season on northern pintails with a two bird daily bag limit nationwide, and a full season on canvasbacks with a one bird daily bag limit nationwide.

The proposals will appear in a mid-August edition of the Federal Register for public comment.

Details for the Mississippi Flyway:

The Mississippi Flyway includes Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

A full season is proposed for canvasbacks (above) and pintails (below).

•    Ducks:

A hunting season is proposed of not more than 60 days between Sept. 22, and Jan. 27.

The proposed daily bag limit is six and may include no more than four mallards (two hens), three wood ducks, one mottled duck, two redheads, four scaup, two pintails, one black duck, and one canvasback.

The proposed daily bag limit of mergansers is five, only two of which may be hooded mergansers.

In states that include mergansers in the duck bag limit, the daily limit is the same as the duck bag limit, only two which may be hooded mergansers.

Canada geese come in for a landing.

•    Geese:

Generally, seasons for Canada goose would be held between Sept. 22 and Jan. 31, and vary in length among states and areas.

States would be able to select seasons for light geese not to exceed 107 days with 20 geese daily between Sept. 22 and March 10.

For white-fronted geese, the proposed season would not exceed 74 days with a two-bird daily bag limit or 88 days with a one-bird daily bag limit between Sept. 22, 2012, and Feb. 17; and for brant it would not exceed 70 days with a two-bird daily bag limit or 107 days with a one bird daily bag limit between Sept. 22 and Jan. 31.

There is no possession limit for light geese.

Snow geese take flight near Havana.

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