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Post by bsutravis on Feb 23, 2008 3:33:20 GMT -5
The Central Indiana Chapter of Delta Waterfowl is compiling opinions on how you feel that the February Goose Season went. We're looking for constructive comments (no whining) about how you feel it can be improved, things you liked, things that can make it work better. We'd like to hear how the entire process went for you, from the permit procedure, to the experience at the check in stations. Please be courteous and detailed in your comments..... don't just put, "The permit process didn't work..." put HOW it didn't work for you, and what you think they can do to make it better next year. Delta Waterfowl will listen to all the comments and will be putting together a summary of what we, the hunters in the field feel about how things went, and what we think could be done to make next year run more better. Our summary will be presented to Rick Peercy & Adam Phelps of the IDNR in hopes that we can help shed some light on areas that worked well, and not so well. Please post comments related to this at: tinyurl.com/34bx7eThank you! |
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Post by Noblebowhunter on Feb 23, 2008 8:39:37 GMT -5
Im just glad we , as hunters, are given the chance to try and help the "problem" of over population instead of turning it all to oiling, destroying of eggs,etc. ... I think its a great start if nothing else.... Sure this year was going to be a little sketchy bein the first year anything like this has been done.. ( special permits, bird check in, etc.).. I would love to see a few more check in areas to decrease the travel of getting to the FWA areas... but i also understand that there are only so man officers that are assigned to the operation. I will go through the inconvenice to get to hunt them  |
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Post by DDragon47 on Feb 23, 2008 8:50:50 GMT -5
Up North the weather was not the best for goose hunting but still worth it.
I got my permit early, but i herd some people had a problem getting one.
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Post by firstwd on Feb 23, 2008 9:10:36 GMT -5
Thank you Travis for taking the time to do this. I did not get out during the February season, but I noticed that several on here did and were very successful.
The one suggestion I have would be to eliminate the "possession" limit for this season. It is a plan to reduce the resident goose population. I do understand the need for daily bag limits, but with the limited number of hunters that can participate (time of year, location of approved area) not having a possession limit would make that reduction more efficient. The birds have to be checked in, so in theory, daily over bagging won't be a problem.
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Post by goonegoosey on Feb 23, 2008 12:23:55 GMT -5
I would like to see them set the Feb. season for all counties. They could run the north zone for a week and bing the south zone in for the second week. this would allow more hunters the opportunity to harvest some of the resident population in their area.
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Post by freedomhunter on Feb 23, 2008 14:00:56 GMT -5
Add Owen County to the list. Not sure why you could hunt Greene, Morgan, and Clay but not Owen. There are a ton of residents that stay along the White River.
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Post by honkenbutch on Feb 23, 2008 21:35:01 GMT -5
Travis, I would have to agree with goonegoosey. There were alot of birds in Fulton & Pulaski counties that we could not touch. I hunted Stark and Marshall counties hard and it payed off very nice for me. My biggest complaint was the check stations. They were closed by the time I got there. This is BS in a way,but who wants to hang around for a couple of goose hunters. I too think they should open the whole state up for this season. There are a lot of counties that we know that have problems with birds and they were not on the list. So with this being said there were some that could have gone out and didn't because they do not have any where to go. BTW,thanks for taking the time to do this. Other than that above, I thought every thing went good. Proably get throwed in jail for not checking in some birds, but, I have never been there before and that in it's self might be interesting.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Feb 23, 2008 21:43:10 GMT -5
All I would say is open it up to all counties and keep it open for the whole Feb season I think that would be benificial to all th counties with goose problems. I'd rather shoot them than watch some one oil a nest.
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Post by ccordray on Feb 23, 2008 23:58:37 GMT -5
Can't open it up to any other counties until after the 3 year trial is finished.
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Post by hotshot on Feb 25, 2008 11:01:03 GMT -5
I would like to see the season moved to late feb/ early march- more chance of the migrators to have already headed back....
I think the check in is regulated by the feds- to verify that migrators are not part of the cull. A few years of chekcing in birds and living with it will allow us to not have to any more. Remember, hunters had to push for this for several years before it was a reality. Don't put too much negativity into it, and lose the season. Even though we had to check in birds - we did get to go!
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Post by duff on Feb 25, 2008 21:45:08 GMT -5
I agree with Scott. It isn't about how inconvient it is for hunters to get a permit or check birds in, we all knew what we had to do.
The state should not care if it was an inconvience to check birds in. They should make it as convient as possible but regardless of how easy it is, if you require someone to do something it is a PITA for em. Besides this was not the same as checking deer, this involved judgement calls that had to be made inorder to collect the most accurate data possible That requires trained individuals to spend days at a check station. I am sure the state wishes it was as simple as deer/turkey check in where business owners could do the checking but it isn't and won't be. Ride it out for a few more seasons and see what happens.
I will agree with most that the permit mess up should be addressed so it doesn't happen again. No excuse for that.
Otherwise thanks to all who were involved in setting up this season and making it happen: our biologist, IDNR, volunteers, and those who helped convince them to persue it. And to continual improvement! I would hope you all go through a selection process to determine what should and should not be presented to the IDNR. It will go a long way for your group to exclude some of the "inconvient" replies.
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Post by bsutravis on Feb 26, 2008 7:40:47 GMT -5
Our presentation will be way more than a gripe session talking about how far it was to drive.... We want to keep the Feb season as much as everyone, and will do everything we can to help facilitate that. Our Chapter of Delta Waterfowl will do anything the IDNR asks of us, including "butting out" if that is what they ask. To this point, our opinions are being requested....and that's why we are putting together the opinions of many hunters, from all over the state (not just our members here in Central Indiana). I can't imagine the screaming if deer hunters didn't get their permits to go deer hunting, so for some waterfowlers to be upset over what happened going into the Feb season is very natural. The CICDW will work WITH the IDNR to do anythin requested of our membership to help out in the Feb season. Our organization isn't just guys paying a $25 membership, we all want to help make a difference in any of a variety of ways.
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Post by featherduster on Feb 26, 2008 18:33:22 GMT -5
I believe the state did a excellent job for it's first attempt at this special season. They choose counties based on results from studies done over several years. In my county we were hit with the hardest winter weather we have had in almost a decade.This caused the local lakes to freeze over completely forcing the birds out of the area.
This season walks a fine line between right and wrong. I for one had the hardest time years ago excepting this James Bay Zone concept until back in the 80's I killed a banded goose in Elkhart Co.The bird had been banded less then a month prior in James Bay.The following year James Bay got hit with a wicked ice storm right after the hatch. This storm wiped out almost all of that years hatch. a whole generation was lost in just a few days.When the Feds. said we need restictions on this James Bay flock to help it recover I could not argue that the birds in the area I hunted were not James bay birds.
I feel that we need to crawl with season for a couple of years before we consider this as a regular season.Lets make sure we are doing the right thing.
As for me I would be happy with a 2 week season and a 2-4 bird limit.
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Post by hotshot on Feb 28, 2008 15:18:50 GMT -5
I will differ with you a tad bit feather duster. A huge reeason the SJBP birds are as small subspecies is that the inuit harvest the eggs like we would chickens. Due to the extreme north and short growing season, the birds don't have time to re-nest. By moving the season back one to two weeks, there is a better chance we'll shoot more locals. Most migrators are heading north really soon if not already.
BSU- great that you guys are taking this to task. thank you! Please share that the birds seem to understand the need and died willingly fo rthe most part.
Scott
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Post by snakeeye on Feb 29, 2008 11:20:50 GMT -5
It went great for me, absolutely no problems, questions or concerns, and I would like to thank the underpaid but dedicated DNR staff who gave up their weekends to work; I'm sure they would have rather been hunting, spending time with their families, etc.
If you can afford to hunt waterfowl and have the time to hunt waterfowl, then you can certainly afford the gas and the time needed to drive to a check station because we all know how much time and money this sport consumes. We all knew the rules when we signed up.
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Post by johnc911 on Feb 29, 2008 17:41:59 GMT -5
Amen Smakeeye
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