be allowed totaled $25,000.00. The pro rata payment of damages is not acceptable to the farmers, and if some measure is not taken to minimize the damages inflicted upon crops, then you cannot blame the farmers if they employ measures which will reduce the flock to a point where little or no damage will result. Last It is proposed to harass the geese and thus drive them out of the area. fall airplanes were used to drive the geese out of the field, which met with very little success, but buzzing the field resulted in dairy and beef cattle being driven through barbed wire fences. These matters have been taken up with the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service at the Minneapolis level without results. Hence, when the Migratory Water Fowl Regulations are written for 1966-67, we urge you to pay very close attention to the requests contained in the petition. Very truly yours, To the U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. W. A. WAGNER. MARCH 7, 1966. We urge you to give consideration to our recommendations as set forth herein for the handling of the wild goose season for 1966: 1. For a hunting season to open between October 10 to 15, at a time when the corn is ready for harvesting and the farmer can commence picking corn, work in the corn field and thus keep the geese out of it. 2. For a season to close on the 15th day of November, even if hunting has to be done on an alternate day basis. 3. For a quota of 20,000 Canada geese, so that the season will surely be open during the time that the farmers pick their corn. 4. Reduce the bag limit to 1 Canada goose state wide. 5. Shooting hours in the special Horicon Marsh Zone from 8:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. 6. When it appears that the quota for the season is going to be reached before November 15, then close the state or public blinds so that the hunting can continue on the privately owned fields and thus keep the geese out of the corn fields. The foregoing regulations are an absolute necessity because: 1. The attempt to pay the farmers for damages done to the corn fields by the geese is a failure because the money is not forthcoming and thus the farmer has no money to purchase corn to replace the corn consumed by the geese. 2. Attempting to keep the geese out of the corn fields by the use of an airplane has not been effective, because the geese return after the airplane has left. The "buzzing" of fields has caused livestock to stampede and go through the wire fences, injure themselves, and do damage in adjoining fields. 3. From 100,000 to 200,000 Canada geese are too many for this area and enough food cannot be provided for them, and thus a quota of 20,000 is necessary to substantially reduce the flock in this flyway. 4. Is it fair to force the farmers in this area to take steps to protect their crops which do not meet the approval of the Service? If you don't act, the farmers will be compelled to take such steps as they deem necessary to protect their crops. (NOTE.-The 210 names attached to this petition, have been placed in the files of the subcommittee.) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, MEMORANDUM To: Director, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. From: Chairman, Bureau Waterfowl Regulations Committee. Subject: Recommendations for season frameworks and specific regulations pertaining to waterfowl, coots, and cranes, 1966-67 season. Having considered cast, and recomm ground and production data, the fall flight foreSate game department officials and of the Flyway Councils, we recommend season frameworks and certain specific provisions for the 1966-67 hunting season in the four flyways, as indicated on the attachments. There are based on a recommended objective to return an increased number of breeding birds to the breeding grounds next spring. We expect adequate water and favorable habitat conditions to continue. We believe the increased population of breeding birds with production commensurate with the better breeding conditions will be capable of producing a 1967 fall flight permitting a full bag of mallards. We have noted hunter response to the Federal, State and conservation agency efforts to improve hunter identification of waterfowl. We have recommended the daily shooting hours in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways begin 11⁄2 hour before sunrise. However, we recommend a sunrise opening be required for regular or special seasons in the future where closures on species are related to mixed species situations. NOBLE E. BUELL. PROPOSED 1966-67 SEASON FRAMEWORKS RECOMMENDED TO THE DIRECTOR BY THE BUREAU STAFF REGULATIONS COMMITTEE GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS All States are offered the privilege of selecting split seasons for ducks within any option, subject to a 10 percent penalty in the total number of shooting days. All States are offered the privilege of selecting split seasons for geese without penalty in the total number of shooting days. A concurrent open season for the taking of gallinules with coots is prescribed for the Pacific Flyway States. The daily shooting hours for taking waterfowl and coots in all Flyways, little brown cranes in the Central Flyway, and gallinules and Wilson's snipe in the Pacific Flyway are from 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset, including opening days. The outisde dates within which the States may select specific open season dates; the length of the open season and bag limit options; and other special restrictions or provisions are listed below by Flyway. ATLANTIC FLYWAY RECOMMENDATIONS Between the outside dates of Saturday, October 8, 1966, and Sunday, January 8, 1967, States in this Flyway may select concurrent open seasons on ducks and coots of (a) 50 consecutive days or a split season totaling 45 days with basic limits on ducks other than mergansers of 3 daily and 6 in possession, OR (b) 40 consecutive days or a split season totaling 36 days with basic limits en ducks other than mergansers of 4 daily and 8 in possession. The limits on coots are 10 daily and 20 in possession under either option. The daily bag limit on ducks other than mergansers may not include more of the following species than: (a) 2 wood ducks; and (b) 2 canvasbacks. The possession limit on ducks other than mergansers may not include more of the following species than: (a) 4 wood ducks; and (b) 4 canvasbacks. The limits on American, red-breasted, and hooded mergansers, in the aggregate of these species, are 5 daily and 10 in possession, of which not more than 1 daily and 2 in possession may be hooded mergansers. A bonus daily bag limit of 2 and a possession limit of 4 scaup and ringneck ducks, singly or in the aggregate of these species will be permitted during that portion of the regular open duck season that falls on or after November 15, 1966, in the entire States of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Applicable to the entire States of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. and Vermont; and applicable only to mutually agreed upon restricted areas in the States of Delaware. Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina. South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, the respective States may select, at their option, either of the following: 1. A bonus daily bag limit of 2 and a possession limit of 4 scaup and ringneck ducks, singly or in the aggregate of these species, during that portion of the regular open duck season that falls on or after November 15, 1966; or 2. Following the close of their regular duck season and between December 15, 1966, and January 8, 1967, a special open season on scaup and ringneck ducks of not to exceed 15 consecutive days with daily shooting hours from 11⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset and a daily bag limit of 5 and a possession limit of 10 scaup and ringneck ducks, singly or in the aggregate of these species. Under either of the above options, mutual agreement between the Bureau and the State concerned on the delineation of restricted areas must be reached not later than August 25, and the State must agree to describe, delineate and designate these areas as bonus or special season areas under the State hunting regulations adopted by the State concerned. An experimental open season for taking black ducks under authority of a special Federal permit will be allowed during the period from December 15, 1966, through January 8, 1967, on those lands and waters lying seaward from certain designated roads in the States of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire subject to the following conditions: 1. The regular duck season selected by the State has ended on or before December 14, 1966; 2. Every hunter must have been issued and carry on his person while hunting a special Federal black duck hunting permit to be furnished by the Bureau and issued without charge by the respective State game department; 3. Daily shooting hours are from 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset; and 4. The daily bag limit is 4 and the possession limit is 8 black ducks. That portion of the State of New York (Lake Champlain Area) lying east and north of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad tracks running south from the Canadian line to Whitehall and east to the New York-Vermont State line will take the waterfowl seasons and limits selected by Vermont; and the Long Island Area of New York will take the waterfowl seasons and limits selected by Connecticut. Between the outside dates of Saturday, October 1, 1966, and Sunday, January 15, 1967. States in this Flyway may select concurrent open seasons on geese (except snow geese) and brant of 70 consecutive days or a split season totaling 70 days with a daily bag limit of 2 geese and a possession limit of 4 geese, and a daily bag and possession limit of 6 brant: Provided, That there shall be no open season for taking geese and brant in McIntosh and Liberty Counties of Georgia. The shooting of crippled waterfowl from a motorboat under power will be permitted during regular and special seasons on those coastal waters and all waters of rivers and streams lying seaward from the first upstream bridge in the States of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut; and in those coastal waters of New York State lying in Long Island and Block Island Sounds and the waters of Gardiner's Bay lying east of a line from the Long Beach Bay lighthouse to the most easterly point of Ram Head on Shelter Island to the Cedar Point light; but not including any coastal waters of New York lying south of Long Island. MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY RECOMMENDATIONS Between the outside dates of Saturday, October 8, 1966, and Sunday, January 8, 1967, States in this Flyway may select concurrent open seasons on ducks and coots of 40 consecutive days or a split season totaling 36 days with basic limits on ducks other than mergansers of 4 daily and 8 in possession. The daily bag limit on coots is 10 and the possession limit is 20. The daily bag limit of ducks other than mergansers may not include more of the following species than: (a) 2 wood ducks: (b) 2 canvasbacks; and (e) 2 mallards. The possession limit may not include more of the following species than: (a) 4 wood ducks; (b) 4 canvasbacks; and (e) 4 mallards. The limits on American, red-breasted, and hooded mergansers, in the aggregate of these species, are 5 daily and 10 in possession, of which not more than 1 daily and 2 in possession may be hooded mergansers. In that portion of the State of Louisiana lying south of U.S. Highway 190, a daily bag limit of 2 and a possession limit of 4 seaup ducks is permitted in addition to the basic limits on ducks other than mergansers. During that portion of the regular open duck season falling on and after November 1 in the entire States of Minnesota and Wisconsin and in those mutually agreed upon areas of the States of Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri described, delineated, and designated as bonus scaup areas under the State hunting regulations adopted by the State concerned, a daily bag limit of 2 and a possession limit of 4 scaup and ringneck ducks, singly or in the aggregate of these species, will be permitted in addition to the basic limits on ducks other than mergansers. Between the outside dates of Saturday, October 1, 1966, and Sunday, January 15, 1967, all States in this Flyway may select an open season on geese of 70 consecutive days or a split season totaling 70 days with a daily bag and possession limit of 5 geese: Provided, That there shall be no open season for taking geese in Issaquena, Lafayette, Panola Sharke, and Washington Counties of Mississippi and in Dyer, Lauderdale, Shelby, and Tipton Counties of Tennessee; and there shall be no open season on Canada geese in the States of Arkansas and Louisiana. The daily bag and possession limits may not include, in the alternative, more of the following species than: (a) 2 Canada geese or subspecies; (b) 2 whitefronted geese, or (c) 1 Canada goose or subspecies and 1 white-fronted goose. In the State of Illinois, the kill of Canada geese will be limited to a total of 20,000 birds. In the State of Wisconsin, the kill of Canada geese will be limited to a total of 14,000 birds. In the Missouri Swan Lake Quota Area (same description as last year), the kill of Canada geese will be limited to 21,500 birds. Missouri may select separate open seasons of 70 days for each of the following areas: Swan Lake Area; Squaw Creek Area (same description as last year); and the remainder of the State. In the Squaw Creek Area of Missouri, Canada geese may be taken only during the first 30 days of the open season selected for this area and the daily bag limit in this area will be 1 Canada goose and the possession limit 2. When it has been determined by the Director, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, that the quota of Canada geese allotted for any State or area will have been killed in that State or area, the season for taking Canada geese therein will be closed by the Director upon having given public notice thereof through local information media no less than 48 hours in advance of the time and day of closing of the season. CENTRAL FLYWAY RECOMMENDATIONS Between the outside dates of Saturday, October 8, 1966, and Sunday, January 8, 1967, States in this Flyway may select concurrent open seasons on ducks and coots of 50 consecutive days or a split season totaling 45 days with basic limits on ducks other than mergansers of 4 daily and 8 in possession. The daily bag limit on coots is 10 and the possession limit is 20. The daily bag limit of ducks other than mergansers may not include more of the following species than: (a) 2 wood ducks; (b) 2 canvasbacks; and (c) 2 mallards. The possession limit may not include more of the following species than: (a) 4 wood ducks; (b) 4 canvasbacks; and (c) 4 mallards. In the Colorado Counties of Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, and Rio Grande, and those portions of Sagauche, Hinsdale, and Mineral Counties lying east of the Continental Divide, a experimental open season on ducks and coots under authority of a special Federal permit is prescribed from October 1, 1966, through October 18, 1966, with a daily bag limit of 5 and a possession limit of 10 ducks and coots in the aggregate of both. The daily bag limit may not include more than 2 canvasbacks and the possession limit may not include more than 4 canvasbacks. Daily shooting hours are from 1⁄2 hour before sunrise until sunset, including opening day. Between the outside dates of Saturday, October 1, 1966, and Sunday, January 15, 1967, all States in this Flyway may select an open season on geese of 75 consecutive days or a split season totaling 75 days with a daily bag and possession limit of 5 geese. The daily bag and possession limit may not include more of the following species than: (a) 1 Ross's goose; and (b) in the alternative, 1 white-fronted goose; 1 white-fronted goose and 1 Canada goose or subspecies; or 2 Canada geese or subspecies. No open season is prescribed for taking snow, blue, or Ross's geese in the Montana Counties of Beaverhead, Gallatin, and Madison. No open season is prescribed for the taking of geese in portions of Conejos, Alamosa, Rio Grande, and Mineral Counties of Colorado (area description as recommended by Colorado). The States of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming will be allowed to select open seasons on waterfowl, coots, and gallinules in accordance with the frameworks for the Pacific Flyway or portions of these States as follows: (a) those portions of the States of Colorado and Wyoming lying west of the Continental Divide; (b) that portion of New Mexico lying west of the Continental Divide plus the entire area of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation; and (c) the Montana Counties of Hill, Chouteau, Cascade, Meager, and Park and all Counties west thereof, An open season of 30 consecutive days on little brown cranes with a daily bag of 2 and possession limit of 4 cranes is prescribed between Saturday, October 29, 1966, and Sunday, November 27, 1966, in the New Mexico Counties of Chaves, Curry, De Baca, Eddy, Lea, Quay, and Roosevelt, and in that portion of Texas lying west of a line from the International Toll Bridge at Del Rio, Val Verde County; thence northward following U.S. Highway 277 to its junction with U.S. Highway 87 at San Angelo, Tom Green County; thence northwesterly following Highway 87 to the junction with Highway 287 at Dumas, Moore County; thence northwesterly following Highway 287 to the point of intersection with TexasOklahoma State line in Dallam County. PACIFIC FLYWAY RECOMMENDATIONS Except for those portions of the States of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho included in the Columbia Basin Area, States in this Flyway may, between the outside dates of Saturday, October 8, 1966, and Sunday, January 8, 1967, select concurrent open seasons on ducks, coots, and gallinules of (a) 90 consecutive days or a split season totaling 81 days with basic limits on ducks of all species except mergansers of 4 daily and 8 in possession or a daily bag and possession limit of 5 ducks; OR (b) 75 consecutive days or a split season totaling 68 days with basic limits on ducks of all species except mergansers of 5 daily and 10 in possession or a daily bag and possession limit of 6 ducks. The daily bag limit on ducks other than mergansers may not include more of the following species than: (a) 2 wood ducks; and (b) 2 canvasbacks. The possession limit on ducks other than mergansers may not include more of the following species than: (a) 4 wood ducks; and (b) 4 canvasbacks. In the Columbia Basin Areas of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho (same areas as last year), States may select concurrent open seasons for ducks, coots, and gallinutes of 100 consecutive days between the dates of October 8, 1966, and January 99, 1967, with basic limits on ducks of all species except mergansers of 6 daily and 12 in possession. In these areas the daily shooting hours for ducks, coots, and gallinules are from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. The limits on American, red-breasted, and hooded mergansers, in the aggregate of these species, are 3 daily and 10 in possession, of which not more than 1 daily and 9 in possession may be hooded mergansers. The daily bag and possession limit on coots and gallinules is 25, singly or in the aggregate of these species. Between the outside dates of Saturday, October 8, 1966, and Sunday, January 8, 1967. States in this Flyway may select an open season on geese of 90 consecutive days or a split season totaling 90 days with a basic daily bag and possession limit on geese collectively of 6. In all States in the Flyway, the daily bag limit may not include more than 8 geese of the dark species: Provided, That in the entire States of Arizona and Viah, in Clark County, Nevada, in the Idaho Counties of Bear Lake, Bonneville, and Caribou, and in these portions of the States of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico placed in the Pacific Flyway, the daily bag and possession limit may not include more than 2 Canada geese or subspecies thereof. In that portion of California Fish and Game District No. 22 for which California selects the open sewson, the open season for taking Canada geese shall close on December SA 1988 and the daily bag and possession limits may not include more than 1 Canada goose or subspecies thereof. No open season on snow, blue, and Ross's grewe is prescribed in the Idabo Counties of Clark, Madison. Fremont, and Teron 1 States in the Flyway, the daily bag and possession limit on geese |