2021-22 Waterfowl Season recommendation

[azdukhuntr]

Here is the AZGFD season recommendation that the Commission will likely approve at their April meeting. Pretty much the same as last season. Let's hope we have a long COLD/SNOWY winter in all the states north of us.

As a side note the American Ornithological Society has designation the Mexican duck as a separate species removing it from the Mallard classification. Not sure if or how this might affect future bag/possession limit regulations.


Commission Order 21: Waterfowl
General Waterfowl
Open Areas do not include areas within municipal parks, municipal preserves, county parks, county preserves, airports, golf courses, or posted
water treatment facilities (except as specifically opened in this Commission Order) or areas closed to hunting under A.R.S. Sections 17-303 and
17-304 or Commission Rules R12-4-321, R12-4-801, R12-4-802 and R12-4-803.

Season Dates Notes Open Areas Legal Wildlife
Oct 23, 2021 – Jan 31, 2022 (1,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12, Desert Zone: those portions of Units 6 and 8 within Ducks including mergansers, coots, and
13,14,15,16,17,18,19, Yavapai County and Units 10 and 12B through 46B common moorhens (gallinules); including
20,22,23,24) white geese (snow, blue and Ross') and
dark geese (Canada, cackling, Brant and
white-fronted); excluding scaup

Oct 1, 2021 – Jan 9, 2022 (2,3,4,7,21,22,25,26,27) Mountain Zone: Units 1–5, 7, 9, 11M, 12A and those Ducks including mergansers, coots, and
portions of Units 6 and 8 within Coconino County common moorhens (gallinules); including
white geese (snow, blue and Ross') and
dark geese (Canada, cackling, Brant and
white-fronted); excluding scaup

Nov 7, 2021 – Jan 31, 2022 (1,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12, Desert Zone: those portions of Units 6 and 8 within Scaup
13,14,15,16,17,18,19, Yavapai County and Units 10 and 12B through 46B
20,22,23,24)

Oct 16, 2021 – Jan 9, 2022 (2,3,4,7,21,22,25,26,27) Mountain Zone: Units 1–5, 7, 9, 11M, 12A and those Scaup
portions of Units 6 and 8 within Coconino County

SHOOTING HOURS: One-half hour before sunrise until sunset.
BAG LIMIT: The daily bag limit of ducks, including mergansers: Seven (7) per day not to include more than: two (2) redheads; one (1) pintail; two
(2) canvasback; two (2) scaup; one (1) black-bellied whistling duck; and seven (7) mallards, no more than two (2) of which may be female or
Mexican-like ducks. Coots and common moorhens (gallinules): Twenty-five (25) per day, singly or in the aggregate. Geese: Twenty (20) white
geese (snow, including blue and Ross’ goose) per day and four (4) dark geese (Canada, cackling, Brant and white-fronted) per day.

FALCONRY BAG LIMIT: See Falconry-Only section.

POSSESSION LIMIT: The possession limit of ducks including mergansers: Twenty-one (21) after opening day, only seven (7) of which may be
taken any one day, but no more than:
a. six (6) redheads
b. six (6) female mallards or Mexican-like ducks
c. three (3) pintails
d. six (6) scaup
e. six (6) canvasbacks
f. three (3) black-bellied whistling ducks
Coots and common moorhens (gallinules): Seventy-five (75).
Geese: Sixty (60) white geese (snow, including blue and Ross’ goose) and twelve (12) dark geese (Canada, cackling, Brant and white-fronted).

FALCONRY POSSESSION LIMIT: See Falconry-Only section.

Youth-Only Waterfowl
Open Areas do not include areas within municipal parks, municipal preserves, county parks, county preserves, airports, golf courses, or posted
water treatment facilities (except as specifically opened in this Commission Order) or areas closed to hunting under A.R.S. Sections 17-303 and
17-304 or Commission Rules R12-4-321, R12-4-801, R12-4-802 and R12-4-803.

Season Dates Notes Open Areas Legal Wildlife
Feb 5 – Feb 6, 2022 (1,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12, Desert Zone: those portions of Units 6 and 8 within Ducks including mergansers, coots, and
13,14,15,16,17,18,19, Yavapai County and Units 10 and 12B through 46B common moorhens (gallinules); including
20,22,23,24) white geese (snow, blue and Ross') and
dark geese (Canada, cackling, Brant and
white-fronted)

Sep 25 – 26, 2021 (2,3,4,7,21,22,25,26,27) Mountain Zone: Units 1–5, 7, 9, 11M, 12A, and those Ducks including mergansers, coots, and
portions of Units 6 and 8 within Coconino County common moorhens (gallinules); including
white geese (snow, blue and Ross') and
dark geese (Canada, cackling, Brant and
white-fronted)

SHOOTING HOURS: One-half hour before sunrise until sunset.
BAG LIMIT: The daily bag limit of ducks, including mergansers: Seven (7) per day not to include more than: two (2) redheads; one (1) pintail; two
(2) canvasback; two (2) scaup; one (1) black-bellied whistling duck; and seven (7) mallards, no more than two (2) of which may be female or
Mexican-like ducks. Coots and common moorhens (gallinules): Twenty-five (25) per day, singly or in the aggregate. Geese: Twenty (20) white
geese (snow, including blue and Ross’ goose) per day and four (4) dark geese (Canada, cackling, Brant and white-fronted) per day.
POSSESSION LIMIT: The possession limit of ducks including mergansers: Fourteen (14) after opening day, only seven (7) of which may be taken
any one day, but no more than:
a. four (4) redheads
b. four (4) female mallards or Mexican-like ducks
c. two (2) pintails
d. four (4) scaup
e. four (4) canvasbacks
f. three (3) black-bellied whistling ducks
Coots and common moorhens (gallinules): Fifty (50) singly or in the aggregate.
Geese: Forty (40) white geese (snow, including blue and Ross’ goose) and eight (8) dark geese (Canada, cackling, Brant and white-fronted).

[azducknquail]

Man, talk about a generous season. You can hunt ducks in Arizona from October 1st through January 31st, 7 bird limit, no splits. My wife is going to cringe....

Joe - thanks for posting these up! Its been a little dead since the season but I hear theres talks of a duck meetup in the next month or so.

Its a shame there is still a 1-pintail limit. They have better science and management guidelines available that paint a different picture than trying to return to pre 1970's and no-till farming population.

I had more pintails land in the decoys unscathed most days than ducks I shot haha

[HAC]

Thanks azdukhuntr for posting the info now Oct can't get here fast enough

[azdukhuntr]

It seems the pintail nesting habits and the change in farming practices are the leading causes for the decline in their numbers. I don't think the ducks or the farmers will be changing the way they do things anytime soon to reverse the downward trend so it looks like we will be stuck with a 1 pintail limit for the foreseeable future. At least with mallards we can help boost the hen's nesting success by putting up more henhouses.

Like I mentioned in the original post, I'm praying for a cold/wet winter from Canada to Mexico for the upcoming season.

Unless somebody spearheads a "get together" in the next 2-3 weeks I'll have to miss out again because come May 1st till September dove season I'll be in Show Low working and fishing my favorite lake for catfish and small mouth bass.