Waterfowl hunging in New Brunswick

Migratory Bird Permit and Conservation stamp

Approximately 200,000 Migratory Game Bird Permits and Conservation stamps are sold each year in Canada, with the funds from the Conservation Stamp being used to support conservation activities carried out to create or maintain migratory game bird habitat, with the conservation activities being carried out by Wildlife Habitat Canada and other organizations. The revenue from the permits is used by the government of Canada to manage how many migratory birds are harvested, as well as ensuring there are healthy populations of each species. A migratory game bird permit and conservation stamp is required to hunt waterfowl in New Brunswick, along with a valid provincial hunting license.

Flyway information

Waterfowl follow what are known as flyways when they are migrating to breeding grounds or wintering areas. Each fall, millions of ducks and geese will migrate south, following a flyway. Research was conducted to identify flyways that birds were using, with bands being put on birds and then recording where the birds were located either when harvested or re-spotted. By doing this, four major flyways were identified. These flyways are the Atlantic Flyway, Central Flyway, Pacific Flyway and the Mississippi Flyway. New Brunswick is located in the Atlantic Flyway along with other provinces such as Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. The Atlantic Flyway spans more than three thousand miles. The most common species of geese found on the Atlantic Flyway is Canada Geese, with a resident population on the flyway of approximately 933,300 in 2017. The number of geese in the North Atlantic population, which is more specific to the location of New Brunswick, was estimated to be around 47,000. These are the most common species found in New Brunswick, however, Greater Snow Geese also migrate on the Atlantic Flyway, so it is possible for them to be found in portions of New Brunswick as well. The estimated population for Greater Snow Geese found in the Atlantic Flyway was approximately 747,000 in the spring of 2017. There are many species of ducks found in New Brunswick, including popular species such as mallards and American black ducks. Other species that may be found in New Brunswick include green-wing teal, blue-wing teal, a variety of sea ducks, mergansers, and some northern pintail.

Waterfowl regulations in New Brunswick

Zones

Waterfowl hunting is carried out in two separate zones in New Brunswick, with Zone No. 1 being “Saint John County south of No. 1 Highway and west of Saint John Harbour, that part of Charlotte County lying south of No. 1 Highway, and the Grand Manan Islands and Campobello Island, except the following area, which is closed to hunting: the area in the Bay of Fundy known as The Wolves, including the surrounding waters” and Zone 2 being “The remainder of the Province of New Brunswick, except the following, which are closed to hunting: the estuary of the Tabusintac River; Bathurst Basin and most of Bathurst Harbour (two islands remain open); and the Dalhousie shoreline from the eastern tip of Dalhousie Island to the mouth of the Miller Brook and extending one kilometre offshore”.

Seasons

There are several different seasons in New Brunswick depending on which zone is being hunted and depending on what species is being targeted. There were open seasons in New Brunswick in 2017-2018 for the following species: ducks and snipe, a separate season for Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Long-Tailed Ducks, eiders and scoters, a season for geese, as well as one for American woodcock. Also, each year there is a Waterfowler Heritage Day that allows young hunters to get outdoors and practice their hunting skills, to learn about wildlife conservation and to reinforce the safety training they have received. Adult licensed hunters supervise the youth on this hunt, but they cannot participate in the hunt on that day if they are mentoring.

Bag limits

There are bag limits in place on most of the species that can be hunted. 6 ducks can be bagged per day, and there is a possession limit of 18 birds. For the long-tailed ducks, mergansers, eiders and scoters there is a bag limit of 6 with a possession limit of 12 birds. For geese, there are 2 seasons, an early and late season, with varying bag limits. For the early season 8 geese can be harvested per day, while in the late season only 5 can be harvested. There is a possession limit of 16 for geese. There are also bag limits for other species such as American Woodcock and Snipe. There are exceptions for some species that can be harvested, such as black ducks, of which you can only harvest three. These bag limits are set to make sure that the harvest of the waterfowl is sustainable. There is no open season for Harlequin ducks.

Also, one other important regulation is that only non-toxic shot is allowed for use when waterfowl hunting in New Brunswick, with lead shot being prohibited.

More information on the regulations on waterfowl hunting in New Brunswick can be found in the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1994 and the Migratory Birds Regulations.

Waterfowl gear

Blinds

There are a number of types of blinds that are used to hunt waterfowl. These include layout blinds, a-frame blinds, pit blinds, and permanent blinds built on marshes. Of all the types of blinds, layout blinds and a-frame blinds are considered to be more effective than the other blinds to use. Hunters use natural vegetation to hide their blinds in the field or on the edges of ponds in order to remain hidden from the waterfowl.

Decoys

There is quite a variety of decoys that can be used for waterfowl hunting. The purpose of using decoys is to make the area being hunted look as natural as possible, and to draw the birds in close enough to the hunters so that they are able to make clean, ethical shots. Often where the hunt is taking place as well as how many birds are being hunted can have a significant effect on the type and number of decoys used. Some of the most common types of decoys used for goose hunting are full bodies, floaters, shells, goose socks, goose flags and silhouette decoys. Types of decoys that are often used to hunt geese in New Brunswick are shell decoys, full body decoys, silhouette decoys and flags are also used for getting the attention of geese. For hunting geese and ducks over water, the most common types of decoys used are floating decoys. Full body, silhouette, and spinning or mojo decoys are also made for hunting ducks. Generally, floaters and mojos are used on water and all the other types would be used in a field.

Calls

There are several types of calls that are normally used, with many different brands on the market. The three major types of calls used for hunting geese are: resonant chamber calls, flute calls, and short-reed calls. The resonant chamber calls are easy to use but are limited on the range of notes that can be produced from them. Flute calls are more difficult to use but are able to produce a wider range of goose sounds and sound more realistic. Short-reed calls are able re-create the widest range of Canada goose sounds of all the types of calls, but these calls require a lot of practice for hunters to use them skillfully. Calls are also used for duck hunting, but these calls are similar regardless of brand.

Shotguns

There are several kinds of shotguns used by waterfowlers, but the most common types would be pump-action or semi-auto. These are capable of firing more than one shot at the birds that are being hunted. In New Brunswick a shotgun cannot be used for waterfowl hunting unless there is a plug in the magazine ensuring that no more than three shots can be fired from the gun.

References

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