The Natural Resources Board today approved an early teal season and extended dove season in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will offer an early teal-only duck hunting season that will begin September 2014. In addition, 20 days will be added to the end of the current 70-day dove hunting season.
“We are excited to offer these new hunting opportunities to Wisconsin’s 130,000 migratory game bird hunters,” said DNR migratory game bird ecologist Kent Van Horn. “Duck hunters have repeatedly asked DNR staff to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to secure this opportunity and after several years of hard work we are finally to the point of implementation.”
Framework established by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service requires an early teal season to be scheduled in September prior to Wisconsin’s regular duck season. Only teal species may be harvested during this period.
The department will be required to monitor and report hunter performance throughout the experimental three-year period – this will help determine the success of an early teal season.
The Natural Resources Board has approved the following season structure:
- early teal season will be open Sept. 1-7;
- only blue-winged and green-winged teal may be harvested;
- daily bag limit of six teal;
- shooting hours on opening day (Sept. 1) will begin at 9 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.; and
- shooting hours from Sept. 2-7 will begin at sunrise and close at 7 p.m.
The dove hunting season in Wisconsin will be changed from the current Sept. 1 to Nov. 9 schedule to a longer season, open from Sept. 1 to Nov. 29.
During 2013 and early 2014, DNR staff presented information in public meetings, advisory committee meetings and special breakout sessions at the waterfowl hunter’s conference and gathered feedback with a waterfowl hunter survey. The department collected public comment regarding the opportunity to offer teal and dove season changes through June 5, 2014.
In order to ensure that teal are easily recognized by hunters, the department’s waterfowl webpagewill feature an online teal identification application and quiz within the next few weeks.
For more information regarding an early teal season, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “teal proposal.” For more information regarding dove hunting in Wisconsin, search keyword “dove.”