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TENNESSEE DUCK HUNTERS GET LONG SEASON
by Steve McCadams
  www.stevemccadams.com

    A long season and hefty bag limit awaits duck hunters this fall across Tennessee. At a time when many hunters feared a cutback in both days and ducks just the opposite happened.

   Waterfowlers in the Volunteer State will be the beneficiaries of a 60-day duck season. Added to the good news was the return of a liberal six duck daily bag limit.

    “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allowed the states in the Mississippi flyway to come under the “liberal” status again this year which allowed us a framework for long seasons and hefty bag limits,” said TWRA waterfowl biologist Ed Warr. “Therefore, the wildlife division recommended a split season statewide and again in the Reelfoot zone.”

    Statewide duck season will open for two days on November 23-24. The second segment will open November 30 and run through January 26, 2003.

    The Reelfoot zone will also have a 60-day duck season with the first two-day segment on November 9-10. Second segment will be the same as the statewide season, which is November 30 through January 26, 2003.

    Although the daily bag limit will be six ducks, as it was last year, there are some changes. There will be no open season for canvasbacks this year due to declining numbers. And, only a 30-day season will be allowed for pintails, which have also failed to rebound over the last several years. Pintails season will run from December 28 through January 26, 2003.

    Another statewide Youth Waterfowl Hunt will be held on February 1-2, 2003. The hunt will be for kids ages 15 and under who are accompanied by an adult.

    Goose seasons and bag limits remained similar to last year. Here in the Kentucky and Barkley Goose Zone the season will be 50-days will a daily bag limit of two Canadas. Season dates will be December 13 through January 31, 2003. No tagging or harvest quota will be required.

    The Northwest Mississippi Valley Population Goose Zone, which includes the Reelfoot Lake area, along with Lake, Obion, Weakley, and portions of Gibson and Dyer counties, will have a 70-day season running from December 7 through February 15, 2003.

    Goose season in the southwest MVP zone will have a season and bag limit identical to the Kentucky/Barkley goose zone.

    Practically all duck hunters were thrilled to have the opportunity of a long season. However, some had voiced opposition to the opening day of the statewide season falling on the same day as the opener for the gun deer season.

    To take advantage of the 60-day offer, the duck season would have had to either open on Thanksgiving Day or moved up another weekend into the middle of November to avoid the conflict with deer season. Most hunters and TWRA wildlife managers thought opening earlier would have been a problem for water in many wildlife management areas where pumping and rainfall is a factor.

Steve McCadams
  is a professional hunting and fishing guide here in the Paris Landing area and host of The Outdoor Channel's television series  IN-PURSUIT. 

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