waterfowl survey - would you want south and coastal zones combined?

[mazzgolf]

You all get that waterfowl survey? Some interesting questions they are asking. I'm still trying to decide about this one (I hunt south and coastal myself - which would be combined into one lower zone) - what are the thoughts on options A or B?

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Below are 2 choices with maps and 2023-24 real (3 zones; 2 segments) and potential (2 zones; 3 segments) season dates.  Note that the potential, 2 zone, 3 segment alignment, retains the existing North Zone (renamed “Upper Zone”), and combines the existing South and Coastal Zones (renamed “Lower Zone”) into 1 zone.   For the 2023-24 season, the table below indicates the number of days available for duck hunting both for hunters who stay in one zone and for hunters who cross zones.

23. Which of the following zone and split options would you prefer for New Jersey duck seasons for the 2026 to 2031 hunting seasons?
( ) I would prefer Option A (status quo) that uses 3 zones and 2 season segments
( ) I would prefer Option B (new alignment) that uses 2 zones and 3 season segments

 

[rgw]

I want coastal to go as late as possible so “a” for me

[rgw]

If you get a deep freeze for a week or two you will be wishing for those extra 10 days 

[vdep217]

A.  As already stated coastal gets good when inland freezes.  My best days ice had to break ice to make open water on the bay

[mazzgolf]

That was my initial thought - I want the extra 10 days. But I also hunt spots in the south zone.. and looking at the proposal, it means those spots are open an extra week at the end (where before we had to stop hunting the south spots and could only hunt coastal that last week).

I'm trying to figure out what you lose with B. Let's see... you lose the week of 6-day (which is fine for me, I normally don't waterfowl that week anyway) and you lose 3 days at the end (you end on Jan 24 versus Jan 27). But with the new proposal, you get to hunt anywhere in the south/coastal up through that Jan 24 date.

[mazzgolf]

8 minutes ago, rgw said:

get a deep freeze

 

Just now, vdep217 said:

coastal gets good when inland freezes

Hmm.. good points. Most of my south spots are unhuntable after a good freeze, so having the option to hunt them is moot when/if that happens.

[vdep217]

It's the same reason many waterfowlers are against sunday gun hunting.  You would loose 7 to 10 days of prime time

[mazzgolf]

I'm starting to like B the more I look at it.

Those extra 10 days is only meaningful if you hunt both north and south zones (north starts a week earlier, so there's 7 days right there). They also include 6-day as in-season dates, but for those who don't hunt waterfowl during buck week, those are just wasted days. And in status quo, you get a couple days in early November that the new proposal doesn't get you (but I'm not concerned about those 3 days personally - I'd rather hunt coastal during Dec/Jan).

But per zone, you still get 60 days of hunting in either proposal.

For the combination of south+coastal, you only lose 3 days (mainly because they move the days they take away during 6-day - but me,  personally, I don't hunt waterfowl during 6-day so moving those days by tacking them on the end is preferable).

And it gives you the flexibility to hunt anywhere from the DE river to coastal (and I do hunt both of those, and in-between). The status quo, you lose a week of DE river and south hunting at the end (coastal today extends one week past south zone).

[Bubblehead]

Definitely keep it the way it is. 
 

another factor is the types of birds killed in the 2 zones.  Not much happening in the coastal zone in October so those days are wasted. Maybe a few teal but not much there. Meanwhile in the south zone there are loads of teal and wood ducks in the south zone. Our zones and 80+ days to hunt per year is one of the best of hunting waterfowl in this state. Can’t imagine giving up 10 days a year for no reason

[chenrossi]

43 minutes ago, Bubblehead said:

Definitely keep it the way it is. 
 

another factor is the types of birds killed in the 2 zones.  Not much happening in the coastal zone in October so those days are wasted. Maybe a few teal but not much there. Meanwhile in the south zone there are loads of teal and wood ducks in the south zone. Our zones and 80+ days to hunt per year is one of the best of hunting waterfowl in this state. Can’t imagine giving up 10 days a year for no reason

I'd prefer to see the 10 days "lost" put into a statewide early teal season in a perfect world somehow. 

[TroutandBucks]

A for me as well

[mazzgolf]

Yeah, hunters who hunt both north and south zones are going to want A.

What I would like them to do is remove 6-day days from the season and tack them on to the end of the season in January (regardless of keeping 3 zones or going to 2). I'd rather have those extra days in January, as opposed to early December (and some duck hunters are deer hunting that week anyway).

[Bubblehead]

3 hours ago, chenrossi said:

I'd prefer to see the 10 days "lost" put into a statewide early teal season in a perfect world somehow. 

A teal season would be nice. I’d like to have the 85 day regular season and a 14 day teal season in a perfect world. Not sure what would have to happen to have a teal season for NJ

[Bubblehead]

1 hour ago, mazzgolf said:

Yeah, hunters who hunt both north and south zones are going to want A.

What I would like them to do is remove 6-day days from the season and tack them on to the end of the season in January (regardless of keeping 3 zones or going to 2). I'd rather have those extra days in January, as opposed to early December (and some duck hunters are deer hunting that week anyway).

6 day firearm is one of the best times to duck hunt. Way less competition out on the marsh. Deer season is 6 months long already let’s not make decisions about ducks based on a season that’s 150+ days long in this state 

[chenrossi]

11 minutes ago, Bubblehead said:

6 day firearm is one of the best times to duck hunt. Way less competition out on the marsh. Deer season is 6 months long already let’s not make decisions about ducks based on a season that’s 150+ days long in this state 

By far one of my favorite weeks. Don't give away that secret lol. 

 

13 minutes ago, Bubblehead said:

A teal season would be nice. I’d like to have the 85 day regular season and a 14 day teal season in a perfect world. Not sure what would have to happen to have a teal season for NJ

I have heard a couple conflicting things, but what goes on in MD, and I think PA make sense if true. It boils down to unplugged gun. I don't reckon in PA during Sept goose you can have an unplugged gun because of concurrent dove. IMO, we should be no different. And MD splits their teal/goose (2 weeks of goose, then 2 weeks of teal) I think.. I think dove-related stuff is separate. We don't have a dove season so thats a moot point. 

You'd think being California of the east we could be so blessed with such liberal seasons as them. Lol