Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

It’s good to have choices, and the Hunter’s Choice program offered duck hunters just that last season, and again this season. While Hunter’s Choice reduces the overall daily bag limit to five birds — down from six – it increases the species hunters may harvest by eliminating season within a season.

So now [for example] rather than having a pintail season that only runs for 39 days, you can shoot a pintail every day [of the 74 day season]. So, if you’re out there hunting, you shoot a pintail…you can’t shoot a mallard hen; you can’t shoot a canvasback; and you can’t shoot a mottle duck. It’s an aggregate bag. It’s something we’re looking at as trying to look at a different way of approaching bag limits.

Dave Morrison, waterfowl program leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Before you go hunting, it’s a given you should know how to identify ducks. With Hunter’s Choice, a case of mistaken identity is less likely to land you in hot water.

You don’t know what it is – you shoot a pintail. Well, with season within a season, if you did it in the first part of the season – you’re in trouble. This, at least, allows you the opportunity that if you do make a mistake – I can take that bird home. But you need to learn your ducks. Try to learn how to identify them.

That’s our show for today…our series receives support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program… working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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