Waterfowl season reminders
The regular duck season is almost
here! To help you prepare for the season, here are some season reminders, and
an invitation to explore Michigan’s Wetland Wonders this fall.
Have you wanted to try hunting at
one of Michigan’s managed waterfowl hunt areas, also known as Michigan’s
Wetland Wonders? Take some
time this fall to get to know the areas! Open houses will be held at southern Michigan’s Wetland Wonders in
October.
Open houses will
include guided tours with a focus
on habitat improvements conducted to provide optimal habitat for waterfowl, and
other wildlife management techniques that make these areas attractive to a host
of wildlife. Waterfowl hunters will learn about how each area is run and what
to expect when they come in for a hunt drawing, along with other areas nearby
that are open to hunting.
Open houses begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at the following locations:
- Oct.
8 – Crow Island State Game Area –
1888 River Rd., Saginaw, 48708
- Oct.
9 – Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area
– 1570 N. Tower Beach Rd., Pinconning, 48650 - (989) 697-5101
- Oct.
10 – Fish Point State Game Area –
7750 Ringle Road, Unionville, 48767 - (989) 674-2511
- Oct.
10 – St. Clair Flats State Wildlife Area
- 3857 Columbine Road, Harsens Island, 48028 - (810) 748-9504
- Oct.
11 – Pointe Mouillee State Game Area
– 37025 Mouillee Rd, Rockwood, 48173 - (734) 379-9692
- Oct.
11 – Shiawassee River State Game Area
– 225 East Spruce St., St. Charles, 48655 - (989) 865-6211
This waterfowl season, hunt at
three or more of southern Michigan’s Wetland Wonders, or managed waterfowl hunt areas, and be entered to win a duck hunting prize package!
The Wetland Wonders Challenge begins Oct.
13, 2018, and runs through Feb. 14, 2019. Seven lucky winners will be chosen on March 1, 2019.
The
seven winners will take home a duck hunting prize package, with a $500 gift card for
duck hunting gear, a custom Zink duck call, a golden ticket good for one first
choice pick at a non-reserved managed waterfowl area drawing for the 2019-20
waterfowl hunting season and additional prizes.
To be
entered for the grand prize drawing, hunters must hunt at three of the seven
managed waterfowl areas, but each additional area that you visit gets you an
additional contest entry. Hunt all seven
managed areas and get five chances to win those prizes.
Visit
michigan.gov/wetlandwonders for full contest rules and for
more information about Michigan’s awesome Wetland Wonders.
- North
Zone - Sept. 29 - Nov. 25 and Dec. 1-2
- Middle
Zone - Oct. 6 - Dec. 2 and Dec. 15-16
- South
Zone - Oct. 13 - Dec. 9 and Dec. 29-30
Regulation
changes for 2018-2019 include an increased pintail limit. Hunters may take two pintails per day this season. Also new this year for nonresident waterfowl
hunters, a nonresident seven-day or a nonresident three-day small game license allows
the purchase of a waterfowl license without the purchase of a nonresident base
license.
Waterfowl
hunting regulations and bag limits can be found in the 2018-2019 Michigan
Waterfowl Hunting Digest. Digests are available at DNR Customer Service
Centers, wildlife field offices and license agents or at michigan.gov/waterfowl.
- North Zone - Sept. 1 - Dec. 16
- Middle Zone - Sept. 1-30 and Oct.
6 - Dec. 21.
- South Zone - Sept. 1-30, Oct. 13
- Dec. 9, Dec. 29-30 and Jan. 26 - Feb.11, 2019
- Allegan County GMU - Sept. 1-16,
Nov. 3-13, Nov. 22 - Dec. 9 and Dec. 15 - Feb 14, 2019
- Muskegon County GMU - Oct. 16 -
Nov. 13 and Dec. 1-22
Canada
geese, white-fronted geese (or specklebellies) and brant are now part of a
dark goose aggregate daily bag limit. From Sept. 1-30, the dark goose aggregate daily bag limit for Canada
geese, white-fronted geese and brant is five, only one of which can be a brant. After Sept. 30, the daily limit for dark
geese is five, only three of which can be Canada geese and one of which can be a
brant.
In
simpler terms, hunters can harvest five dark geese per day in September, only one
of which can be a brant. All five dark
geese harvested could be Canada geese. After Sept. 30, hunters can still harvest five dark geese per day; however, only three can be Canada geese,
and only one can be a brant. Three Canada
geese can be harvested daily after Sept. 30, and the remainder of the aggregate
daily bag limit can be filled with two white-fronted geese or a white-fronted
goose and a brant.
The Michigan
Duck Hunters Association, in cooperation with the DNR, has introduced the
2018 special Governor’s Edition Michigan duck stamp and print. This special
edition features a pair of American wigeons in flight by wildlife artist
Christopher Smith with Governor Snyder’s signature. Only 100 copies of the
Governor’s Edition print are available, along with 200 copies of the special-edition stamp. In addition to the Governor’s Edition stamp, a standard version
of the 2018 Michigan duck stamp, featuring the artwork only without the governor’s signature, is available.
The Michigan Duck Hunters Association is
a nonprofit organization dedicated to waterfowl and wetland conservation.
Proceeds from stamp sales will be used to fund MDHA projects, with 10 percent
used to match DNR funding for purchasing wetlands. To learn more about the
waterfowl stamp program and how you can support conservation efforts in
Michigan through the purchase of collector’s-edition waterfowl stamps and
prints, please visit michigan.gov/waterfowl and click on
Additional Resources then Michigan Waterfowl Stamp Program.
The stamp is
a voluntary purchase and does not replace the state waterfowl hunting license.
MDHA will mail waterfowl hunters a free copy of the standard edition stamp
(subject to availability) if they send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with
a copy of their Michigan waterfowl hunting license to: MDHA Waterfowl Stamp
Program, P.O. Box 186, Kawkawlin, MI 48631.
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