AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) prescribes final frameworks from which States may select season dates, limits, and other options for the 2020-21 migratory bird hunting seasons. We annually prescribe frameworks, or outer limits, for dates and times when hunting may occur and the number of birds that may be taken and possessed in hunting seasons. These frameworks are necessary to allow State selections of seasons and limits and to allow harvest at levels compatible with migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions. Migratory game bird hunting seasons provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance, and aid Federal, State, and Tribal governments in the management of migratory game birds.

DATES:

This rule takes effect on August 21, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

States should send their season selections to: Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: MB, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803. You may inspect comments received on the migratory bird hunting regulations at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2019-0004. You may obtain copies of referenced reports from the street address above, or from the Division of Migratory Bird Management's website at http://www.fws.gov/​migratorybirds/​, or at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2019-0004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jerome Ford, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, (202) 208-1050.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Process for Establishing Annual Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations

As part of the Department of the Interior's 2015 retrospective regulatory review, we changed our process for developing migratory game bird hunting regulations with the goal of enabling the State agencies to select and publish their season dates earlier than was allowed under the prior process. We provided a detailed overview of this process in the August 3, 2017, Federal Register (82 FR 36308). This final rule is the third in a series of proposed and final rules that establish regulations for the 2020-21 migratory bird hunting season.

Regulations Schedule for 2020

On October 15, 2019, we published in the Federal Register (84 FR 55120) a proposal to amend title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at part 20. The proposal provided a background and overview of the migratory bird hunting regulations process, and addressed the establishment of seasons, limits, and other regulations for hunting migratory game birds under §§ 20.101 through 20.107, 20.109, and 20.110 of subpart K. Major steps in the 2020-21 regulatory cycle relating to open public meetings and Federal Register notifications were illustrated in the diagram at the end of the October 15, 2019, proposed rule. For this regulatory cycle, we combined elements of the document that is described in the diagram as Supplemental Proposals with the document that is described as Proposed Season Frameworks.

Further, the October 15, 2019, proposed rule set forth a list of numbered headings under which all subsequent hunting frameworks and guidelines would be organized (see 84 FR 55122). Because each of the regulatory documents in this rulemaking cycle includes only those numbered items requiring attention, the list of remaining numbered items appears incomplete.

We provided the meeting dates and locations for the Service Regulations Committee (SRC) and Flyway Council meetings on Flyway calendars posted on our website at https://www.fws.gov/​birds/​management/​flyways.php. On October 8-9, 2019, we held open meetings with the Flyway Council Consultants, at which the participants reviewed information on the current status of migratory game birds and developed recommendations for the 2020-21 regulations for these species. The October 15, 2019, proposed rule provided detailed information on the proposed 2020-21 regulatory schedule and announced the SRC meetings.

On March 19, 2020, we published in the Federal Register (85 FR 15870) the proposed frameworks for the 2020-21 season migratory bird hunting regulations. We have considered all pertinent comments received through the close of the comment period on April 20, 2020, which includes comments submitted in response to our October 15 and March 19 proposed rulemaking documents and comments from the October SRC meeting. This document establishes final frameworks for migratory bird hunting regulations for the 2020-21 season and includes no substantive changes from the March 19, 2020, proposed rule. We will publish State selections in the Federal Register as amendments to §§ 20.101 through 20.107 and 20.109 of title 50 CFR part 20.

Population Status and Harvest

Each year we publish reports that provide detailed information on the status and harvest of certain migratory gamebird species. These reports are available at the address indicated under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or from our website at https://www.fws.gov/​birds/​surveys-and-data/​reports-and-publications/​population-status.php.

We used the following annual reports published in August 2019 in the development of proposed frameworks for the migratory bird hunting regulations: Adaptive Harvest Management, 2020 Hunting Season; American Woodcock Population Status, 2019; Band-tailed Pigeon Population Status, 2019; Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest During the 2017-18 and 2018-19 Hunting Seasons; Mourning Dove Population Status, 2019; Status and Harvests of Sandhill Cranes, Mid-continent, Rocky Mountain, Lower Colorado River Valley and Eastern Populations, 2019; and Waterfowl Population Status, 2019.

Our long-term objectives continue to include providing opportunities to harvest portions of certain migratory game bird populations and to limit harvests to levels compatible with each population's ability to maintain healthy, viable numbers. Having taken into account the zones of temperature and the distribution, abundance, economic value, breeding habits, and times and lines of flight of migratory birds, we conclude that the hunting seasons provided for herein are compatible with the current status of migratory bird populations and long-term population goals. Additionally, we are obligated to, and do, give serious consideration to all information received during the public comment period.

Review of Public Comments and Flyway Council Recommendations

The preliminary proposed rulemaking, which appeared in the October 15, 2019, Federal Register (84 FR 55120), opened the public comment period for migratory game bird hunting regulations and described the proposed regulatory alternatives for the 2020-21 duck hunting season. Comments and recommendations are summarized below and numbered in the order set forth in the October 15, 2019, proposed rule.

We received recommendations from all four Flyway Councils. Some recommendations supported continuation of last year's frameworks. Due to the comprehensive nature of the annual review of the frameworks performed by the Councils, support for continuation of last year's frameworks is assumed for items for which no recommendations were received. Council recommendations for changes in the frameworks are summarized below. As explained earlier in this document, we have included only the numbered items pertaining to issues for which we received recommendations. Consequently, the issues do not follow in successive numerical order.

General

Written Comments: Several (11) commenters protested the entire migratory bird hunting regulations process, the killing of all migratory birds, and questioned the status and habitat data on which the migratory bird hunting regulations are based. Several (6) commenters were opposed to making any regulatory changes, and one commenter supported the proposed regulations. Several (4) commenters expressed interest in a longer duck season in the Pacific and Mississippi Flyways; two commenters expressed support for additional youth hunting opportunity or youth waterfowl hunting longer than one day and more than one week before the regular duck season; and one commenter expressed concern that penalties for regulation violations may be inadequate to dissuade violations.

Service Response: As we indicated above under Population Status and Harvest our long-term objectives continue to include providing opportunities to harvest portions of certain migratory game bird populations and to limit harvests to levels compatible with each population's ability to maintain healthy, viable numbers. We have taken into account available information and considered public comments and continue to believe that the hunting seasons provided for herein are compatible with the current status of migratory bird populations and long-term population goals. The Flyway Council system of migratory bird management has been a longstanding example of State—Federal cooperative management since its establishment in 1952. However, as always, we continue to seek new ways to streamline and improve the process.

In regard to longer duck seasons, we develop duck hunting regulations cooperatively with the four Flyway Councils and use an adaptive harvest management (AHM) decision framework that allows selection of the optimal regulation each year based on agreed-upon objectives, regulatory alternatives, population models, observed and expected harvest, habitat conditions, and the status of duck populations (see 1. Ducks, below, for more details on the process for establishing duck hunting regulations). Public comments are considered in developing and revising these AHM protocols. Also, recent duck seasons in the Pacific Flyway are 107 days, which is the maximum season length allowed by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-711). Finally, Federal guidelines currently allow States to offer 2 special youth waterfowl hunting days, and these days can be up to 14 days before the regular duck season. Federal frameworks provide opportunity for youth to hunt each day that a hunting season is open, and States could choose to add more days of youth-only hunting within their regular seasons if such opportunities are a priority.

Regarding law enforcement, this rule proposes frameworks, or outside limits, for migratory bird hunting. States then select hunting seasons within these outside limits to allow harvest at levels compatible with migratory bird population status and habitat conditions. States subsequently establish regulations consistent with these season selections. Enforcement of migratory bird hunting regulations is a shared responsibility between State and Federal government agencies, and penalties for violations of these regulations are established under separate State and Federal rulemaking processes. The Service's Division of Migratory Bird Management discusses regulatory issues with law enforcement personnel to ensure that proposed regulations are enforceable.

1. Ducks

A. General Harvest Strategy

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyway Councils each recommended adopting the liberal regulatory alternative for their respective flyways.

The Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils further recommended several changes to the AHM decision framework for mid-continent mallards beginning with the 2021-2022 (next) season. Specifically, the Mississippi Flyway Council made the following recommendations:

(1) Continue to base the annual regulatory decision on current mallard breeding population estimates and spring pond counts in central North America (Federal Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey [WBPHS] strata 13-18, 20-50, and 75-77), and in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (State surveys).

(2) Remove the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) mallard population goal from the AHM objective function.

(3) Replace the current four discrete models with a model parameterization based on the estimation results from an annually updated integrated population model.

(4) For the three AHM regulatory open-season alternatives, provide a duck hunting season framework start date of the Saturday nearest September 24 and an end date of January 31.

(5) Allow no other changes from current AHM regulatory alternatives until additional work on revisions to other species' strategies is completed.

(6) Allow no changes to current bag limits or harvest strategies for duck species other than mallards until additional work on revisions to other species' strategies is completed.

The Central Flyway Council recommendations were consistent with Mississippi Flyway Council recommendations 1-4 and 6, but the Central Flyway Council also recommended that the bag limit for male mallards in the moderate and liberal regulatory alternatives for the Central Flyway be increased by one bird, so that the male mallard bag limit would be the same as the overall duck bag limit of six birds. This recommendation is in opposition to Mississippi Flyway Council recommendation 5.

Service Response: As we stated in the October 15, 2019, proposed rule, we intend to continue the use of AHM to help determine appropriate duck-hunting regulations for the 2020-21 season. AHM is a tool that permits sound resource decisions in the face of uncertain regulatory impacts and provides a mechanism for reducing that uncertainty over time. We use an AHM protocol (decision framework) to evaluate four regulatory alternatives, each with a different expected harvest level, and choose the optimal regulation for duck hunting based on the status and demographics of mallards for the Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways, and based on the status and demographics of a suite of four species (eastern waterfowl) in the Atlantic Flyway (see below, and the earlier referenced report “Adaptive Harvest Management, 2020 Hunting Season” for more details). We have specific AHM protocols that guide appropriate bag limits and season lengths for species of special concern, including black ducks, scaup, and pintails, within the general duck season. These protocols use the same outside season dates and lengths as those regulatory alternatives for the 2020-21 general duck season.

For the 2020-21 hunting season, we will continue to use independent optimizations to determine the appropriate regulatory alternative for mallard stocks in the Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways and for eastern waterfowl in the Atlantic Flyway. This means that we will develop regulations for mid-continent mallards, western mallards, and eastern waterfowl independently based on the breeding stock that contributes primarily to each Flyway. We detailed implementation of AHM protocols for mid-continent and western mallards in the July 24, 2008, Federal Register (73 FR 43290), and for eastern waterfowl in the September 21, 2018, Federal Register (83 FR 47868).

Regarding the Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils' recommendations for changes to the mid-continent mallard AHM protocol for next season, the Service has used an AHM protocol since 1995 to determine appropriate hunting season regulations for mid-continent mallards. The protocol includes (1) an objective function that devalues harvest if predicted population size of mid-continent mallards is below the population goal described in the NAWMP; (2) a set of four discrete models that incorporates the effects of harvest and mallard density on population demographics; and (3) a set of four regulatory alternatives. During the past five years, the Service and the Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils have undertaken a revision process to examine both the objectives of harvest management for the mid-continent mallard population, and the appropriateness of the models used to estimate changes in their demographics. As a result of this review, the two Flyway Councils have recommended changes to the mid-continent mallard AHM protocol.

We agree with the Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils' recommendations for changes to the mid-continent mallard AHM protocol beginning with the 2021-22 season where the recommendations from the two Councils are in agreement (see B. Regulatory Alternatives, below, for more discussion on Council recommended changes to regulatory alternatives). The two Councils' recommendations differed in mallard daily bag limits. Consistent with past issues where Councils that share a migratory bird population have differing recommendations, the Service will not choose one Council's recommendation over another. Rather, the two Councils should forward a consensus recommendation that either (1) adopts the Central Flyway Council recommendation for mallard bag limits; (2) adopts the Mississippi Flyway Council recommendation for mallard bag limits (status quo); or (3) endorses each other's recommendation and accepts differences in the regulatory alternatives across flyways. Since such an agreement between the flyways has not yet been reached, the Service supports mallard bag limits for the 2021-22 season that are the same as those from the 2020-21 season where the two Councils were last in agreement (i.e., no change).

Atlantic Flyway

For the Atlantic Flyway, we set duck-hunting regulations based on the status and demographics of a suite of four duck species (eastern waterfowl) in eastern Canada and the Atlantic Flyway States: Green-winged teal, common goldeneye, ring-necked duck, and wood duck. For purposes of the assessment, eastern waterfowl stocks are those breeding in eastern Canada and Maine (Federal WBPHS fixed-wing surveys in strata 51-53, 56, and 62-70, and helicopter plot surveys in strata 51-52, 63-64, 66-68, and 70-72) and in Atlantic Flyway States from New Hampshire south to Virginia (Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey, AFBWS). Breeding population size estimates for green-winged teal, ring-necked ducks, and goldeneyes are derived annually by integrating fixed-wing and helicopter survey data from eastern Canada and Maine (WBPHS strata 51-53, 56, and 62-72). Counts of green-winged teal, ring-necked ducks, and goldeneyes in the AFBWS are negligible and therefore excluded from population estimates for those species. Breeding population size estimates for wood ducks in the Atlantic Flyway (Maine south to Florida) are estimated by integrating data from the AFBWS and the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Counts of wood ducks from the WBPHS are negligible and therefore excluded from population estimates.

For the 2020-21 hunting season, we evaluated alternative harvest regulations for eastern waterfowl using: (1) A management objective of 98 percent of maximum long-term sustainable harvest for eastern waterfowl; (2) the 2020-21 regulatory alternatives; and (3) current stock-specific population models and associated weights. Based on the liberal regulatory alternative selected for the 2019-20 duck hunting season, the 2019 survey estimates of 0.30 million green-winged teal, 1.02 million wood ducks, 0.69 million ring-necked ducks, and 0.52 million goldeneyes, the optimal regulation for the Atlantic Flyway is the liberal alternative. Therefore, we concur with the recommendation of the Atlantic Flyway Council regarding selection of the liberal regulatory alternative as described in the October 15, 2019, proposed rule for the 2020-21 season.

The mallard bag limit in the Atlantic Flyway is based on a separate assessment of the harvest potential of eastern mallards (see xi. Other, below, for further discussion on the mallard bag limit in the Atlantic Flyway).

Mississippi and Central Flyways

For the Mississippi and Central Flyways, we set duck-hunting regulations based on the status and demographics of mid-continent mallards and habitat conditions (pond numbers in Prairie Canada). For purposes of the assessment, mid-continent mallards are those breeding in central North America (Federal WBPHS strata 13-18, 20-50, and 75-77), and in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (State surveys).

For the 2020-21 hunting season, we evaluated alternative harvest regulations for mid-continent mallards using: (1) A management objective of maximum long-term sustainable harvest; (2) the 2020-21 regulatory alternatives; and (3) current population models and associated weights. Based on a liberal regulatory alternative selected for the 2019-20 hunting season, the 2019 survey estimates of 9.73 million mid-continent mallards and 2.86 million ponds in Prairie Canada, the optimal regulation for the Mississippi and Central Flyways is the liberal alternative. Therefore, we concur with the recommendations of the Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils regarding selection of the liberal regulatory alternative as described in the October 15, 2019, proposed rule for the 2020-21 season.

Pacific Flyway

For the Pacific Flyway, we set duck-hunting regulations based on the status and demographics of western mallards. For purposes of the assessment, western mallards consist of two substocks and are those breeding in Alaska and Yukon Territory (Federal WBPHS strata 1-12) and those breeding in the southern Pacific Flyway including California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia (State and Provincial surveys) combined.

For the 2020-21 hunting season, we evaluated alternative harvest regulations for western mallards using: (1) A management objective of maximum long-term sustainable harvest; (2) the 2020-21 regulatory alternatives; and (3) the current population model. Based on a liberal regulatory alternative selected for the 2019-20 hunting season, the 2019 survey estimates of 0.89 million western mallards in Alaska and the Yukon Territory (0.36 million) and the southern Pacific Flyway (0.52 million), the optimal regulation for the Pacific Flyway is the liberal alternative. Therefore, we concur with the recommendation of the Pacific Flyway Council regarding selection of the liberal regulatory alternative as described in the October 15, 2019, proposed rule for the 2020-21 season.

B. Regulatory Alternatives

Council Recommendations: The Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils recommended that the duck framework opening and closing dates be the Saturday nearest September 24 and January 31, respectively, for the three AHM regulatory open-season alternatives beginning with the 2021-22 (next) season.

Service Response: We agree with the Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils' recommendations for opening and closing dates for duck season frameworks beginning with the 2021-22 season, which are slightly different from what the Service identified in the October 15, 2019, proposed rule (84 FR 55128). The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-9) amended the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to establish that the closing framework date for duck seasons will be January 31, unless a flyway chooses an earlier closing date. The recommendations to change the opening framework date represent a one-week earlier opening in the restrictive regulatory alternative for the Mississippi and Central Flyways, but no changes to the moderate or liberal alternatives. We expect this change to have a negligible impact on duck harvests and population status. The AHM regulatory alternatives vary in the amount of harvest pressure allowed (i.e., by differences in season lengths and bag limits) and are prescribed annually based on current waterfowl status. Implementation of the appropriate alternative each year, and thus harvest pressure, will ensure long-term conservation of duck populations.

C. Zones and Split Seasons

Zones and split seasons are “special regulations” designed to distribute hunting opportunities and harvests according to temporal, geographic, and demographic variability in waterfowl and other migratory game bird populations. For ducks, States have been allowed the option of dividing their allotted hunting days into two (or in some cases three) segments (splits) to take advantage of species-specific peaks of abundance or to satisfy hunters in different areas who want to hunt during the peak of waterfowl abundance in their area. However, the split-season option does not fully satisfy many States that wish to provide a more equitable distribution of harvest opportunities. Therefore, we also have allowed the establishment of independent seasons in up to four zones within States for the purpose of providing more equitable distribution of harvest opportunity for hunters throughout the State.

In 1978, we prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the use of zones to set duck hunting regulations. A primary tenet of the 1978 EA was that zoning would be used to provide equitable distribution of duck hunting opportunities within a State or region. The intent was not to increase total annual waterfowl harvest in the zoned areas; target harvest levels were to be adjusted downward if they exceeded traditional levels as a result of zoning. Subsequent to the 1978 EA, we conducted a review of the use of zones and split seasons in 1990. The ability to detect the impacts of zones and splits on waterfowl demographics and harvest was poor because of the absence of adequate study designs and experimental controls, limitations in monitoring capacities, imprecise parameter estimates, and low power to detect changes in parameter estimates. Substantial concern remained about the unknown consequences of zones and split seasons on duck populations and harvest redistribution among States and flyways, potential reduced effectiveness of regulations (season length and bag limit) to reduce duck harvest if needed, and the administrative burden associated with changing regulations annually. Consequently, we established guidelines to provide a framework for controlling the proliferation of zones and split seasons. The guidelines identified a limited number of zone and split-season configurations that could be used for duck hunting and restricted the frequency of changes in State selection among these configurations to open seasons at the beginning of five-year intervals. The first open season was in 1991, with subsequent open seasons in 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011-2012, and 2016-2017. In 2011, we prepared a new EA analyzing proposed changes to the guidelines for zones and split seasons. Revised guidelines were finalized in 2011 (76 FR 53536; August 26, 2011).

We discussed and presented guidelines for duck zones and split seasons during 2021-25 seasons in the October 15, 2019, proposed rule. We also stated that for those States wishing to change zone and split-season configurations in time for the 2021-25 seasons, we would need to receive configuration selections and zone descriptions by May 1, 2020.

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyway Councils recommended that we modify the existing guidelines for duck zones and split seasons to allow an additional configuration including two zones with up to three season segments per zone for use beginning with the 2021-22 duck hunting season. The Mississippi Flyway Council also recommended the requirement that States selecting this additional configuration conduct an evaluation of changes in hunter numbers, satisfaction, and harvest. The Central and Pacific Flyway Councils further recommended additional zone and split-season configurations including: (1) One zone in each State may comprise up to two geographically separated areas, and (2) three zones with up to three season segments per zone. Finally, the Atlantic Flyway Council recommended that the deadline for States to select their zone and split-season configurations and define new zone boundaries be extended from May 1 to July 1, 2020.

Service Response: We agree with the recommendations of the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyway Councils to allow an additional duck zone and split-season configuration with two zones and up to three season segments per zone beginning with the 2021-22 season. States that select this new configuration must conduct an evaluation of impacts to hunter dynamics (e.g., hunter numbers, satisfaction) and harvest during the fixed five-year period it is implemented (e.g., 2021-25 period) and need to involve human dimensions specialists in the assessment.

We do not support the recommendations of the Central and Pacific Flyway Councils to add additional configurations including one zone with discontinuous boundaries or three zones with up to three season segments per zone. We remain concerned about the proliferation of zones, impacts to harvest, and potential confounding of these additional zone and split-season configurations with results from the Central Flyway Council's proposed two-tier license experiment. We need to better understand how additional zone and split-season configurations might influence hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts, and whether additional options run counter to the desire to simplify regulations. Therefore, we were supportive of additional discussions at the spring 2020 SRC meetings to help us better understand these additional options and how they can help us meet our mutual objectives while addressing R3 and waterfowl population concerns.

Finally, we will extend the deadline for States to select their zone and split-season configurations and to define potential new zone boundaries for the 2021-25 seasons to August 15, 2020, but we encourage States to submit their selections and zone boundaries as soon as possible.

For the 2021-25 seasons, the guidelines for duck zones and split seasons are as follows:

Guidelines for Duck Zones and Split Seasons

The following guidelines for zones and split seasons apply only for the regular duck season:

(1) A zone is a geographic area or portion of a State, with a contiguous boundary, for which independent dates may be selected for the regular duck season.

(2) Consideration of changes for management-unit boundaries is not subject to the guidelines and provisions governing the use of zones and split seasons for ducks.

(3) Only minor (less than a county in size) boundary changes will be allowed for any grandfathered arrangement, and changes are limited to the open season.

(4) Once a zone and split-season configuration is selected during an open season, it must remain in place for the following five years.

Any State may continue their zone and split-season configuration used in the previous five-year period. If changes are made, the zone and split-season configuration must conform to one of the following five options:

(1) One zone (same as no zones) with up to three season segments;

(2) Two zones with up to two season segments in each zone;

(3) Two zones with up to three season segments in each zone;

(4) Three zones with up to two season segments in each zone; or

(5) Four zones with a continuous season (i.e., no segments) in each zone.

Because the two zones and three season segments configuration is new, States that select this configuration must conduct an evaluation of impacts to hunter dynamics (e.g., hunter numbers, satisfaction) and harvest during the fixed five-year period it is implemented (e.g., 2021-25 period).

Grandfathered Zone and Split Arrangements

When we first implemented the zone and split-season guidelines in 1991, several States had completed experiments with zone and split-season arrangements different from our original options. We offered those States a one-time opportunity to continue (“grandfather”) those arrangements, with the stipulation that only minor changes could be made to zone boundaries. If any of those States now wish to change their zone and split arrangement:

(1) The new arrangement must conform to one of the five options identified above; and

(2) The State cannot go back to the grandfathered arrangement that it previously had in place.

Mallard Management Units

For the States that have a recognized management unit (Columbia Basin Management Unit in the Pacific Flyway, High Plains Management Unit in the Central Flyway) and include a non-management unit portion, an independent 2-segment duck season with no zones can be selected for the management unit. The remainder of the State in the non-management unit portion can be zoned and have split seasons according to existing guidelines. In the Central Flyway, additional duck season days afforded to the management unit must occur on or after the Saturday nearest December 10.

D. Special Seasons/Species Management

i. September Teal Seasons

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic Flyway Council recommended Florida be granted operational status for the September teal-only season beginning with the 2020 season.

Service Response: We agree with the Atlantic Flyway Council's recommendation. Florida has met the minimum requirements for sample size and targets for nontarget species attempt rates in both the pre-sunrise and post-sunrise periods, which were below the acceptable rate of 25 percent. In addition the nontarget species harvest rates for both pre- and post-sunrise periods were below the acceptable rate of 10 percent.

iii. Black Ducks

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic and Mississippi Flyway Councils recommended continued use of the AHM protocol for black ducks, and adoption of the moderate regulatory alternative for their respective flyways. The Flyway-specific regulations consist of a daily bag limit of two black ducks and a season length of 60 days.

Service Response: The Service, Atlantic and Mississippi Flyway Councils, and Canada adopted an international AHM protocol for black ducks in 2012 (77 FR 49868; August 17, 2012) whereby we set black duck hunting regulations for the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways (and Canada) based on the status and demographics of these birds. The AHM protocol clarifies country-specific target harvest levels, and reduces conflicts over regulatory policies.

For the 2020-21 hunting season, we evaluated country-specific alternative harvest regulations using: (1) A management objective of 98 percent of maximum long-term sustainable harvest; (2) country-specific regulatory alternatives; and (3) current population models and associated weights. Based on the 2019 survey estimates of 0.56 million breeding black ducks and 0.36 million breeding mallards (Federal WBPHS strata 51, 52, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, and 72; core survey area), the optimal regulation for the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways is the moderate alternative (and the liberal alternative in Canada). Therefore, we concur with the recommendations of the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyway Councils regarding selection of the moderate regulatory alternative for the 2020-21 season.

iv. Canvasbacks

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyway Councils recommended adoption of the liberal regulatory alternative for their respective flyways. The Flyway-specific regulations consist of a daily bag limit of two canvasbacks and a season length of 60 days in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, 74 days in the Central Flyway, and 107 days in the Pacific Flyway.

Service Response: As we discussed in the March 28, 2016, Federal Register (81 FR 17302), the canvasback harvest strategy that we had relied on until 2015 was not viable under our new regulatory process because it required biological information that was not yet available at the time a decision on season structure needed to be made. We do not yet have a new harvest strategy to propose for use in guiding canvasback harvest management in the future. However, we have worked with technical staff of the four Flyway Councils to develop a decision framework (hereafter, decision support tool) that relies on the best biological information available to develop recommendations for annual canvasback harvest regulations. The decision support tool uses available information (1994-2014) on canvasback breeding population size in Alaska and north central North America (Federal WBPHS traditional survey area, strata 1-18, 20-50, and 75-77), growth rate, survival, and harvest, and a population model to evaluate alternative harvest regulations based on a management objective of maximum long-term sustainable harvest. The decision support tool calls for a closed season when the population is below 460,000, a 1-bird daily bag limit when the population is between 460,000 and 480,000, and a 2-bird daily bag limit when the population is greater than 480,000. Based on the 2019 survey estimate of 686,000 canvasbacks, we concur with the recommendations of the four Flyway Councils regarding selection of the liberal regulatory alternative for the 2020-21 season.

v. Pintails

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyway Councils recommended adoption of the liberal regulatory alternative for their respective flyway. The Flyway-specific regulations consist of a daily bag limit of one pintail and a season length of 60 days in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, 74 days in the Central Flyway, and 107 days in the Pacific Flyway.

Service Response: The Service and four Flyway Councils adopted an AHM protocol for pintail in 2010 (75 FR 44856; July 29, 2010) whereby we set pintail hunting regulations in all four Flyways based on the status and demographics of these birds.

For the 2020-21 hunting season, we evaluated alternative harvest regulations for pintails using: (1) A management objective of maximum long-term sustainable harvest, including a closed-season constraint of 1.75 million birds; (2) the regulatory alternatives; and (3) current population models and associated weights. Based on a liberal regulatory alternative with a 1-bird daily bag limit for the 2019-20 season and the 2019 survey estimates of 2.27 million pintails observed at a mean latitude of 54.4 degrees (Federal WBPHS traditional survey area, strata 1-18, 20-50, and 75-77), the optimal regulation for all four Flyways is the liberal alternative. Therefore, we concur with the recommendations of the four Flyway Councils regarding selection of the liberal regulatory alternative for the 2020-21 season.

vi. Scaup

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyway Councils recommended adoption of the restrictive regulatory alternative for the 2020-21 season. The Flyway-specific regulations consist of a 60-day season with a 1-bird daily bag limit during 40 consecutive days and a 2-bird daily bag limit during 20 consecutive days in the Atlantic Flyway, a 60-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit during 45 consecutive days and a 1-bird daily bag limit during 15 consecutive days in the Mississippi Flyway, a 1-bird daily bag limit for 74 days in the Central Flyway, and an 86-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit in the Pacific Flyway.

Service Response: The Service and four Flyway Councils adopted an AHM protocol for scaup in 2008 (73 FR 43290, July 24, 2008; and 73 FR 51124, August 29, 2008) whereby we set scaup hunting regulations in all four Flyways based on the status and demographics of these birds.

For the 2020-21 hunting season, we evaluated alternative harvest regulations for scaup using: (1) A management objective of 95 percent of maximum sustainable harvest; (2) the regulatory alternatives; and (3) the current population model. Based on a moderate regulatory alternative for the 2019-20 season and the 2019 survey results of 3.59 million scaup (Federal WBPHS traditional survey area, strata 1-18, 20-50, and 75-77), the optimal regulation for all four Flyways is the restrictive alternative. Therefore, we concur with the recommendations of the four Flyway Councils regarding selection of the restrictive alternative for the 2020-21 season.

xi. Other

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic Flyway Council recommended a mallard daily bag limit of two birds, only one of which could be female, for the Atlantic Flyway. The Central Flyway Council recommended that the Service allow South Dakota and Nebraska to evaluate a two-tier licensing system, wherein two different types of licenses would be available to hunters to harvest ducks. One license type would allow maximum harvest opportunity under the regulations, and would require the hunter to comply with all species and sex restrictions on the take of the various duck species. The second type of license would allow the hunter to take three ducks of any species each day of the season, thus not requiring the hunter to identify species prior to shooting them. The intent of this less-restrictive license type is to recruit and retain waterfowl hunters. The recommendation proposes that South Dakota and Nebraska be allowed to evaluate this new license system beginning with the 2020-21 season. The less-restrictive license would be available to any hunter (both residents and nonresidents), but the first license purchased in the State would require that the individual hunt under that license type for the entire season (for example, hunters purchasing multiple licenses in that State in a given season would always have to hunt under the strictures of the first license purchased; they could not change between the typical license type and the less-restrictive license type).

Service Response: We agree with the Atlantic Flyway Council's recommendation for a mallard daily bag limit of two birds, of which only one may be female, for the Atlantic Flyway. The Atlantic Flyway Council's eastern waterfowl AHM protocol (see above) did not specifically address bag limits for mallards. The number of breeding mallards in the northeastern United States (about two-thirds of the eastern mallard population in 1998) has decreased by about 38 percent since 1998, and the overall population has declined by about 1 percent per year during that time period. This situation has resulted in reduced harvest potential for that population. The Service conducted a Prescribed Take Level (PTL) analysis to estimate the allowable take (kill rate) for eastern mallards, and compared that with the expected kill rate under the most liberal season length (60 days) considered as part of the eastern waterfowl AHM regulatory alternatives.

Using contemporary data and assuming a management objective of maximum long-term sustainable harvest, the PTL analysis estimated an allowable kill rate of 0.194-0.198. The expected kill rate for eastern mallards under a 60-day season and a 2-mallard daily bag limit in the U.S. portion of the Atlantic Flyway was 0.193 (SE = 0.016), which is slightly below (but not significantly different from) the point estimate of allowable kill at maximum long-term sustainable harvest. This calculation indicates that a 2-bird daily bag limit is sustainable at this time.

Regarding the Central Flyway Council's recommendation for a two-tier license system, the Service notes that a similar recommendation was first presented to the SRC by the Council in 2012, and was considered by the Service at that time. In 2015, after several years of discussion with the Council, the SRC concluded that, although they saw some merit in the proposal, the SRC did not believe sufficient evidence was presented showing that duck identification was a significant barrier to waterfowl recruitment and retention. Thus, the SRC did not support the proposal at that time, but stated that they would reconsider their decision if evidence showing that duck identification was a significant barrier to participation became available.

Since 2015, several surveys have been conducted that included questions asking respondents whether duck identification might deter them from hunting waterfowl. Results from some surveys suggest that may be the case, addressing at least in part the concerns the SRC had identified. However, the Service also recognizes that this proposal represents a significant change to the way it has set regulations since the early 1900s, and that a change of that magnitude requires significant input, planning, and documentation to meet legal concerns and ensure that reliable information results from the study to assist decision makers in the future.

Therefore, the Service intends to approve a limited two-tier licensing system in selected States to assess impacts to hunters and duck harvests, but not during the 2020-21 season as proposed in the Central Flyway Council's recommendation. Rather, the Service tasked Division of Migratory Bird Management staff to work with the Flyway Councils to develop a team to address the components needed in an evaluation, and to have a draft evaluation plan that is supported by both the Division of Migratory Bird Management and the Flyway Councils ready for review prior to the spring 2020 SRC meeting. The Service believes that completing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, developing shared objectives, identifying appropriate metrics for evaluation, potentially modifying monitoring efforts, and addressing law enforcement concerns are important elements to consider before implementing a limited two-tier licensing system for evaluation. The Service wants this work completed in time to implement the limited two-tier licensing system for the 2021-22 hunting season. Over the last two years, the Service has completed extensive work with our State partners reviewing hunting and fishing regulations on Refuge lands. Our commitment is for the Service to continue to explore opportunities to enhance the waterfowl hunting experience for the American public.

4. Canada Geese

On April 16, 2020, we published in the Federal Register (85 FR 21282) a revised List of Migratory Birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) by both adding and removing species. Reasons for the changes to the list included adding species based on revised taxonomy and new evidence of natural occurrence in the United States or U.S. territories, removing species no longer known to occur within the United States or U.S. territories, and changing names to conform to accepted use. This rule went into effect on May 18, 2020, which was between publication of the proposed frameworks (March 19, 2020) and these final frameworks for 2020-21 migratory bird hunting seasons. The revised List of Migratory Birds separated Canada goose into two separate species: Cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii) and Canada goose (Branta canadensis). However, the March 19, 2020, proposed frameworks specified hunting seasons for both of these species under Canada geese and the collective term dark geese. Thus, for administrative purposes, we clarify that in this final rule Canada geese includes both Canada geese and cackling geese. Because historically Canada goose season frameworks applied to both species of geese, the separation of these species in the List of Migratory Birds will not result in differential harvest effects on either species.

B. Regular Seasons

Council Recommendations: The Pacific Flyway Council recommended a framework closing date of January 31 in places where the closing date is currently the last Sunday in January.

Service Response: We agree with the Pacific Flyway Council's recommendation. The Canada goose season framework dates traditionally have coincided with the duck, coot, and merganser season framework dates except where there are exceptions for a later Canada goose season framework closing date. We earlier discussed under 1. Ducks, B. Regulatory Alternatives that last year we extended the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date from the last Sunday in January to January 31 across all four Flyways as directed by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law on March 12, 2019 (Pub. L. 116-9). Therefore, we are supportive of adjusting the general Canada goose season framework closing date to again coincide with the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date, and expect this adjustment to have negligible impact to Canada goose population status.

6. Brant

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic Flyway Council recommended that the 2020-21 season for Atlantic brant follow the Atlantic Flyway Council's brant harvest strategy pending the results of the 2020 Atlantic Flyway Mid-winter Waterfowl Survey (MWS). The Council also recommended that if results of the 2020 MWS are not available, then results of the most recent MWS should be used.

The Pacific Flyway Council recommended a framework closing date of January 31 in places where the closing date is currently the last Sunday in January. The Council also recommended that the 2020-21 brant season frameworks be determined based on the harvest strategy in the Council's management plan for the Pacific population of brant pending results of the 2020 Winter Brant Survey (WBS). If results of the 2020 WBS are not available, results of the most recent WBS should be used.

Service Response: As we discussed in the March 28, 2016, Federal Register (81 FR 17302), the current harvest strategy used to determine the Atlantic brant season frameworks does not fit well within the new regulatory process, similar to the Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) of sandhill cranes issue discussed below under 9. Sandhill Cranes. In developing the annual proposed frameworks for Atlantic brant in the past, the Atlantic Flyway Council and the Service used the number of brant counted during the MWS in the Atlantic Flyway, and took into consideration the brant population's expected productivity that summer. The MWS is conducted each January, and expected brant productivity is based on early-summer observations of breeding habitat conditions and nesting effort in important brant nesting areas. Thus, the data under consideration were available before the annual Flyway Council and SRC decision-making meetings in late July. Although the former regulatory alternatives for Atlantic brant were developed by factoring together long-term productivity rates (observed during November and December productivity surveys) with estimated observed harvest under different framework regulations, the primary decision-making criterion for selecting the annual frameworks was the MWS count.

Under the current regulatory schedule, neither the expected 2020 brant production information (available spring) nor the 2020 MWS count (available January) is yet available at the time proposed frameworks are developed. However, the MWS is typically completed and data are available by the expected publication of the final frameworks. Therefore, in the September 24, 2015, Federal Register (80 FR 57664), we adopted the Atlantic Flyway Council's revised Atlantic brant harvest strategy. The current harvest strategy for Atlantic brant is as follows:

• If the MWS count is <100,000 Atlantic brant, the season would be closed.
• If the MWS count is between 100,000 and 115,000 brant, States could select a 30-day season with a 1-bird daily bag limit.
• If the MWS count is between 115,000 and 130,000 brant, States could select a 30-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit.
• If the MWS count is between 130,000 and 150,000 brant, States could select a 50-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit.
• If the MWS count is between 150,000 and 200,000 brant, States could select a 60-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit.
• If the MWS count is >200,000 brant, States could select a 60-day season with a 3-bird daily bag limit.

Under all the above open-season alternatives, seasons would be between the Saturday nearest September 24 and January 31. Further, States could split their seasons into two segments.

The 2020 MWS Atlantic brant count was 139,875 brant. Thus, utilizing the above Atlantic brant harvest strategy, the appropriate Atlantic brant hunting season for the 2020-21 season is a 50-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

We agree with the Pacific Flyway Council's recommendation for a framework closing date of January 31 in places where the closing date is currently the last Sunday in January for brant in the Pacific Flyway. The brant season framework dates traditionally have coincided with the duck, coot, and merganser season framework dates except where there are earlier brant season framework closing date restrictions. We earlier discussed under 1. Ducks, B. Regulatory Alternatives that last year we extended the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date from the last Sunday in January to January 31 across all four Flyways as directed by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law on March 12, 2019 (Pub. L. 116-9). Therefore, we are supportive of adjusting the general brant season framework closing date to again coincide with the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date, and expect this to have negligible impact to Pacific brant population status.

We also agree with the Pacific Flyway Council's recommendation that the 2020-21 Pacific brant season frameworks be determined by the harvest strategy in the Council's management plan for the Pacific population of brant pending results of the 2020 WBS. Similar to the case for Atlantic brant, the harvest strategy used to determine the Pacific brant season frameworks does not fit well within the current regulatory process. In developing the annual proposed frameworks for Pacific brant, the Pacific Flyway Council and the Service use the three-year average number of brant counted during the WBS in the Pacific Flyway to determine annual allowable season length and daily bag limits. The WBS is conducted each January, which is after the date that proposed frameworks are formulated in the regulatory process. However, the data are typically available by the expected publication of these final frameworks. When we acquire the current survey data, we select the appropriate frameworks for the 2020-21 Pacific brant season according to the harvest strategy in the Pacific Flyway Council's management plan for Pacific brant and publish the result in the final frameworks rule. The current harvest strategy for Pacific brant is as follows:

• If the WBS index is <102,000 brant, then the brant season is closed, and the season may not reopen until the 3-year average WBS index exceeds 112,000 brant.
• If the WBS index is between 102,000 and 122,000 brant, then Alaska may select a 51-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit, and California, Oregon, and Washington may select a 16-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit.
• If the WBS index is between 122,001 and 147,000 brant, then Alaska may select a 107-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit, and California, Oregon, and Washington may select a 27-day season with a 2-brant daily bag limit.
• If the WBS index is greater than 147,000 brant, then Alaska may select a 107-day season with a 4-bird daily bag limit, and California, Oregon, and Washington may select a 37-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

Under all the above open-season alternatives, the framework outside season dates are September 1 through January 26 in Alaska, Saturday closest to September 24 through December 15 in California and Oregon, and Saturday closest to September 24 through January 31 in Washington.

The recent 3-year average (2018-2020) WBS count of Pacific brant was 145,388. Using the above harvest strategy, the appropriate season length and daily bag limit framework for Pacific brant in the 2020-21 season is a 107-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit in Alaska, and a 27-day season with a 2-bird daily bag limit in California, Oregon, and Washington.

8. Swans

We first approved a hunting season for the Eastern Population (EP) of tundra swans in the early 1980s, and gradually expanded opportunities to include the States of Montana, North Dakota, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Virginia by the late 1980s. Recently, we also allowed Delaware to initiate an experimental hunting season on these birds. Harvest of EP tundra swans is guided by a cooperative management plan, which specifies a population objective and harvest levels designed to maintain population abundance near that objective. In recent years, some Interior Population (IP) trumpeter swans have been present during fall and winter in States where EP tundra swan hunting is allowed. As a result of restoration efforts and natural population growth, the IP has grown from 43 adult and subadult birds in 1968 to over 27,000 in 2015. Given the growth and range expansion that has occurred in the IP, it is likely that migrating and wintering trumpeter swan numbers will increase in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways. Tundra and trumpeter swans are very similar in appearance, particularly at a distance. As the number and range of trumpeter swans continues to increase during fall and winter in States where tundra swan hunting is allowed, the risk of accidental harvest of trumpeter swans by hunters will increase. Thus, there is a need to address the potential for misidentification and accidental harvest of trumpeter swans that may occur during existing tundra swan seasons.

To address this issue, the Service reviewed information and drafted an EA to determine whether harvest of IP trumpeter swans during current EP tundra swan hunting seasons could be permitted while sustaining IP trumpeter swans at desired levels. The proposed action is to establish a regulatory framework for swan hunting that would govern the harvest of both trumpeter and tundra swans in portions of the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways that currently have operational hunting seasons on EP tundra swans or may have them in the future. The framework would allow a limited take of trumpeter swans, but only during hunting seasons established to provide opportunities to hunt tundra swans. New hunting seasons (i.e., seasons in areas that are currently closed to swan hunting) will not be approved unless the requesting State demonstrates that ≥90% of the swans in the proposed hunting area are tundra swans. Any season where take of both swan species is allowed would require data collection, which would ensure harvests of IP trumpeter swans remain within appropriate levels, and allow modification of the seasons if necessary. Importantly, no State that currently has a tundra swan season is required to change that season to a general swan season; the latter is only an option that is available to States if they want to implement such a season. A copy of the Final EA—including background information on the swan species impacted, levels of take of IP trumpeter swans that would be allowed, and specifics of the five alternatives we analyzed—and finding of no significant impact can be found at either http://www.regulations.gov or on our website at https://www.fws.gov/​birds/​index.php.

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic and Central Flyway Councils recommended that the total number of hunting permits for EP tundra swans be reduced from 12,000 to 9,600, with 5,600 permits allowed in the Atlantic Flyway and 4,000 permits allowed in the Central Flyway. The Pacific Flyway Council recommended that the Pacific Flyway swan season framework allow the season to be split into two segments and allow a season in northern Idaho with the following parameters:

(1) Hunting area may include the four most northwestern counties (Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, and Kootenai);

(2) Not more than 50 hunting permits may be issued;

(3) Only 1 permit may be issued per hunter; and

(4) All hunters that harvest a swan must complete and submit a harvest report with the bill measurement and color information from the harvested swan within 72 hours of harvest for species determination.

Written Comments: We received many (335) comments on the proposed framework for a general swan season in the eastern three flyways. Some (239) commenters opposed the proposal entirely; some (94) commenters, including one non-government organization, only opposed including Minnesota or the Mississippi Flyway in the swan season framework; while two commenters were supportive of the entire proposal. Central themes among commenters opposed to all or part of the proposal were opposition to allowing any harvest of trumpeter swans, lack of demand for swan hunting in the Mississippi Flyway, and probable harvest of trumpeter swans in areas or portions of the year when these birds outnumber tundra swans. Several (9) of these commenters further suggested that harvested trumpeter swans be confiscated, but that hunters not be ticketed or fined.

We received few (3) comments on the proposed framework for a general swan season in Idaho. Two commenters supported the proposal, including the State of Idaho, while one commenter was opposed. One commenter further suggested the use of check stations over bill-measurement cards for swan species identification.

Service Response: We agree with the Atlantic and Central Flyway Councils' recommendations that the total number of hunting permits be reduced from 12,000 to 9,600, with 5,600 permits allowed in the Atlantic Flyway and 4,000 permits allowed in the Central Flyway. The recommendations are consistent with reductions called for in the Atlantic, Central, Mississippi, and Pacific Flyway Councils' management plan for EP tundra swans. The count of tundra swans from the 2019 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways combined resulted in 92,819 birds. The average count for the last three years was 107,907, which is below the 110,000-bird threshold needed to support 12,000 permits as specified in the Councils' management plan for EP tundra swans.

We also agree with the Pacific Flyway Council's recommendation that the Pacific Flyway swan season framework allow the season to be split into two segments. This is a minor adjustment to realign the swan season framework in the Pacific Flyway with changes to the duck, coot, merganser, and goose season frameworks that have occurred since 1995 when the Pacific Flyway swan season framework was established. This adjustment will allow States to simplify their waterfowl seasons by having season dates for ducks, coots, mergansers, geese, and swans coincide. Swan hunting will continue to be regulated primarily by the number of swan hunting permits a State may issue each year, which is unchanged. Allowing a split in the season is expected to have negligible impact to tundra and trumpeter swan populations in the Pacific Flyway.

We also agree with the Pacific Flyway Council's recommendation to allow limited take of swans in northern Idaho during the fall-winter general hunting season for migratory birds. This change effectively expands the operational swan hunting season framework in the Pacific Flyway that includes parts of Montana, Nevada, and Utah to also include the four northwestern-most counties in Idaho (Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, and Kootenai). The purpose is to provide additional hunting opportunity in Idaho for swans that have met population goals.

The Service authorized an experimental general swan hunting season (hereafter swan season) within the Pacific Flyway south of Alaska (parts of Montana, Utah, and Nevada) in 1995, which became operational in 2003. The Service addressed impacts of the swan season in a sequence of NEPA environmental assessments and findings of no significant impact (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003). Idaho did not express interest in a swan season at that time.

The proposed swan season in Idaho is consistent with: (1) Earlier NEPA documents establishing the swan season in the Pacific Flyway as operational, (2) applicable hunting regulations in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 20, and (3) the Council management plans for tundra and trumpeter swans. The proposed swan season framework in Idaho would be experimental for a period of at least three years where no framework changes could occur unless restrictions were necessary. After that period, the framework could become operational upon approval by the Council and Service.

Both the Western Population (WP) of tundra swans and Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) of trumpeter swans are subjected to harvest during the swan hunting season in the Pacific Flyway. Regarding WP tundra swans, the recent 3-year (2017-2019) mean abundance index was 127,556 (95% CI = 83,027-172,086) swans, which exceeded the Pacific Flyway Council's population objective of 60,000 swans. Regarding RMP trumpeter swans, the recent (2015) count was 11,271 white trumpeter swans (i.e., adult and subadult birds), which exceeded the Pacific Flyway Council's population objective of 10,000 white swans. The Council also has an objective for the U.S. breeding segment of RMP trumpeter swans. The recent (2018) minimum count was 810 white swans, which exceeded the Council's population objective of 718 white swans. The recent 3-year (2016-2018) average count was 774 white swans.

The experimental swan season in Idaho will be limited to ≤50 permits per year and is expected to result in a small increase in total Pacific Flyway swan harvest (≤23 WP tundra swans and <1 RMP trumpeter swan per year on average), but have negligible impact to habitat and overall tundra and trumpeter swan population status. The experimental season is expected to have positive impacts on the socioeconomic environment in localized areas where swans occur and are hunted, and is not expected to have any significant impacts on other wildlife species and their habitats, including endangered and threatened species.

We prepared an EA on the proposed swan season in northern Idaho. A copy of the EA and specifics of the two alternatives we analyzed and finding of no significant impact can be found at either http://www.regulations.gov or on our website at https://www.fws.gov/​birds/​index.php.

Regarding written comments opposed to a general swan season in the eastern three flyways, the position of the Service is to provide hunting opportunities on game birds where such hunting is compatible with sustainability of the game bird resource and consistent with management objectives. Trumpeter swans are classified as game birds under the Migratory Birds Convention (Treaty) between the United States and Great Britain (for Canada) that was enacted by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States. The Interior Population of trumpeter swans, the group which is the subject of this proposal, has been increasing at an average rate of about 14% per year since 1968, the result of reintroduction efforts and natural reproduction, and in 2015 numbered about 27,000 white birds (excludes cygnets). The geographic range of these birds also is expanding within the eastern three flyways as birds pioneer new areas and reestablish migration routes. Because some of those areas include locations where tundra swan hunting has been allowed, the likelihood of hunters encountering trumpeter swans during those hunts is increasing, which also increases the possibility that they may shoot a trumpeter swan. Similar to circumstances in the Pacific Flyway where the take of trumpeter and tundra swans is allowed in some areas, the Service believes allowing a limited take of trumpeter swans, primarily to eliminate the liability of hunters who mistakenly shoot a trumpeter swan, is appropriate. The Service believes this decision will continue to allow trumpeter swans to increase their abundance and range while not imposing an unnecessary burden on hunters to unerringly identify the species of swan while hunting. The harvest of IP trumpeter swans is expected to be low and would not jeopardize the sustainability of the population based on the biological assessment we have conducted. Further, the harvest information and other aspects of a general swan season framework are reviewed by the Service annually. If the information suggests harvest is higher than deemed appropriate and could jeopardize the status of the population, the Service could revise the framework or close the season in any year.

The Service manages migratory birds at the population level when information is sufficient to do so. The range of IP trumpeter swans spans portions of the Central, Mississippi, and Atlantic Flyways; thus, that is the geographic scale appropriate for their management. Therefore, the assessment and allowable take described in the proposed rule (85 FR 15870; March 19, 2020) and referenced EA spans all three flyways, and we believe any alternative proposed by the Service should include all three flyways (i.e., should not exclude Minnesota or the Mississippi Flyway). However, the establishment of this framework by the Service does not mean that a general swan season must be implemented in any flyway or State. The framework provides only that a biological assessment indicates such seasons could be supported in those flyways without negatively impacting the sustainability of IP trumpeter swans. Each Flyway Council and State has their own process to determine whether they would allow a general swan season. Those jurisdictions will seek input from their stakeholders, including the non-hunting public, when determining if they would recommend implementing such a season. Therefore, whether any or all of the flyways or any State decides to have general swan seasons is a matter for each Flyway Council and State to determine after they consider input from their constituency. The Service will consider allowing general swan seasons, along with any restrictions they desire, only if they are supported by the Flyway Councils. Currently, there are not existing or proposed swan hunting seasons in any State in the Mississippi Flyway (including Minnesota).

General swan seasons would be allowed only in existing tundra swan hunting areas that have few trumpeter swans, as was specified in the EA. New general swan seasons would be allowed only in areas where tundra swans compose 90 percent or more of the swans in the hunt area during the general swan season. This restriction for swan seasons is intended to simultaneously minimize the probable harvest of trumpeter swans in swan hunting areas and address the potential for misidentification and accidental harvest of trumpeter swans that may occur during tundra swan seasons. Therefore, trumpeter swans should not be shot in greater numbers than tundra swans anywhere in their range under this regulation.

In response to commenters that suggested harvest of trumpeter swans not be illegal, but that trumpeter swans shot by hunters be confiscated, the proposed regulation would lawfully allow the take of a trumpeter swan during the general swan season. Because they could be lawfully taken, law enforcement could not issue a citation for unlawful take. Since there would be no citation, the bird could not be legally confiscated.

Regarding the written comment on use of hunter check stations in Idaho, we conclude it is prudent to monitor the take of birds during hunting seasons, particularly under newly established seasons. The swan hunting season framework in the Pacific Flyway requires each State to evaluate hunter participation, harvest, and hunter compliance. We require States (i.e., Utah and Nevada) to use check stations for swan species identification where we are particularly concerned about take of trumpeter swans, but otherwise allow use of bill-measurement cards (i.e., Montana). We acknowledge the potential for inaccuracy when filling out bill-measurement cards and that the reliability of those measurements may not be as high as we would desire. However, we also recognize that requiring hunters to take their harvested swans to a check station to have them measured, and for the State to operate or otherwise support check stations in a sufficient number of geographic locations to be relatively convenient to hunters, may be costly and time consuming, particularly relative to the few swans that may be harvested in Idaho. The Service encourages States to provide directions on bill-measurement cards to minimize the likelihood that a swan bill would be measured inaccurately. As provided above and in the EA, the Idaho swan season is expected to result in a harvest of ≤23 WP tundra swans and <1 RMP trumpeter swan on average per year. Furthermore, the trumpeter swans are expected to be from the RMP Canada breeding population segment, whose population status is of less concern than that for the RMP U.S. breeding population segment.

9. Sandhill Cranes

Council Recommendations: The Central Flyway Council recommended that Kansas be allowed to have two hunting zones. The Central and Pacific Flyway Councils recommended that the status of the season in Estancia Valley, New Mexico, be changed from experimental to operational, and that allowable harvest of RMP cranes be determined based on the formula described in the Pacific and Central Flyway Management Plan for RMP cranes.

Service Response: We agree with the Central Flyway Council's recommendations that Kansas be allowed to have two hunting zones. In 2004, two to three whooping cranes were shot just prior to the opening of the sandhill crane hunting season in Kansas. As a result, Kansas has been required to open their sandhill crane season later than they had historically to assist in protecting whooping cranes. However, because significant numbers of sandhill cranes migrate through Kansas prior to the opening date, harvest opportunity has been lost. The hunting area in Kansas includes the western two-thirds of the State, but whooping cranes primarily migrate through only the eastern part of the hunting area. Allowing Kansas to divide their hunting area into two zones would allow an earlier opening date in the western part of the hunting area and improve hunting opportunity, while maintaining the current opening date in the eastern part of the hunting area would continue to protect whooping cranes. Extensive information on whooping crane sightings was used in determining the placement of the boundary between the central and western hunting zones, and the Service believes the boundary and different zone-specific season opening dates provide sufficient protection to whooping cranes.

We also agree with the recommendations of the Central and Pacific Flyway Councils to change the status of the season in Estancia Valley, New Mexico, from experimental to operational. The season is consistent with the requirements in the Central and Pacific Flyway Councils' RMP crane management plan. The experimental season required monitoring the level and racial composition of the harvest and to assign greater sandhill cranes harvested during this season to the RMP cranes quota. From 2001 to 2019, harvest in the Estancia Valley season was monitored via mandatory hunter check stations. In recent years, approximately one to two percent of the crane harvest comprised greater sandhill cranes (1-2 birds out of a harvest of approximately 100 birds in the Estancia Valley). New Mexico will continue to monitor the level and racial composition of the harvest in the Estancia Valley season using bill-measurement cards and assign greater cranes harvested to the RMP crane quota.

Finally, we also agree with the Central and Pacific Flyway Councils' recommendations to determine allowable harvest of RMP cranes using the formula in the Pacific and Central Flyway Councils' management plan for RMP cranes pending results of the fall 2019 abundance and recruitment surveys. As we discussed in the March 28, 2016, Federal Register (81 FR 17302), the harvest strategy used to calculate the allowable harvest of RMP cranes does not fit well within the current regulatory process. In developing the annual proposed frameworks for RMP cranes, the Flyway Councils and the Service use the fall abundance and recruitment surveys of RMP cranes to determine annual allowable harvest. Results of the fall abundance and recruitment surveys of RMP cranes are released between December 1 and January 31 each year, which is after the date proposed frameworks are developed. However, the data are typically available by the expected publication of final frameworks. When we acquire the survey data, we determine the appropriate allowable harvest for the RMP crane season according to the harvest strategy in the Central and Pacific Flyway Councils' management plan for RMP cranes published in the March 28, 2016, Federal Register (81 FR 17302) and publish the results in the final frameworks rule.

The 2019 fall RMP crane abundance estimate was 21,290 cranes, resulting in a 3-year (2017-19) average of 20,894 cranes, similar to the previous 3-year average, which was 21,219 cranes. The RMP crane recruitment estimate was 8.92 percent young in the fall population, resulting in a 3-year (2017-19) average of 8.25 percent, which is similar to the previous 3-year average of 8.22 percent. Using the current harvest strategy and the above most recent 3-year average abundance and recruitment estimates, the allowable harvest for the 2020-21 season is 1,536 cranes.

11. Moorhens and Gallinules

Similar to the situation for cackling geese discussed under 4. Canada Geese above, on April 16, 2020, we published in the Federal Register (85 FR 21282) a revised List of Migratory Birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) by both adding and removing species. Reasons for the changes to the list included adding species based on revised taxonomy and new evidence of natural occurrence in the United States or U.S. territories, removing species no longer known to occur within the United States or U.S. territories, and changing names to conform to accepted use. This rule went into effect on May 18, 2020, which was between the publication dates of the proposed frameworks (March 19, 2020) and these final frameworks for 2020-21 migratory bird hunting seasons. The revised List of Migratory Birds added the common gallinule (Gallinula galeata), which previously was considered conspecific with the common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). However, the March 19, 2020, proposed frameworks specified hunting seasons for common moorhens. Because this change in the List of Migratory Birds represents only a change in the name of a species for which hunting was allowed, and because the change was made after the proposed frameworks were published, in this final rule and for the 2020-21 season, the regulations for common gallinules will be specified under the regulations for common moorhens and purple gallinules.

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyway Councils recommended a framework closing date of January 31 for moorhens and gallinules in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways.

Service Response: We agree with the recommendations of the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyway Councils for a framework closing date of January 31 rather than the last Sunday in January for moorhens and gallinules in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways. The moorhens and gallinules season framework closing date traditionally has coincided with the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date. We earlier discussed under 1. Ducks, B. Regulatory Alternatives that last year we extended the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date from the last Sunday in January to January 31 across all four Flyways as directed by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law on March 12, 2019 (Pub. L. 116-9). Therefore, we are supportive of adjusting the moorhens and gallinules season framework closing date to again coincide with the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date, and expect this change to have negligible impacts to moorhen and gallinule population status.

12. Rails

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyway Councils recommended a framework closing date of January 31 for rails in the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways.

Service Response: We agree with the recommendations of the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyway Councils for a framework closing date of January 31 rather than the last Sunday in January for rails in the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways. The rail season framework closing date traditionally has coincided with the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date. We earlier discussed under 1. Ducks, B. Regulatory Alternatives that last year we extended the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date from the last Sunday in January to January 31 across all four Flyways as directed by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law on March 12, 2019 (Pub. L. 116-9). Therefore, we are supportive of adjusting the rail season framework closing date to again coincide with the duck, coot, and merganser season framework closing date, and expect this change to have negligible impact to rail population status.

14. Woodcock

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyway Councils recommended use of the “moderate” season framework for the 2020-21 season.

Service Response: In 2011, we implemented a harvest strategy for woodcock (76 FR 19876, April 8, 2011). The harvest strategy provides a transparent framework for making regulatory decisions for woodcock season length and bag limits while we work to improve monitoring and assessment protocols for this species. Utilizing the criteria developed for the strategy, the three-year average for the Singing Ground Survey indices and associated confidence intervals fall within the “moderate package” for both the Eastern and Central Management Regions. As such, a “moderate season” for both management regions for the 2020-21 season is appropriate.

16. Doves

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic and Mississippi Flyway Councils recommended adoption of the standard regulatory alternative, which consists of a 90-day season and 15-bird daily bag limit for States within the Eastern Management Unit. The daily bag limit could be composed of mourning doves and white-winged doves, singly or in combination.

The Mississippi and Central Flyway Councils recommended adoption of the standard regulatory alternative, which consists of a 90-day season and 15-bird daily bag limit for States within the Central Management Unit.

The Pacific Flyway Council recommended adoption of the standard regulatory alternative, which consists of a 60-day season and 15-bird daily bag limit for States in the Western Management Unit (WMU). The Council also recommended allowing States in the WMU to select seasons in one or two zones with up to two segments per zone.

Service Response: Based on the harvest strategies and current population status, we agree with the recommended selection of the standard season frameworks for doves in the Eastern, Central, and Western Management Units for the 2020-21 season.

We also agree with the Pacific Flyway Council's recommendation to allow States in the WMU to select seasons in one or two zones with up to two segments per zone.

In 2004, we recognized the need to work with the States to review our current policy regarding zoning for dove hunting (69 FR 52970; August 30, 2004). We asked the Flyway Councils and Mourning Dove Management Unit Technical Committees to review the current policies regarding the use of zones and split seasons for dove hunting, with a view toward establishing guidelines for the use of these harvest-management tools, as has been done for ducks. Items considered included the number of zone and split-season configurations among which each State may choose, the frequency with which each State may change their configuration selection, and the need for a restricted framework opening date in south zones. In 2006, we adopted a set of guidelines for dove zones and split seasons applicable in the Eastern and Central Mourning Dove Management Units based on recommendations of the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyway Councils for use beginning in the 2007-08 season and conforming to those fixed five-year periods used for ducks, e.g., 2006-10 (71 FR 51406; August 29, 2006). These guidelines were not extended to the WMU at the time because they were not endorsed by the Pacific Flyway Council and no dove zones occurred in the WMU. Furthermore, the framework season length in the WMU was 30 consecutive days, except in Arizona and California where the season length was 60 days, and could be split into two segments.

The season length in the WMU was expanded to 60 days beginning with the 2014 hunting season. The Pacific Flyway Council is now requesting the same flexibility for zones and split seasons we have afforded to other MUs, with the exception that the WMU would be allowed only two season segments in one or both zones rather than three. Thus, we are supportive of extending the guidelines for dove zones and split seasons to the WMU, with the exception that seasons may be split into no more than two segments. Any State's zone and split-season configuration also must conform to those fixed five-year periods used for duck and dove guidelines for zones and split seasons, e.g., 2021-25. Dove harvest may increase slightly in those States where zones are established, particularly late in the season, but any additional harvest is expected to have negligible impact to dove population status. Finally, we will extend the deadline for States to select their zone and split-season configurations and to define potential new zone boundaries for the 2021-25 seasons to July 1, 2020, but we encourage States to submit their selections and zone boundaries as soon as possible (see C. Zones and Split Seasons, above).

For the 2021-25 seasons, the guidelines for dove zones and split seasons are as follows:

Guidelines for Dove Zones and Split Seasons

(1) A zone is a geographic area or portion of a State, with a contiguous boundary, for which independent seasons may be selected for dove hunting.

(2) Each State may select a zone and split-season configuration during an open season. The configuration must remain in place for the following five years except that each State may make a one-time change and revert to their previous zone and split-season configuration in any year of the five-year period. Formal approval will not be required, but the State must notify the Service before making the change.

(3) Zoning periods for dove hunting will conform to those years used for ducks, e.g., 2021-25.

(4) The zone and split-season configuration consists of two zones with the option for three-segment seasons in one or both zones, except in the WMU where the season in one or both zones may be split into two segments. As a grandfathered arrangement, Texas will have three zones with the option for two-segment seasons in one, two, or all three zones.

(5) States that do not wish to zone for dove hunting may split their seasons into three segments.

For the 2021-25 period, any State may continue the configuration used in 2016-20. If changes are made, the zone and split-season configuration must conform to one of the configurations listed above. If Texas uses a new configuration for the entirety of the five-year period, it cannot go back to the grandfathered arrangement that it previously had in place.

17. Alaska

Council Recommendations: The Pacific Flyway Council recommended reducing the emperor goose total allowable harvest in Alaska from 1,000 to 500 geese.

Service Response: We agree with the Pacific Flyway Council's recommendation. The Pacific Flyway Council revised their management plan for emperor geese in 2016. The management plan includes emperor goose population objectives, commitments to monitor population status, and a harvest strategy. The fall-winter harvest of emperor geese in Alaska was resumed as a registration permit hunt in 2017 after more than 30 years of closed seasons. The Council's harvest strategy is based on emperor goose abundance during spring on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Coastal Zone and thresholds for prescribed regulatory alternatives. The harvest strategy specifies an open hunting season with an annual allowable harvest of 1,000 emperor geese if the spring abundance index is greater than 23,000 geese; but when the spring abundance index is between 23,000 and 28,000 geese, restrictions will be considered, specifically reducing the allowable harvest from 1,000 to 500 birds. The 2019 emperor goose spring abundance index was 26,585 (95% CI = 24,161-29,008), which is below the Pacific Flyway Council's population objective of 34,000 geese. The abundance index was also below the 28,000-bird threshold, which triggers consideration of reducing the allowable harvest quota from 1,000 to 500 birds for the 2020-21 season.

19. Puerto Rico

Council Recommendations: The Atlantic Flyway Council recommended increasing the daily bag limit from 20 to 30 doves in the aggregate in Puerto Rico beginning with the 2020-21 season. The daily bag may not exceed 3 mourning doves and 10 Zenaida doves, as in the current regulation, but may be as high as 30 white-winged doves per hunter daily.

Service Response: We agree with the Atlantic Flyway Council's recommendation. White-winged dove abundance is estimated to be approximately 1.04 million birds in Puerto Rico, which is above the target population of 0.5-0.7 million birds. The increase in the white-winged dove daily bag limit from 20 to 30 birds is expected to increase their harvest rate by 8 percent from 36.7 to 44.7 percent and reduce total population size of white-winged doves in Puerto Rico to 0.95 million birds, which is above the target population of 0.5-0.7 million birds. Retaining the daily bag limit restrictions on mourning and Zenaida doves will result in this regulation change having a negligible impact on those species.

Required Determinations

Executive Order 13771—Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs

This action is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order (E.O.) 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 3, 2017) because it establishes annual harvest limits related to routine hunting or fishing.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Consideration

The programmatic document, “Second Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Issuance of Annual Regulations Permitting the Sport Hunting of Migratory Birds (EIS 20130139),” filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on May 24, 2013, addresses NEPA compliance by the Service for issuance of the annual framework regulations for hunting of migratory game bird species. We published a notice of availability in the Federal Register on May 31, 2013 (78 FR 32686), and our Record of Decision on July 26, 2013 (78 FR 45376). We also address NEPA compliance for waterfowl hunting frameworks through the annual preparation of separate environmental assessments, the most recent being “Duck Hunting Regulations for 2020-21,” with its corresponding June 2020 finding of no significant impact. The programmatic document, as well as the separate environmental assessment, is available on our website at https://www.fws.gov/​birds/​index.php, or from the address indicated under the caption ADDRESSES.

Endangered Species Act Consideration

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), provides that the Secretary shall insure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered species or threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. After we published the October 15, 2019, proposed rule, we conducted formal consultations to ensure that actions resulting from these regulations would not likely jeopardize the continued existence of endangered or threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of their critical habitat. Findings from these consultations are included in a biological opinion, which concluded that the regulations are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species. The biological opinion resulting from this section 7 consultation is available for public inspection at the address indicated under ADDRESSES.

Regulatory Planning and Review (Executive Orders 12866 and 13563)

E.O. 12866 provides that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) will review all significant rules. OIRA has reviewed this rule and has determined that this rule is significant because it will have an annual effect of $100 million or more on the economy.

E.O. 13563 reaffirms the principles of E.O. 12866 while calling for improvements in the nation's regulatory system to promote predictability, to reduce uncertainty, and to use the best, most innovative, and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory ends. The executive order directs agencies to consider regulatory approaches that reduce burdens and maintain flexibility and freedom of choice for the public where these approaches are relevant, feasible, and consistent with regulatory objectives. E.O. 13563 emphasizes further that regulations must be based on the best available science and that the rulemaking process must allow for public participation and an open exchange of ideas. We have developed this rule in a manner consistent with these requirements.

An economic analysis was prepared for the 2020-21 season. This analysis was based on data from the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (National Survey), the most recent year for which data are available (see discussion under Regulatory Flexibility Act, below). This analysis estimated consumer surplus for three alternatives for duck hunting (estimates for other species are not quantified due to lack of data). The alternatives are (1) issue restrictive regulations allowing fewer days than those issued during the 2019-20 season, (2) issue moderate regulations allowing more days than those in alternative 1, and (3) issue liberal regulations similar to the regulations in the 2019-20 season. For the 2020-21 season, we chose Alternative 3, with an estimated consumer surplus across all flyways of $263-$347 million with a mid-point estimate of $305 million. We also chose alternative 3 for the 2009-10 through 2019-20 seasons. The 2020-21 analysis is part of the record for this rule and is available at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2019-0004.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The annual migratory bird hunting regulations have a significant economic impact on substantial numbers of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). We analyzed the economic impacts of the annual hunting regulations on small business entities in detail as part of the 1981 cost-benefit analysis. This analysis was revised annually from 1990 through 1995. In 1995, the Service issued a Small Entity Flexibility Analysis (Analysis), which was subsequently updated in 1996, 1998, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2019. The primary source of information about hunter expenditures for migratory game bird hunting is the National Survey, which is generally conducted at 5-year intervals. The 2020 Analysis is based on the 2016 National Survey and the U.S. Department of Commerce's County Business Patterns, from which it was estimated that migratory bird hunters would spend approximately $2.1 billion at small businesses in 2020. Copies of the analysis are available upon request from the Division of Migratory Bird Management (see ADDRESSES) or from http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2019-0004.

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act

This final rule is a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804(2), the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. For the reasons outlined above, this rule will have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more. However, because this rule establishes frameworks for hunting seasons, we do not plan to defer the effective date under the exemption contained in 5 U.S.C. 808(1).

Paperwork Reduction Act

This rule does not contain any new collection of information that requires approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). OMB has previously approved the information collection requirements associated with migratory bird surveys and the procedures for establishing annual migratory bird hunting seasons under the following OMB control numbers:

• 1018-0019, “North American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey” (expires 06/30/2021).
• 1018-0023, “Migratory Bird Surveys, 50 CFR 20.20” (expires 04/30/2023). Includes Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program, Migratory Bird Hunter Surveys, Sandhill Crane Survey, and Parts Collection Survey.
• 1018-0171, “Establishment of Annual Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons, 50 CFR part 20” (expires 06/30/2021).

You may view the information collection request(s) at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

We have determined and certify, in compliance with the requirements of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, 2 U.S.C. 1502 et seq., that this rulemaking will not impose a cost of $100 million or more in any given year on local or State government or private entities. Therefore, this rule is not a “significant regulatory action” under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

Civil Justice Reform—Executive Order 12988

The Department, in promulgating this rule, has determined that this rule will not unduly burden the judicial system and that it meets the requirements of sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of E.O. 12988.

Takings Implication Assessment

In accordance with E.O. 12630, this rule, authorized by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, does not have significant takings implications and does not affect any constitutionally protected property rights. This rule will not result in the physical occupancy of property, the physical invasion of property, or the regulatory taking of any property. In fact, this rule will allow hunters to exercise otherwise unavailable privileges and, therefore, reduce restrictions on the use of private and public property.

Energy Effects—Executive Order 13211

E.O. 13211 requires agencies to prepare Statements of Energy Effects when undertaking certain actions. While this rule is a significant regulatory action under E.O. 12866, it is not expected to adversely affect energy supplies, distribution, or use. Therefore, this action is not a significant energy action and no Statement of Energy Effects is required.

Government-to-Government Relationship With Tribes

In accordance with the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, “Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments” (59 FR 22951), E.O. 13175, and 512 DM 2, we have evaluated possible effects on Federally recognized Indian tribes and have determined that there are de minimis effects on Indian trust resources. We solicited proposals for special migratory bird hunting regulations for certain tribes on Federal Indian reservations, off-reservation trust lands, and ceded lands for the 2020-21 migratory bird hunting season in the October 15, 2019, proposed rule (84 FR 55120). The resulting proposals were contained in a separate April 2, 2020, proposed rule (85 FR 18532) and will be finalized in a rule in August 2020. Through this process to establish annual hunting regulations, we regularly coordinate with tribes that would be affected by this rule.

Federalism Effects

Due to the migratory nature of certain species of birds, the Federal Government has been given responsibility over these species by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. We annually prescribe frameworks from which the States make selections regarding the hunting of migratory birds, and we employ guidelines to establish special regulations on Federal Indian reservations and ceded lands. This process preserves the ability of the States and tribes to determine which seasons meet their individual needs. Any State or Indian tribe may be more restrictive than the Federal frameworks at any time. The frameworks are developed in a cooperative process with the States and the Flyway Councils. This process allows States to participate in the development of frameworks from which they will make selections, thereby having an influence on their own regulations. These rules do not have a substantial direct effect on fiscal capacity, change the roles or responsibilities of Federal or State governments, or intrude on State policy or administration. Therefore, in accordance with E.O. 13132, these regulations do not have significant federalism effects and do not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a federalism summary impact statement.

Regulations Promulgation

The rulemaking process for migratory game bird hunting, by its nature, operates under a time constraint as seasons must be established each year or hunting seasons remain closed. However, we intend that the public be provided extensive opportunity for public input and involvement in compliance with Administrative Procedure Act requirements. Thus, when the preliminary proposed rulemaking was published, we established what we concluded were the longest periods possible for public comment and the most opportunities for public involvement. We also provided notification of our participation in multiple Flyway Council meetings, opportunities for additional public review and comment on all Flyway Council proposals for regulatory change, and opportunities for additional public review during the SRC meeting. Therefore, sufficient public notice and opportunity for involvement have been given to affected persons regarding the migratory bird hunting frameworks for the 2020-21 hunting season. Further, after establishment of the final frameworks, States need sufficient time to conduct their own public processes to select season dates and limits; to communicate those selections to us; and to establish and publicize the necessary regulations and procedures to implement their decisions. Thus, if there were a delay in the effective date of these regulations after this final rulemaking, States might not be able to meet their own administrative needs and requirements.

For the reasons cited above, we find that “good cause” exists, within the terms of 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) of the Administrative Procedure Act, and these frameworks will take effect immediately upon publication.

Therefore, under authority of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (July 3, 1918), as amended (16 U.S.C. 703-711), we prescribe final frameworks setting forth the species to be hunted, the daily bag and possession limits, the shooting hours, the season lengths, the earliest opening and latest closing season dates, and hunting areas, from which State conservation agency officials will select hunting season dates and other options. Upon receipt of season selections from these officials, we will publish a final rulemaking amending 50 CFR part 20 to reflect seasons, limits, and shooting hours for the United States for the 2020-21 seasons. The rules that eventually will be promulgated for the 2020-21 hunting season are authorized under 16 U.S.C. 703-712 and 742 a-j.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 20

• Exports
• Hunting
• Imports
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Transportation
• Wildlife

Final Regulations Frameworks for 2020-21 Hunting Seasons on Certain Migratory Game Birds

Pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and delegated authorities, the Department of the Interior approved the following frameworks for season lengths, shooting hours, bag and possession limits, and outside dates within which States may select seasons for hunting migratory game birds between the dates of September 1, 2020, and March 10, 2021. These frameworks are summarized below.

General

Dates: All outside dates specified below are inclusive.

Season Lengths: All season lengths specified below are the maximum allowed.

Season segments: All season segments specified below are the maximum allowed.

Zones: Unless otherwise specified, States may select hunting seasons by zone. Zones for duck seasons (and associated youth and veterans—active military waterfowl hunting days, moorhen and gallinule seasons, and snipe seasons) and dove seasons may be selected only in years we declare such changes can be made (i.e., open seasons for zones and splits) and according to federally established guidelines for duck and dove zones and split seasons. Areas open to hunting must be described, delineated, and designated as such in each State's hunting regulations and published in the Federal Register as a Federal migratory bird hunting frameworks final rule.

Shooting and Hawking (taking by falconry) Hours: Unless otherwise specified, from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset daily.

Possession Limits: Unless otherwise specified, possession limits are three times the daily bag limit.

Permits: For some species of migratory birds, the Service authorizes the use of permits to regulate harvest or monitor their take by hunters, or both. In such cases, the Service determines the amount of harvest that may be taken during hunting seasons during its formal regulations-setting process, and the States then issue permits to hunters at levels predicted to result in the amount of take authorized by the Service. Thus, although issued by States, the permits would not be valid unless the Service approved such take in its regulations.

These federally authorized, State-issued permits are issued to individuals, and only the individual whose name and address appears on the permit at the time of issuance is authorized to take migratory birds at levels specified in the permit, in accordance with provisions of both Federal and State regulations governing the hunting season. The permit must be carried by the permittee when exercising its provisions and must be presented to any law enforcement officer upon request. The permit is not transferrable or assignable to another individual, and may not be sold, bartered, traded, or otherwise provided to another person. If the permit is altered or defaced in any way, the permit becomes invalid.

Flyways and Management Units

We set migratory bird hunting frameworks for the conterminous U.S. States by Flyway or Management Unit/Region. Frameworks for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands are contained in separate sections near the end of the frameworks portion of this document. The States included in the Flyways and Management Units/Regions are described below.

Waterfowl Flyways

Atlantic Flyway: Includes Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Mississippi Flyway: Includes Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Central Flyway: Includes Colorado (east of the Continental Divide), Kansas, Montana (Counties of Blaine, Carbon, Fergus, Judith Basin, Stillwater, Sweetgrass, Wheatland, and all counties east thereof), Nebraska, New Mexico (east of the Continental Divide except the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation), North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming (east of the Continental Divide).

Pacific Flyway: Includes Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and those portions of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming not included in the Central Flyway.

Mallard Management Units

High Plains Management Unit: Roughly defined as that portion of the Central Flyway that lies west of the 100th meridian. See Area, Unit, and Zone Descriptions, Ducks (Including Mergansers) and Coots, below, for specific boundaries in each State.

Columbia Basin Management Unit: In Washington, all areas east of the Pacific Crest Trail and east of the Big White Salmon River in Klickitat County; and in Oregon, the counties of Gilliam, Morrow, and Umatilla.

Mourning Dove Management Units

Eastern Management Unit: All States east of the Mississippi River, and Louisiana.

Central Management Unit: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.

Western Management Unit: Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Woodcock Management Regions

Eastern Management Region: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Central Management Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Definitions

For the purpose of the hunting regulations listed below, the collective terms “Canada,” “dark” and “light” geese include the following species:

Canada geese: Canada geese and cackling geese.

Dark geese: Canada geese, white-fronted geese, brant (except in Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, and the Atlantic Flyway), and all other goose species except light geese.

Light geese: Snow (including blue) geese and Ross's geese.

Area, Zone, and Unit Descriptions: Geographic descriptions related to regulations are contained in a later portion of this document.

Migratory Game Bird Seasons in the Atlantic Flyway

In the Atlantic Flyway States of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, where Sunday hunting of migratory birds is prohibited Statewide by State law or regulation, all Sundays are closed to the take of all migratory game birds.

Special Youth and Veterans—Active Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Days

Outside Dates: States may select 2 days per duck-hunting zone, designated as “Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days,” and 2 days per duck-hunting zone, designated as “Veterans and Active Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Days,” in addition to their regular duck seasons.

The days may be held concurrently. The Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days must be held outside any regular duck season on weekends, holidays, or other non-school days when youth hunters would have the maximum opportunity to participate. Both sets of days may be held up to 14 days before or after any regular duck-season frameworks or within any split of a regular duck season, or within any other open season on migratory birds.

Daily Bag Limits: The daily bag limits may include ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, moorhens, and gallinules. The daily bag limits are the same as those allowed in the regular season frameworks except in States that are allowed a daily bag limit of 1 or 2 scaup during different portions of the season, in which case the bag limit is 2 scaup per day. Flyway species and area restrictions would remain in effect.

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Participation Restrictions for Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days: States may use their established definition of age for youth hunters. However, youth hunters must be under the age of 18. In addition, an adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the youth hunter into the field. This adult may not duck hunt but may participate in other seasons that are open on the special youth day. Youth hunters 16 years of age and older must possess a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (also known as Federal Duck Stamp). Swans may be taken only by participants possessing applicable swan permits.

Participation Restrictions for Veterans and Active Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Days: Veterans (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code) and members of the Armed Forces on active duty, including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training), may participate. All hunters must possess a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (also known as Federal Duck Stamp). Swans may be taken only by participants possessing applicable swan permits.

Special September Teal Season

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and September 30, an open season on all species of teal may be selected by the following States in areas delineated by State regulations:

Atlantic Flyway: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Mississippi Flyway: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Central Flyway: Colorado (part), Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico (part), Oklahoma, and Texas.

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Not to exceed 16 consecutive days in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways. The daily bag limit is 6 teal.

Shooting Hours

Atlantic Flyway: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except in South Carolina, where the hours are from sunrise to sunset.

Mississippi and Central Flyways: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except in the States of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin, where the hours are from sunrise to sunset.

Special September Duck Seasons

Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee: In lieu of a special September teal season, a 5-consecutive-day teal/wood duck season may be selected in September. The daily bag limit may not exceed 6 teal and wood ducks in the aggregate, of which no more than 2 may be wood ducks. In addition, a 4-consecutive-day teal-only season may be selected in September either immediately before or immediately after the 5-consecutive-day teal/wood duck season. The daily bag limit is 6 teal.

Waterfowl

Atlantic Flyway

Ducks, Mergansers, and Coots

Outside Dates: Between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and January 31.

Hunting Seasons and Duck Limits: 60 days. The daily bag limit is 6 ducks, including no more than 2 mallards (no more than 1 of which can be female), 2 black ducks, 1 pintail, 1 mottled duck, 1 fulvous whistling duck, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 4 scoters, 4 eiders, and 4 long-tailed ducks. For scaup, the daily bag limit may be 2 for up to 20 consecutive days and 1 for the remainder of the season; these days may be split according to applicable duck hunting zone and split-season configurations approved for each State.

Closures: The season on harlequin ducks is closed.

Merganser Limits: The daily bag limit of mergansers is 5, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers. In States that include mergansers in the duck bag limit, the daily limit is the same as the duck bag limit, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers.

Coot Limits: The daily bag limit is 15 coots.

Lake Champlain Zone, New York: The waterfowl seasons, limits, and shooting hours should be the same as those selected for the Lake Champlain Zone of Vermont.

Connecticut River Zone, Vermont: The waterfowl seasons, limits, and shooting hours should be the same as those selected for the Inland Zone of New Hampshire.

Zoning and Split Seasons: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia may split their seasons into 3 segments. Connecticut may select seasons in each of 2 zones; Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont may select seasons in each of 3 zones; Pennsylvania may select seasons in each of 4 zones; and New York may select seasons in each of 5 zones; and all these States may split their season in each zone into 2 segments.

Scoters, Eiders, and Long-tailed Ducks

Special Sea Duck Seasons

Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia may select a Special Sea Duck Season in designated Special Sea Duck Areas. If a Special Sea Duck Season is selected, scoters, eiders, and long-tailed ducks may be taken in the designated Special Sea Duck Area(s) only during the Special Sea Duck Season dates; scoters, eiders, and long-tailed ducks may be taken outside of Special Sea Duck Area(s) during the regular duck season, in accordance with the frameworks for ducks, mergansers, and coots specified above.

Outside Dates: Between September 15 and January 31.

Special Sea Duck Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: 60 consecutive days, or 60 days that are concurrent with the regular duck season, with a daily bag limit of 5, of the listed sea duck species, including no more than 4 scoters, 4 eiders, and 4 long-tailed ducks. Within the special sea duck areas, during the regular duck season in the Atlantic Flyway, States may choose to allow the above sea duck limits in addition to the limits applying to other ducks during the regular season. In all other areas, sea ducks may be taken only during the regular open season for ducks and are part of the regular duck season daily bag (not to exceed 4 scoters, 4 eiders, and 4 long-tailed ducks) and possession limits.

Special Sea Duck Areas: In all coastal waters and all waters of rivers and streams seaward from the first upstream bridge in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York; in New Jersey, all coastal waters seaward from the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) Demarcation Lines shown on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Nautical Charts and further described in 33 CFR 80.165, 80.501, 80.502, and 80.503; in any waters of the Atlantic Ocean and in any tidal waters of any bay that are separated by at least 1 mile of open water from any shore, island, and emergent vegetation in South Carolina and Georgia; and in any waters of the Atlantic Ocean and in any tidal waters of any bay that are separated by at least 800 yards of open water from any shore, island, and emergent vegetation in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia; and provided that any such areas have been described, delineated, and designated as special sea duck hunting areas under the hunting regulations adopted by the respective States.

Canada Geese

Special Early Canada Goose Seasons

Season Lengths and Outside Dates: A Canada goose season of not more than 15 days during September 1-15 may be selected for the Eastern Unit of Maryland. Seasons not to exceed 30 days during September 1-30 may be selected for Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York (Long Island Zone only), North Carolina, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. Seasons may not exceed 25 days during September 1-25 in the remainder of the Flyway. Areas open to the hunting of Canada geese must be described, delineated, and designated as such in each State's hunting regulations.

Daily Bag Limits: Not to exceed 15 Canada geese.

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except that during any special early Canada goose season, shooting hours may extend to one-half hour after sunset if all other waterfowl seasons are closed in the specific applicable area.

Regular Canada Goose Seasons

Season Lengths, Outside Dates, and Limits: Specific regulations for Canada geese are provided below by State. These seasons may also include white-fronted geese in an aggregate daily bag limit. Unless subsequently provided, seasons may be split into 2 segments.

Connecticut

North Atlantic Population (NAP) Zone: Between October 1 and January 31, a 60-day season may be held with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

Atlantic Population (AP) Zone: A 30-day season may be held between October 10 and February 5, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

South Zone: A special season may be held between January 15 and February 15, with a 5-bird daily bag limit.

Resident Population (RP) Zone: An 80-day season may be held between October 1 and February 15, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

Delaware

A 30-day season may be held between November 15 and February 5, with a 1-bird daily bag limit.

Florida

An 80-day season may be held between October 1 and March 10, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

Georgia

An 80-day season may be held between October 1 and March 10, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

Maine

North and South NAP-H Zones: A 60-day season may be held between October 1 and January 31, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

Coastal NAP-L Zone: A 70-day season may be held between October 1 and February 15, with a 3-bird daily bag limit.

Maryland

RP Zone: An 80-day season may be held between November 15 and March 10, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

AP Zone: A 30-day season may be held between November 15 and February 5, with a 1-bird daily bag limit.

Massachusetts

NAP Zone: A 60-day season may be held between October 1 and January 31, with a 2-bird daily bag limit. Additionally, a special season may be held from January 15 to February 15, with a 5-bird daily bag limit.

AP Zone: A 30-day season may be held between October 10 and February 5, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

New Hampshire

A 60-day season may be held Statewide between October 1 and January 31 with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

New Jersey

AP Zone: A 30-day season may be held between the fourth Saturday in October (October 24) and February 5, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

NAP Zone: A 60-day season may be held between October 1 and January 31, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

Special Late Goose Season Area: A special season may be held in designated areas of north and south New Jersey from January 15 to February 15, with a 5-bird daily bag limit.

New York

NAP Zone: Between October 1 and January 31, a 60-day season may be held, with a 2-bird daily bag limit in the High Harvest areas; and between October 1 and February 15, a 70-day season may be held, with a 3-bird daily bag limit in the Low Harvest areas.

AP Zone: A 30-day season may be held between the fourth Saturday in October (October 24), except in the Lake Champlain Area where the opening date is October 10, through February 5, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

Western Long Island RP Zone: A 107-day season may be held between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and the last day of February, with an 8-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

Rest of State RP Zone: An 80-day season may be held between the fourth Saturday in October (October 24) and the last day of February, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

North Carolina

RP Zone: An 80-day season may be held between October 1 and March 10, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

Northeast Zone: A 14-day season may be held between the Saturday prior to December 25 (December 19) and January 31, with a 1-bird daily bag limit.

Pennsylvania

SJBP Zone: A 78-day season may be held between the first Saturday in October (October 3) and February 15, with a 3-bird daily bag limit.

RP Zone: An 80-day season may be held between the fourth Saturday in October (October 24) and March 10, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

AP Zone: A 30-day season may be held between the fourth Saturday in October (October 24) and February 5, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

Rhode Island

A 60-day season may be held between October 1 and January 31, with a 2-bird daily bag limit. A special late season may be held in designated areas from January 15 to February 15, with a 5-bird daily bag limit.

South Carolina

In designated areas, an 80-day season may be held between October 1 and March 10, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

Vermont

Lake Champlain Zone and Interior Zone: A 30-day season may be held between October 10 and February 5, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

Connecticut River Zone: A 60-day season may be held between October 1 and January 31, with a 2-bird daily bag limit.

Virginia

SJBP Zone: A 40-day season may be held between November 15 and January 14, with a 3-bird daily bag limit. Additionally, a special late season may be held between January 15 and February 15, with a 5-bird daily bag limit.

AP Zone: A 30-day season may be held between November 15 and February 5, with a 1-bird daily bag limit.

RP Zone: An 80-day season may be held between November 15 and March 10, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

West Virginia

An 80-day season may be held between October 1 and March 10, with a 5-bird daily bag limit. The season may be split into 3 segments.

Light Geese

Season Lengths, Outside Dates, and Limits: States may select a 107-day season between October 1 and March 10, with a 25-bird daily bag limit and no possession limit. Seasons may be split into 3 segments.

Brant

Season Lengths, Outside Dates, and Limits: States may select a 50-day season between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and January 31, with a 2-bird daily bag limit. Seasons may be split into 2 segments.

Mississippi Flyway

Ducks, Mergansers, and Coots

Outside Dates: Between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and January 31.

Hunting Seasons and Duck Limits: 60 days. The daily bag limit is 6 ducks, including no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be females), 1 mottled duck, 2 black ducks, 1 pintail, 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, and 2 redheads. For scaup, the daily bag limit may be 2 for up to 45 consecutive days and 1 for the remainder of the season; these days may be split according to applicable duck hunting zone and split-season configurations approved for each State.

Merganser Limits: The daily bag limit is 5, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers. In States that include mergansers in the duck bag limit, the daily limit is the same as the duck bag limit, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers.

Coot Limits: The daily bag limit is 15 coots.

Zoning and Split Seasons: Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi may split their seasons into 3 segments. Kentucky and Tennessee may select seasons in each of 2 zones; and Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin may select seasons in each of 3 zones; and all these States may split their season in each zone into 2 segments. Illinois may select seasons in each of 4 zones.

Geese

Season Lengths, Outside Dates, and Limits

Canada Geese: States may select seasons for Canada geese not to exceed 107 days with a 5-bird daily bag limit during September 1-30, and a 3-bird daily bag limit for the remainder of the season. Seasons may be held between September 1 and February 15, and may be split into 4 segments.

White-fronted Geese and Brant: Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee may select a season for white-fronted geese not to exceed 74 days with 3 geese daily, or 88 days with 2 geese daily, or 107 days with 1 goose daily between September 1 and February 15; Alabama, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin may select a season for white-fronted geese not to exceed 107 days with 5 geese daily, in the aggregate with dark geese between September 1 and February 15. States may select a season for brant not to exceed 70 days with 2 brant daily, or 107 days with 1 brant daily with outside dates the same as for Canada geese; alternately, States may include brant in an aggregate goose bag limit with either Canada geese, white-fronted geese, or dark geese.

Light Geese: States may select seasons for light geese not to exceed 107 days, with 20 geese daily between September 1 and February 15. There is no possession limit for light geese.

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except that during September 1-15 shooting hours may extend to one-half hour after sunset for Canada geese if all other waterfowl and crane seasons are closed in the specific applicable area.

Split Seasons: Seasons for geese may be split into 4 segments.

Central Flyway

Ducks, Mergansers, and Coots

Outside Dates: Between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and January 31.

Hunting Seasons

High Plains Mallard Management Unit (roughly defined as that portion of the Central Flyway that lies west of the 100th meridian): 97 days. The last 23 days must run consecutively and may start no earlier than the Saturday nearest December 10 (December 12).

Remainder of the Central Flyway: 74 days.

Duck Limits: The daily bag limit is 6 ducks, including no more than 5 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be females), 2 redheads, 3 wood ducks, 1 pintail, and 2 canvasbacks. The daily bag limit for scaup is 1 and the season for scaup may be split into 2 segments, with one segment consisting of 39 consecutive days and another segment consisting of 35 consecutive days. In Texas, the daily bag limit on mottled ducks is 1, except that no mottled ducks may be taken during the first 5 days of the season. In addition to the daily limits listed above, the States of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, in lieu of selecting an experimental September teal season, may include an additional daily bag and possession limit of 2 and 6 blue-winged teal, respectively, during the first 16 days of the regular duck season in each respective duck hunting zone. These extra limits are in addition to the regular duck bag and possession limits.

Merganser Limits: The daily bag limit is 5 mergansers, only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers. In States that include mergansers in the duck daily bag limit, the daily limit may be the same as the duck bag limit, only two of which may be hooded mergansers.

Coot Limits: The daily bag limit is 15 coots.

Zoning and Split Seasons: Colorado, Kansas (Low Plains portion), Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma (Low Plains portion), South Dakota (Low Plains portion), Texas (Low Plains portion), and Wyoming may select hunting seasons by zones.

North Dakota may split their season into 3 segments. Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas may select seasons in each of 2 zones; and Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming may select seasons in each of 3 zones; and all these States may split their season in each zone into 2 segments. Nebraska may select seasons in each of 4 zones.

Geese

Special Early Canada Goose Seasons

Season Lengths, Outside Dates, and Limits: In Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas, Canada goose seasons of not more than 30 days during September 1-30 may be selected. In Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and Wyoming, Canada goose seasons of not more than 15 days during September 1-15 may be selected. In North Dakota, Canada goose seasons of not more than 22 days during September 1-22 may be selected. The daily bag limit may not exceed 5 Canada geese, except in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, where the daily bag limit may not exceed 8 Canada geese, and in North Dakota and South Dakota, where the daily bag limit may not exceed 15 Canada geese. Areas open to the hunting of Canada geese must be described, delineated, and designated as such in each State's hunting regulations.

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset, except that during September 1-15 shooting hours may extend to one-half hour after sunset if all other waterfowl and crane seasons are closed in the specific applicable area.

Regular Goose Seasons

Season Lengths, Outside Dates, and Limits

Outside Dates: For dark geese, seasons may be selected between the outside dates of the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and the Sunday nearest February 15 (February 14). For light geese, outside dates for seasons may be selected between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and March 10. In the Rainwater Basin Light Goose Area (East and West) of Nebraska, temporal and spatial restrictions that are consistent with the late-winter snow goose hunting strategy cooperatively developed by the Central Flyway Council and the Service are required.

Dark Geese: In Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and the Eastern Goose Zone of Texas, States may select a season for Canada geese (or any other dark goose species except white-fronted geese) not to exceed 107 days with a daily bag limit of 8. For white-fronted geese, these States may select either a season of 74 days with a bag limit of 3, or an 88-day season with a bag limit of 2, or a season of 107 days with a bag limit of 1.

In Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming, States may select seasons not to exceed 107 days. The daily bag limit for dark geese is 5 in the aggregate.

In the Western Goose Zone of Texas, the season may not exceed 95 days. The daily bag limit for Canada geese (or any other dark goose species except white-fronted geese) is 5. The daily bag limit for white-fronted geese is 2.

Light Geese: States may select a light goose season not to exceed 107 days. The daily bag limit for light geese is 50 with no possession limit.

Split Seasons: Seasons for geese may be split into 3 segments. Three-segment seasons for Canada geese require Central Flyway Council and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approval, and a 3-year evaluation by each participating State.

Pacific Flyway

Ducks, Mergansers, and Coots

Outside Dates: Between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and January 31.

Hunting Seasons and Duck and Merganser Limits: 107 days. The daily bag limit is 7 ducks and mergansers, including no more than 2 female mallards, 1 pintail, 2 canvasbacks, 2 scaup, and 2 redheads. For scaup, the season length is 86 days, which may be split according to applicable zones and split duck hunting configurations approved for each State.

Coot, Common Moorhen, and Purple Gallinule Limits: The daily bag limit of coots, common moorhens, and purple gallinules is 25 in the aggregate.

Zoning and Split Seasons: Montana and New Mexico may split their seasons into 3 segments. Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming may select seasons in each of 2 zones; Nevada may select seasons in each of 3 zones; and California may select seasons in each of 5 zones; and all these States may split their season in each zone into 2 segments. Idaho may select seasons in each of 4 zones.

Colorado River Zone, California: Seasons and limits should be the same as seasons and limits selected in the adjacent portion of Arizona (South Zone).

Geese

Special Early Canada Goose Seasons

A Canada goose season of not more than 15 days during September 1-20 may be selected. The daily bag limit may not exceed 5 Canada geese, except in Pacific County, Washington, where the daily bag limit may not exceed 15 Canada geese. Areas open to hunting of Canada geese in each State must be described, delineated, and designated as such in each State's hunting regulations.

Regular Goose Seasons

Season Lengths, Outside Dates, and Limits

Canada Geese and Brant: Except as subsequently provided, 107-day seasons may be selected with outside dates between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and January 31. In Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, the daily bag limit is 4 Canada geese and brant in the aggregate. In California, Oregon, and Washington, the daily bag limit is 4 Canada geese. For brant, in California, Oregon and Washington, a 27-day season may be selected. Days must be consecutive. Washington and California may select hunting seasons for up to 2 zones. The daily bag limit is 2 brant and is in addition to other goose limits. In Oregon and California, the brant season must end no later than December 15.

White-fronted Geese: Except as subsequently provided, 107-day seasons may be selected with outside dates between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and March 10. The daily bag limit is 10.

Light Geese: Except as subsequently provided, 107-day seasons may be selected with outside dates between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and March 10. The daily bag limit is 20.

Split Seasons: Seasons may be split into 3 segments. Three-segment seasons for Canada geese and white-fronted geese require Pacific Flyway Council and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approval and a 3-year evaluation by each participating State.

California

The daily bag limit for Canada geese is 10.

Balance of State Zone: A Canada goose season may be selected with outside dates between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and March 10. In the Sacramento Valley Special Management Area, the season on white-fronted geese must end on or before December 28, and the daily bag limit is 3 white-fronted geese. In the North Coast Special Management Area, hunting days that occur after January 31 should be concurrent with Oregon's South Coast Zone.

Northeastern Zone: The white-fronted goose season may be split into 3 segments.

Oregon

The daily bag limit for light geese is 6 on or before the last Sunday in January (January 31).

Harney and Lake County Zone: For Lake County only, the daily white-fronted goose bag limit is 1.

Northwest Permit Zone: A Canada goose season may be selected with outside dates between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and March 10. Canada goose and white-fronted goose seasons may be split into 3 segments. The daily bag limits of Canada geese and light geese are 6 each. In the Tillamook County Management Area, the hunting season is closed on geese.

South Coast Zone: A Canada goose season may be selected with outside dates between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and March 10. Canada goose and white-fronted goose seasons may be split into 3 segments. The daily bag limit of Canada geese is 6. Hunting days that occur after January 31 should be concurrent with California's North Coast Special Management Area.

Utah

A Canada goose and brant season may be selected in the Wasatch Front Zone with outside dates between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and the first Sunday in February (February 7).

Washington

The daily bag limit for light geese is 6.

Areas 2 Inland and 2 Coastal (Southwest Permit Zone): A Canada goose season may be selected in each zone with outside dates between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and March 10. Canada goose and white-fronted goose seasons may be split into 3 segments.

Area 4: Canada goose and white-fronted goose seasons may be split into 3 segments.

Permit Zones

In Oregon and Washington permit zones, the hunting season is closed on dusky Canada geese. A dusky Canada goose is any dark-breasted Canada goose (Munsell 10 YR color value 5 or less) with a bill length between 40 and 50 millimeters. Hunting of geese will only be by hunters possessing a State-issued permit authorizing them to do so. Shooting hours for geese may begin no earlier than sunrise. Regular Canada goose seasons in the permit zones of Oregon and Washington remain subject to the Memorandum of Understanding entered into with the Service regarding monitoring the impacts of take during the regular Canada goose season on the dusky Canada goose population.

Swans

Pacific Flyway

In portions of the Pacific Flyway (Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Utah), an open season for taking a limited number of swans may be selected. These seasons are also subject to the following conditions:

Outside Dates: Between the Saturday nearest September 24 (September 26) and January 31.

Hunting Seasons: Seasons may not exceed 107 days, and may be split into 2 segments.

Permits: Swan hunting is by permit only. Permits will be issued by the State and will authorize each permittee to take no more than 1 swan per season with each permit. Only 1 permit may be issued per hunter in Montana and Utah; 2 permits may be issued per hunter in Nevada. The total number of permits issued may not exceed 50 in Idaho, 500 in Montana, 650 in Nevada, and 2,750 in Utah.

Quotas: The swan season in the respective State must end upon attainment of the following reported harvest of trumpeter swans: 20 in Utah and 10 in Nevada. There is no quota in Montana.

Monitoring: Each State must evaluate hunter participation, species-specific swan harvest, and hunter compliance in providing either species-determinant parts (at least the intact head) or bill measurements (bill length from tip to posterior edge of the nares opening, and presence or absence of yellow lore spots on the bill in front of the eyes) of harvested swans for species identification. Each State should use appropriate measures to maximize hunter compliance with the State's program for swan harvest reporting. Each State must achieve a hunter compliance of at least 80 percent in providing species-determinant parts or bill measurements of harvested swans for species identification, or subsequent permits will be reduced by 10 percent in the respective State. Each State must provide to the Service by June 30 following the swan season a report detailing hunter participation, species-specific swan harvest, and hunter compliance in reporting harvest. In Idaho and Montana, all hunters that harvest a swan must complete and submit a reporting card (bill card) with the bill measurement and color information from the harvested swan within 72 hours of harvest for species determination. In Utah and Nevada, all hunters that harvest a swan must have the swan or species-determinant parts examined by a State or Federal biologist within 72 hours of harvest for species determination.

Other Provisions: In Utah, the season is subject to the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement entered into with the Service in January 2019 regarding harvest monitoring, season closure procedures, and education requirements to minimize take of trumpeter swans during the swan season.

Atlantic and Central Flyways

In portions of the Atlantic Flyway (Delaware, North Carolina, and Virginia) and the Central Flyway (North Dakota, South Dakota [east of the Missouri River], and that portion of Montana in the Central Flyway), an open season for taking a limited number of swans may be selected. Permits will be issued by the States that authorize the take of no more than 1 swan per permit. A second permit may be issued to hunters from unused permits remaining after the first drawing.

Monitoring: Each State must evaluate hunter participation, species-specific swan harvest, and hunter compliance in providing measurements of harvested swans for species identification. Each State should use appropriate measures to maximize hunter compliance with the State's program for swan harvest reporting. Each State must achieve a hunter compliance of at least 80 percent in providing species-determinant measurements of harvested swans for species identification. Each State must provide to the Service by June 30 following the swan season a report detailing hunter participation, species-specific swan harvest, and hunter compliance in reporting harvest.

In lieu of a general swan hunting season, States may select a season only for tundra swans. States selecting a season only for tundra swans must obtain harvest and hunter participation data.

These general swan seasons and tundra swan seasons are also subject to the following conditions:

In the Atlantic Flyway

—The season may be 90 days, between October 1 and January 31.

—In Delaware, no more than 67 permits may be issued. The season is experimental.

—In North Carolina, no more than 4,895 permits may be issued.

—In Virginia, no more than 638 permits may be issued.

In the Central Flyway

—The season may be 107 days, between the Saturday nearest October 1 (October 3) and January 31.

—In the Central Flyway portion of Montana, no more than 500 permits may be issued.

—In North Dakota, no more than 2,200 permits may be issued.

—In South Dakota, no more than 1,300 permits may be issued.

Sandhill Cranes

Regular Seasons in the Mississippi Flyway

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and February 28 in Minnesota, and between September 1 and January 31 in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Hunting Seasons: A season not to exceed 37 consecutive days may be selected in the designated portion of northwestern Minnesota (Northwest Goose Zone), and a season not to exceed 60 consecutive days in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The season in Alabama is experimental.

Daily Bag Limit: 1 sandhill crane in Minnesota, 2 sandhill cranes in Kentucky, and 3 sandhill cranes in Alabama and Tennessee. In Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee, the seasonal bag limit is 3 sandhill cranes.

Permits: Each person participating in the regular sandhill crane seasons must have a valid State sandhill crane hunting permit.

Other Provisions: The number of permits (where applicable), open areas, season dates, protection plans for other species, and other provisions of seasons must be consistent with the management plans and approved by the Mississippi Flyway Council.

Regular Seasons in the Central Flyway

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and February 28.

Hunting Seasons: Seasons not to exceed 37 consecutive days may be selected in designated portions of Texas (Area 2). Seasons not to exceed 58 consecutive days may be selected in designated portions of the following States: Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Seasons not to exceed 93 consecutive days may be selected in designated portions of the following States: New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Daily Bag Limits: 3 sandhill cranes, except 2 sandhill cranes in designated portions of North Dakota (Area 2) and Texas (Area 2).

Permits: Each person participating in the regular sandhill crane season must have a valid Federal or State sandhill crane hunting permit.

Special Seasons in the Central and Pacific Flyways

Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming may select seasons for hunting sandhill cranes within the range of the Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) of sandhill cranes subject to the following conditions:

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and January 31.

Hunting Seasons: The season in any State or zone may not exceed 60 days, and may be split into 3 segments.

Bag limits: Not to exceed 3 daily and 9 per season.

Permits: Participants must have a valid permit, issued by the appropriate State, in their possession while hunting.

Other Provisions: Numbers of permits, open areas, season dates, protection plans for other species, and other provisions of seasons must be consistent with the management plan and approved by the Central and Pacific Flyway Councils, with the following exceptions:

A. In Utah, 100 percent of the harvest will be assigned to the RMP crane quota;

B. In Arizona, monitoring the racial composition of the harvest must be conducted at 3-year intervals unless 100 percent of the harvest will be assigned to the RMP crane quota;

C. In Idaho, 100 percent of the harvest will be assigned to the RMP crane quota; and

D. In the Estancia Valley hunt area of New Mexico, the level and racial composition of the harvest must be monitored; greater sandhill cranes in the harvest will be assigned to the RMP crane quota.

Common Moorhens and Purple Gallinules

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and January 31 in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways. States in the Pacific Flyway may select their hunting seasons between the outside dates for the season on ducks, mergansers, and coots; therefore, Pacific Flyway frameworks for common moorhens and purple gallinules are included with the duck, merganser, and coot frameworks.

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Seasons may not exceed 70 days in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways. Seasons may be split into 2 segments. The daily bag limit is 15 common moorhens and purple gallinules in the aggregate.

Zoning: Seasons may be selected by zones established for duck hunting.

Rails

Outside Dates: States included herein may select seasons between September 1 and January 31 on clapper, king, sora, and Virginia rails.

Hunting Seasons: Seasons may not exceed 70 days, and may be split into 2 segments.

Daily Bag Limits

Clapper and King Rails: In Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, 10 rails in the aggregate. In Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, 15 rails in the aggregate.

Sora and Virginia Rails: In the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways and the Pacific Flyway portions of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming, 25 rails in the aggregate. The season is closed in the remainder of the Pacific Flyway.

Snipe

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and February 28, except in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia, where the season must end no later than January 31.

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Seasons may not exceed 107 days and may be split into 2 segments. The daily bag limit is 8 snipe.

Zoning: Seasons may be selected by zones established for duck hunting.

American Woodcock

Outside Dates: States in the Eastern Management Region may select hunting seasons between October 1 and January 31. States in the Central Management Region may select hunting seasons between the Saturday nearest September 22 (September 19) and January 31.

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Seasons may not exceed 45 days in the Eastern and Central Regions. The daily bag limit is 3. Seasons may be split into 2 segments.

Zoning: New Jersey may select seasons in each of two zones. The season in each zone may not exceed 36 days.

Band-Tailed Pigeons

Pacific Coast States (California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada)

Outside Dates: Between September 15 and January 1.

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Not more than 9 consecutive days, with a daily bag limit of 2.

Zoning: California may select hunting seasons not to exceed 9 consecutive days in each of 2 zones. The season in the North Zone must close by October 3.

Four-Corners States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah)

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and November 30.

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Not more than 14 consecutive days, with a daily bag limit of 2.

Zoning: New Mexico may select hunting seasons not to exceed 14 consecutive days in each of 2 zones. The season in the South Zone may not open until October 1.

Doves

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and January 31 in the Eastern Management Unit, and between September 1 and January 15 in the Central and Western Management Units, except as subsequently provided, States may select hunting seasons and daily bag limits as follows:

Eastern Management Unit

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Not more than 90 days, with a daily bag limit of 15 mourning and white-winged doves in the aggregate.

Zoning and Split Seasons: Seasons may be split into 3 segments; Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi may select seasons in each of 2 zones, and may split their season in each zone into 3 segments.

Central Management Unit

For all States Except Texas

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Not more than 90 days, with a daily bag limit of 15 mourning and white-winged doves in the aggregate.

Zoning and Split Seasons: Seasons may be split into 3 segments; New Mexico may select seasons in each of 2 zones and may split their season in each zone into 3 segments.

Texas

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits: Not more than 90 days, with a daily bag limit of 15 mourning, white-winged, and white-tipped doves in the aggregate, of which no more than 2 may be white-tipped doves.

Zoning and Split Seasons: Texas may select hunting seasons for each of 3 zones subject to the following conditions:

A. The season may be split into 2 segments, except in that portion of Texas in which the special white-winged dove season is allowed, where a limited take of mourning and white-tipped doves may also occur during that special season (see Special White-winged Dove Area in Texas, below).

B. A season may be selected for the North and Central Zones between September 1 and January 25; and for the South Zone between September 14 and January 25.

Special White-Winged Dove Area in Texas

In addition, Texas may select a hunting season of not more than 4 days for the Special White-winged Dove Area between September 1 and September 19. The daily bag limit may not exceed 15 white-winged, mourning, and white-tipped doves in the aggregate, of which no more than 2 may be mourning doves and no more than 2 may be white-tipped doves.

Western Management Unit

Hunting Seasons and Daily Bag Limits

Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington: Not more than 60 days, which may be split between 2 segments. The daily bag limit is 15 mourning and white-winged doves in the aggregate.

Arizona and California: Not more than 60 days, which may be split between 2 segments, September 1-15 and November 1-January 15. In Arizona, during the first segment of the season, the daily bag limit is 15 mourning and white-winged doves in the aggregate, of which no more than 10 could be white-winged doves. During the remainder of the season, the daily bag limit is 15 mourning doves. In California, the daily bag limit is 15 mourning and white-winged doves in the aggregate, of which no more than 10 could be white-winged doves.

Alaska

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and January 26.

Hunting Seasons: Except as subsequently provided, not more than 107 consecutive days for waterfowl, sandhill cranes, and common snipe concurrent in each of 5 zones. The season may be split into 2 segments in the Kodiak Zone.

Closures: The hunting season is closed on spectacled eiders and Steller's eiders.

Daily Bag and Possession Limits

Ducks: Except as subsequently provided, the basic daily bag limit is 7 ducks. Basic daily bag limit in the North Zone is 10, and in the Gulf Coast Zone is 8. The basic daily bag limits may include no more than 2 canvasbacks daily and may not include sea ducks.

In addition to the basic daily bag limits, Alaska may select sea duck limits of 10 daily in the aggregate, including no more than 6 each of either harlequin or long-tailed ducks. Sea ducks include scoters, common and king eiders, harlequin ducks, long-tailed ducks, and common and red-breasted mergansers.

Light Geese: The daily bag limit is 6.

Canada Geese: The daily bag limit is 4 with the following exceptions:

A. In Units 5 and 6, the taking of Canada geese is permitted from September 28 through December 16.

B. On Middleton Island in Unit 6, a special, permit-only Canada goose season may be offered. A mandatory goose identification class is required. Hunters must check in and check out. The bag limit is 1 daily and 1 in possession. The season will close if incidental harvest includes 5 dusky Canada geese. A dusky Canada goose is any dark-breasted Canada goose (Munsell 10 YR color value 5 or less) with a bill length between 40 and 50 millimeters.

C. In Units 9, 10, 17, and 18, the daily bag limit is 6 Canada geese.

White-fronted Geese: The daily bag limit is 4 with the following exceptions:

A. In Units 9, 10, and 17, the daily bag limit is 6 white-fronted geese.

B. In Unit 18, the daily bag limit is 10 white-fronted geese.

Emperor Geese: Open seasons for emperor geese may be selected subject to the following conditions:

A. All seasons are by permit only.

B. No more than 1 emperor goose may be harvested per hunter per season.

C. Total harvest may not exceed 500 emperor geese.

D. In State Game Management Unit 8, the Kodiak Island Road Area is closed to hunting. The Kodiak Island Road Area consists of all lands and water (including exposed tidelands) east of a line extending from Crag Point in the north to the west end of Saltery Cove in the south and all lands and water south of a line extending from Termination Point along the north side of Cascade Lake extending to Anton Larsen Bay. Marine waters adjacent to the closed area are closed to harvest within 500 feet from the water's edge. The offshore islands are open to harvest, for example: Woody, Long, Gull, and Puffin islands.

Brant: The daily bag limit is 2.

Snipe: The daily bag limit is 8.

Sandhill Cranes: The daily bag limit is 2 in the Southeast, Gulf Coast, Kodiak, and Aleutian Zones, and Unit 17 in the North Zone. In the remainder of the North Zone (outside Unit 17), the daily bag limit is 3.

Tundra Swans: Open seasons for tundra swans may be selected subject to the following conditions:

A. All seasons are by permit only.

B. All season framework dates are September 1-October 31.

C. In Unit 17, no more than 200 permits may be issued during this operational season. No more than 3 tundra swans may be authorized per permit, with no more than 1 permit issued per hunter per season.

D. In Unit 18, no more than 500 permits may be issued during the operational season. No more than 3 tundra swans may be authorized per permit. No more than 1 permit may be issued per hunter per season.

E. In Unit 22, no more than 300 permits may be issued during the operational season. No more than 3 tundra swans may be authorized per permit. No more than 1 permit may be issued per hunter per season.

F. In Unit 23, no more than 300 permits may be issued during the operational season. No more than 3 tundra swans may be authorized per permit. No more than 1 permit may be issued per hunter per season.

Hawaii

Outside Dates: Between October 1 and January 31.

Hunting Seasons: Not more than 65 days (75 under the alternative) for mourning doves.

Bag Limits: Not to exceed 15 (12 under the alternative) mourning doves.

Note: Mourning doves may be taken in Hawaii in accordance with shooting hours and other regulations set by the State of Hawaii, and subject to the applicable provisions of 50 CFR part 20.

Puerto Rico

Doves and Pigeons

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and January 15.

Hunting Seasons: Not more than 60 days.

Daily Bag and Possession Limits: Not to exceed 30 Zenaida, mourning, and white-winged doves in the aggregate, of which not more than 10 may be Zenaida doves and 3 may be mourning doves. Not to exceed 5 scaly-naped pigeons.

Closed Seasons: The season is closed on the white-crowned pigeon and the plain pigeon, which are protected by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Closed Areas: There is no open season on doves or pigeons in the following areas: Municipality of Culebra, Desecheo Island, Mona Island, El Verde Closure Area, and Cidra Municipality and adjacent areas.

Ducks, Coots, Moorhens, Gallinules, and Snipe

Outside Dates: Between October 1 and January 31.

Hunting Seasons: Not more than 55 days may be selected for hunting ducks, common moorhens, and common snipe. The season may be split into 2 segments.

Daily Bag Limits

Ducks: Not to exceed 6 ducks.

Common Moorhens: Not to exceed 6 moorhens.

Common Snipe: Not to exceed 8 snipe.

Closed Seasons: The season is closed on the ruddy duck, white-cheeked pintail, West Indian whistling duck, fulvous whistling duck, and masked duck, which are protected by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The season also is closed on the purple gallinule, American coot, and Caribbean coot.

Closed Areas: There is no open season on ducks, common moorhens, and common snipe in the Municipality of Culebra and on Desecheo Island.

Virgin Islands

Doves and Pigeons

Outside Dates: Between September 1 and January 15.

Hunting Seasons: Not more than 60 consecutive days.

Daily Bag and Possession Limits: Not to exceed 10 Zenaida doves.

Closed Seasons: No open season is prescribed for ground or quail doves or pigeons.

Closed Areas: There is no open season for migratory game birds on Ruth Cay (just south of St. Croix).

Local Names for Certain Birds: Zenaida dove, also known as mountain dove; bridled quail-dove, also known as Barbary dove or partridge; common ground-dove, also known as stone dove, tobacco dove, rola, or tortolita; scaly-naped pigeon, also known as red-necked or scaled pigeon.

Ducks

Outside Dates: Between December 1 and January 31.

Hunting Seasons: Not more than 55 consecutive days.

Daily Bag Limits: Not to exceed 6 ducks.

Closed Seasons: The season is closed on the ruddy duck, white-cheeked pintail, West Indian whistling duck, fulvous whistling duck, and masked duck.

Special Falconry Regulations

In accordance with 50 CFR 21.29, falconry is a permitted means of taking migratory game birds in any State except for Hawaii. States may select an extended season for taking migratory game birds in accordance with the following:

Extended Seasons: For all hunting methods combined, the combined length of the extended season, regular season, and any special or experimental seasons must not exceed 107 days for any species or group of species in a geographical area. Each extended season may be split into 3 segments.

Framework Dates: Seasons must fall between September 1 and March 10.

Daily Bag Limits: Falconry daily bag limits for all permitted migratory game birds must not exceed 3 birds in the aggregate, during extended falconry seasons, any special or experimental seasons, and regular hunting seasons in all States, including those that do not select an extended falconry season.

Regular Seasons: General hunting regulations, including seasons and hunting hours, apply to falconry. Regular season bag limits do not apply to falconry. The falconry bag limit is not in addition to gun limits.

Area, Unit, and Zone Descriptions

Ducks (Including Mergansers) and Coots

Atlantic Flyway

Connecticut

North Zone: That portion of the State north of I-95.

South Zone: Remainder of the State.

Maine

North Zone: That portion north of the line extending east along Maine State Highway 110 from the New Hampshire-Maine State line to the intersection of Maine State Highway 11 in Newfield; then north and east along Route 11 to the intersection of U.S. Route 202 in Auburn; then north and east on Route 202 to the intersection of I-95 in Augusta; then north and east along I-95 to Route 15 in Bangor; then east along Route 15 to Route 9; then east along Route 9 to Stony Brook in Baileyville; then east along Stony Brook to the U.S. border.

Coastal Zone: That portion south of a line extending east from the Maine-New Brunswick border in Calais at the Route 1 Bridge; then south along Route 1 to the Maine-New Hampshire border in Kittery.

South Zone: Remainder of the State.

Maryland

Special Teal Season Area: Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties; that part of Anne Arundel County east of Interstate 895, Interstate 97, and Route 3; that part of Prince George's County east of Route 3 and Route 301; and that part of Charles County east of Route 301 to the Virginia State Line.

Massachusetts

Western Zone: That portion of the State west of a line extending south from the Vermont State line on I-91 to MA 9, west on MA 9 to MA 10, south on MA 10 to U.S. 202, south on U.S. 202 to the Connecticut State line.

Central Zone: That portion of the State east of the Berkshire Zone and west of a line extending south from the New Hampshire State line on I-95 to U.S. 1, south on U.S. 1 to I-93, south on I-93 to MA 3, south on MA 3 to U.S. 6, west on U.S. 6 to MA 28, west on MA 28 to I-195, west to the Rhode Island State line; except the waters, and the lands 150 yards inland from the high-water mark, of the Assonet River upstream to the MA 24 bridge, and the Taunton River upstream to the Center St.-Elm St. bridge shall be in the Coastal Zone.

Coastal Zone: That portion of Massachusetts east and south of the Central Zone.

New Hampshire

Northern Zone: That portion of the State east and north of the Inland Zone beginning at the Jct. of Rte. 10 and Rte. 25-A in Orford, east on Rte. 25-A to Rte. 25 in Wentworth, southeast on Rte. 25 to Exit 26 of Rte. I-93 in Plymouth, south on Rte. I-93 to Rte. 3 at Exit 24 of Rte. I-93 in Ashland, northeast on Rte. 3 to Rte. 113 in Holderness, north on Rte. 113 to Rte. 113-A in Sandwich, north on Rte. 113-A to Rte. 113 in Tamworth, east on Rte. 113 to Rte. 16 in Chocorua, north on Rte. 16 to Rte. 302 in Conway, east on Rte. 302 to the Maine-New Hampshire border.

Inland Zone: That portion of the State south and west of the Northern Zone, west of the Coastal Zone, and includes the area of Vermont and New Hampshire as described for hunting reciprocity. A person holding a New Hampshire hunting license that allows the taking of migratory waterfowl or a person holding a Vermont resident hunting license that allows the taking of migratory waterfowl may take migratory waterfowl and coots from the following designated area of the Inland Zone: the State of Vermont east of Rte. I-91 at the Massachusetts border, north on Rte. I-91 to Rte. 2, north on Rte. 2 to Rte. 102, north on Rte. 102 to Rte. 253, and north on Rte. 253 to the border with Canada and the area of New Hampshire west of Rte. 63 at the Massachusetts border, north on Rte. 63 to Rte. 12, north on Rte. 12 to Rte. 12-A, north on Rte. 12-A to Rte. 10, north on Rte. 10 to Rte. 135, north on Rte. 135 to Rte. 3, north on Rte. 3 to the intersection with the Connecticut River.

Coastal Zone: That portion of the State east of a line beginning at the Maine-New Hampshire border in Rollinsford, then extending to Rte. 4 west to the city of Dover, south to the intersection of Rte. 108, south along Rte. 108 through Madbury, Durham, and Newmarket to the junction of Rte. 85 in Newfields, south to Rte. 101 in Exeter, east to Interstate 95 (New Hampshire Turnpike) in Hampton, and south to the Massachusetts border.

New Jersey

Coastal Zone: That portion of the State seaward of a line beginning at the New York State line in Raritan Bay and extending west along the New York State line to NJ 440 at Perth Amboy; west on NJ 440 to the Garden State Parkway; south on the Garden State Parkway to NJ 109; south on NJ 109 to Cape May County Route 633 (Lafayette Street); south on Lafayette Street to Jackson Street; south on Jackson Street to the shoreline at Cape May; west along the shoreline of Cape May beach to COLREGS Demarcation Line 80.503 at Cape May Point; south along COLREGS Demarcation Line 80.503 to the Delaware State line in Delaware Bay.

North Zone: That portion of the State west of the Coastal Zone and north of a line extending west from the Garden State Parkway on NJ 70 to the New Jersey Turnpike, north on the turnpike to U.S. 206, north on U.S. 206 to U.S. 1 at Trenton, west on U.S. 1 to the Pennsylvania State line in the Delaware River.

South Zone: That portion of the State not within the North Zone or the Coastal Zone.

New York

Lake Champlain Zone: That area east and north of a continuous line extending along U.S. 11 from the New York-Canada International boundary south to NY 9B, south along NY 9B to U.S. 9, south along U.S. 9 to NY 22 south of Keesville; south along NY 22 to the west shore of South Bay, along and around the shoreline of South Bay to NY 22 on the east shore of South Bay; southeast along NY 22 to U.S. 4, northeast along U.S. 4 to the Vermont State line.

Long Island Zone: That area consisting of Nassau County, Suffolk County, that area of Westchester County southeast of I-95, and their tidal waters.

Western Zone: That area west of a line extending from Lake Ontario east along the north shore of the Salmon River to I-81, and south along I-81 to the Pennsylvania State line.

Northeastern Zone: That area north of a continuous line extending from Lake Ontario east along the north shore of the Salmon River to I-81, south along I-81 to NY 31, east along NY 31 to NY 13, north along NY 13 to NY 49, east along NY 49 to NY 365, east along NY 365 to NY 28, east along NY 28 to NY 29, east along NY 29 to NY 22, north along NY 22 to Washington County Route 153, east along CR 153 to the New York-Vermont boundary, exclusive of the Lake Champlain Zone.

Southeastern Zone: The remaining portion of New York.

Pennsylvania

Lake Erie Zone: The Lake Erie waters of Pennsylvania and a shoreline margin along Lake Erie from New York on the east to Ohio on the west extending 150 yards inland, but including all of Presque Isle Peninsula.

Northwest Zone: The area bounded on the north by the Lake Erie Zone and including all of Erie and Crawford Counties and those portions of Mercer and Venango Counties north of I-80.

North Zone: That portion of the State east of the Northwest Zone and north of a line extending east on I-80 to U.S. 220, Route 220 to I-180, I-180 to I-80, and I-80 to the Delaware River.

South Zone: The remaining portion of Pennsylvania.

Vermont

Lake Champlain Zone: The U.S. portion of Lake Champlain and that area north and west of the line extending from the New York border along U.S. 4 to VT 22A at Fair Haven; VT 22A to U.S. 7 at Vergennes; U.S. 7 to VT 78 at Swanton; VT 78 to VT 36; VT 36 to Maquam Bay on Lake Champlain; along and around the shoreline of Maquam Bay and Hog Island to VT 78 at the West Swanton Bridge; VT 78 to VT 2 in Alburg; VT 2 to the Richelieu River in Alburg; along the east shore of the Richelieu River to the Canadian border.

Interior Zone: That portion of Vermont east of the Lake Champlain Zone and west of a line extending from the Massachusetts border at Interstate 91; north along Interstate 91 to U.S. 2; east along U.S. 2 to VT 102; north along VT 102 to VT 253; north along VT 253 to the Canadian border.

Connecticut River Zone: The remaining portion of Vermont east of the Interior Zone.

Mississippi Flyway

Illinois

North Zone: That portion of the State north of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Peotone-Beecher Road to Illinois Route 50, south along Illinois Route 50 to Wilmington-Peotone Road, west along Wilmington-Peotone Road to Illinois Route 53, north along Illinois Route 53 to New River Road, northwest along New River Road to Interstate Highway 55, south along I-55 to Pine Bluff-Lorenzo Road, west along Pine Bluff-Lorenzo Road to Illinois Route 47, north along Illinois Route 47 to I-80, west along I-80 to I-39, south along I-39 to Illinois Route 18, west along Illinois Route 18 to Illinois Route 29, south along Illinois Route 29 to Illinois Route 17, west along Illinois Route 17 to the Mississippi River, and due south across the Mississippi River to the Iowa border.

Central Zone: That portion of the State south of the North Duck Zone line to a line extending west from the Indiana border along I-70 to Illinois Route 4, south along Illinois Route 4 to Illinois Route 161, west along Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 158, south and west along Illinois Route 158 to Illinois Route 159, south along Illinois Route 159 to Illinois Route 3, south along Illinois Route 3 to St. Leo's Road, south along St. Leo's Road to Modoc Road, west along Modoc Road to Modoc Ferry Road, southwest along Modoc Ferry Road to Levee Road, southeast along Levee Road to County Route 12 (Modoc Ferry entrance Road), south along County Route 12 to the Modoc Ferry route and southwest on the Modoc Ferry route across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border.

South Zone: That portion of the State south and east of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Interstate 70, south along U.S. Highway 45, to Illinois Route 13, west along Illinois Route 13 to Greenbriar Road, north on Greenbriar Road to Sycamore Road, west on Sycamore Road to N. Reed Station Road, south on N. Reed Station Road to Illinois Route 13, west along Illinois Route 13 to Illinois Route 127, south along Illinois Route 127 to State Forest Road (1025 N), west along State Forest Road to Illinois Route 3, north along Illinois Route 3 to the south bank of the Big Muddy River, west along the south bank of the Big Muddy River to the Mississippi River, west across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border.

South Central Zone: The remainder of the State between the south border of the Central Zone and the North border of the South Zone.

Indiana

North Zone: That part of Indiana north of a line extending east from the Illinois border along State Road 18 to U.S. 31; north along U.S. 31 to U.S. 24; east along U.S. 24 to Huntington; southeast along U.S. 224; south along State Road 5; and east along State Road 124 to the Ohio border.

Central Zone: That part of Indiana south of the North Zone boundary and north of the South Zone boundary.

South Zone: That part of Indiana south of a line extending east from the Illinois border along I-70; east along National Ave.; east along U.S. 150; south along U.S. 41; east along State Road 58; south along State Road 37 to Bedford; and east along U.S. 50 to the Ohio border.

Iowa

North Zone: That portion of Iowa north of a line beginning on the South Dakota-Iowa border at Interstate 29, southeast along Interstate 29 to State Highway 175, east along State Highway 175 to State Highway 37, southeast along State Highway 37 to State Highway 183, northeast along State Highway 183 to State Highway 141, east along State Highway 141 to U.S. Highway 30, and along U.S. Highway 30 to the Illinois border.

Missouri River Zone: That portion of Iowa west of a line beginning on the South Dakota-Iowa border at Interstate 29, southeast along Interstate 29 to State Highway 175, and west along State Highway 175 to the Iowa-Nebraska border.

South Zone: The remainder of Iowa.

Kentucky

West Zone: All counties west of and including Butler, Daviess, Ohio, Simpson, and Warren Counties.

East Zone: The remainder of Kentucky.

Louisiana

East Zone: That area of the State between the Mississippi State line and a line going south on Highway (Hwy) 79 from the Arkansas border to Homer, then south on Hwy 9 to Arcadia, then south on Hwy 147 to Hodge, then south on Hwy 167 to Turkey Creek, then south on Hwy 13 to Eunice, then west on Hwy 190 to Kinder, then south on Hwy 165 to Iowa, then west on I-10 to its junction with Hwy 14 at Lake Charles, then south and east on Hwy 14 to its junction with Hwy 90 in New Iberia, then east on Hwy 90 to the Mississippi State line.

West Zone: That area between the Texas State line and a line going east on I-10 from the Texas border to Hwy 165 at Iowa, then north on Hwy 165 to Kinder, then east on Hwy 190 to Eunice, then north on Hwy 13 to Turkey Creek, then north on Hwy 167 to Hodge, then north on Hwy 147 to Arcadia, then north on Hwy 9 to Homer, then north on Hwy 79 to the Arkansas border.

Coastal Zone: Remainder of the State.

Michigan

North Zone: The Upper Peninsula.

Middle Zone: That portion of the Lower Peninsula north of a line beginning at the Wisconsin State line in Lake Michigan due west of the mouth of Stony Creek in Oceana County; then due east to, and easterly and southerly along the south shore of Stony Creek to Scenic Drive, easterly and southerly along Scenic Drive to Stony Lake Road, easterly along Stony Lake and Garfield Roads to Michigan Highway 20, east along Michigan 20 to U.S. Highway 10 Business Route (BR) in the city of Midland, easterly along U.S. 10 BR to U.S. 10, easterly along U.S. 10 to Interstate Highway 75/U.S. Highway 23, northerly along I-75/U.S. 23 to the U.S. 23 exit at Standish, easterly along U.S. 23 to the centerline of the Au Gres River, then southerly along the centerline of the Au Gres River to Saginaw Bay, then on a line directly east 10 miles into Saginaw Bay, and from that point on a line directly northeast to the Canadian border.

South Zone: The remainder of Michigan.

Minnesota

North Duck Zone: That portion of the State north of a line extending east from the North Dakota State line along State Highway 210 to State Highway 23 and east to State Highway 39 and east to the Wisconsin State line at the Oliver Bridge.

South Duck Zone: The portion of the State south of a line extending east from the South Dakota State line along U.S. Highway 212 to Interstate 494 and east to Interstate 94 and east to the Wisconsin State line.

Central Duck Zone: The remainder of the State.

Missouri

North Zone: That portion of Missouri north of a line running west from the Illinois border at Lock and Dam 25; west on Lincoln County Hwy N to MO Hwy 79; south on MO Hwy 79 to MO Hwy 47; west on MO Hwy 47 to I-70; west on I-70 to the Kansas border.

Middle Zone: The remainder of Missouri not included in other zones.

South Zone: That portion of Missouri south of a line running west from the Illinois border on MO Hwy 74 to MO Hwy 25; south on MO Hwy 25 to U.S. Hwy 62; west on U.S. Hwy. 62 to MO Hwy 53; north on MO Hwy 53 to MO Hwy 51; north on MO Hwy 51 to U.S. Hwy 60; west on U.S. Hwy 60 to MO Hwy 21; north on MO Hwy 21 to MO Hwy 72; west on MO Hwy 72 to MO Hwy 32; west on MO Hwy 32 to U.S. Hwy 65; north on U.S. Hwy 65 to U.S. Hwy 54; west on U.S. Hwy 54 to U.S. Hwy 71; south on U.S. Hwy 71 to Jasper County Hwy M (Base Line Blvd.); west on Jasper County Hwy M (Base Line Blvd.) to CRD 40 (Base Line Blvd.); west on CRD 40 (Base Line Blvd.) to the Kansas border.

Ohio

Lake Erie Marsh Zone: Includes all land and water within the boundaries of the area bordered by a line beginning at the intersection of Interstate 75 at the Ohio-Michigan State line and continuing south to Interstate 280, then south on I-280 to the Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90), then east on the Ohio Turnpike to the Erie-Lorain County line, then north to Lake Erie, then following the Lake Erie shoreline at a distance of 200 yards offshore, then following the shoreline west toward and around the northern tip of Cedar Point Amusement Park, then continuing from the westernmost point of Cedar Point toward the southernmost tip of the sand bar at the mouth of Sandusky Bay and out into Lake Erie at a distance of 200 yards offshore continuing parallel to the Lake Erie shoreline north and west toward the northernmost tip of Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge, then following a direct line toward the southernmost tip of Wood Tick Peninsula in Michigan to a point that intersects the Ohio-Michigan State line, then following the State line back to the point of the beginning.

North Zone: That portion of the State, excluding the Lake Erie Marsh Zone, north of a line extending east from the Indiana State line along U.S. Highway (U.S.) 33 to State Route (SR) 127, then south along SR 127 to SR 703, then south along SR 703 and including all lands within the Mercer Wildlife Area to SR 219, then east along SR 219 to SR 364, then north along SR 364 and including all lands within the St. Mary's Fish Hatchery to SR 703, then east along SR 703 to SR 66, then north along SR 66 to U.S. 33, then east along U.S. 33 to SR 385, then east along SR 385 to SR 117, then south along SR 117 to SR 273, then east along SR 273 to SR 31, then south along SR 31 to SR 739, then east along SR 739 to SR 4, then north along SR 4 to SR 95, then east along SR 95 to SR 13, then southeast along SR 13 to SR 3, then northeast along SR 3 to SR 60, then north along SR 60 to U.S. 30, then east along U.S. 30 to SR 3, then south along SR 3 to SR 226, then south along SR 226 to SR 514, then southwest along SR 514 to SR 754, then south along SR 754 to SR 39/60, then east along SR 39/60 to SR 241, then north along SR 241 to U.S. 30, then east along U.S. 30 to SR 39, then east along SR 39 to the Pennsylvania State line.

South Zone: The remainder of Ohio not included in the Lake Erie Marsh Zone or the North Zone.

Tennessee

Reelfoot Zone: All or portions of Lake and Obion Counties.

Remainder of State: That portion of Tennessee outside of the Reelfoot Zone.

Wisconsin

North Zone: That portion of the State north of a line extending east from the Minnesota State line along U.S. Highway 10 into Portage County to County Highway HH, east on County Highway HH to State Highway 66 and then east on State Highway 66 to U.S. Highway 10, continuing east on U.S. Highway 10 to U.S. Highway 41, then north on U.S. Highway 41 to the Michigan State line.

Mississippi River Zone: That area encompassed by a line beginning at the intersection of the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway and the Illinois State line in Grant County and extending northerly along the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway to the city limit of Prescott in Pierce County, then west along the Prescott city limit to the Minnesota State line.

South Zone: The remainder of Wisconsin.

Central Flyway

Colorado (Central Flyway Portion)

Special Teal Season Area: Lake and Chaffee Counties and that portion of the State east of Interstate Highway 25.

Northeast Zone: All areas east of Interstate 25 and north of Interstate 70.

Southeast Zone: All areas east of Interstate 25 and south of Interstate 70, and all of El Paso, Pueblo, Huerfano, and Las Animas Counties.

Mountain/Foothills Zone: All areas west of Interstate 25 and east of the Continental Divide, except El Paso, Pueblo, Huerfano, and Las Animas Counties.

Kansas

High Plains: That portion of the State west of U.S. 283.

Low Plains Early Zone: That part of Kansas bounded by a line from the Federal highway U.S.-283 and State highway 96 junction, then east on State highway 96 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-183, then north on Federal highway U.S.-183 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-24, then east on Federal highway U.S.-24 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-281, then north on Federal highway U.S.-281 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-36, then east on Federal highway U.S.-36 to its junction with State highway K-199, then south on State highway K-199 to its junction with Republic County 30th Road, then south on Republic County 30th Road to its junction with State highway K-148, then east on State highway K-148 to its junction with Republic County 50th Road, then south on Republic County 50th Road to its junction with Cloud County 40th Road, then south on Cloud County 40th Road to its junction with State highway K-9, then west on State highway K-9 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-24, then west on Federal highway U.S.-24 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-181, then south on Federal highway U.S.-181 to its junction with State highway K-18, then west on State highway K-18 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-281, then south on Federal highway U.S.-281 to its junction with State highway K-4, then east on State highway K-4 to its junction with interstate highway I-135, then south on interstate highway I-135 to its junction with State highway K-61, then southwest on State highway K-61 to its junction with McPherson County 14th Avenue, then south on McPherson County 14th Avenue to its junction with McPherson County Arapaho Rd, then west on McPherson County Arapaho Rd to its junction with State highway K-61, then southwest on State highway K-61 to its junction with State highway K-96, then northwest on State highway K-96 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-56, then southwest on Federal highway U.S.-56 to its junction with State highway K-19, then east on State highway K-19 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-281, then south on Federal highway U.S.-281 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-54, then west on Federal highway U.S.-54 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-183, then north on Federal highway U.S.-183 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-56, then southwest on Federal highway U.S.-56 to its junction with North Main Street in Spearville, then south on North Main Street to Davis Street, then east on Davis Street to Ford County Road 126 (South Stafford Street), then south on Ford County Road 126 to Garnett Road, then east on Garnett Road to Ford County Road 126, then south on Ford County Road 126 to Ford Spearville Road, then west on Ford Spearville Road to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-400, then northwest on Federal highway U.S.-400 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-283, and then north on Federal highway U.S.-283 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-96.

Low Plains Late Zone: That part of Kansas bounded by a line from the Federal highway U.S.-283 and State highway 96 junction, then north on Federal highway U.S.-283 to the Kansas-Nebraska State line, then east along the Kansas-Nebraska State line to its junction with the Kansas-Missouri State line, then southeast along the Kansas-Missouri State line to its junction with State highway K-68, then west on State highway K-68 to its junction with interstate highway I-35, then southwest on interstate highway I-35 to its junction with Butler County NE 150th Street, then west on Butler County NE 150th Street to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-77, then south on Federal highway U.S.-77 to its junction with the Kansas-Oklahoma State line, then west along the Kansas-Oklahoma State line to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-283, then north on Federal highway U.S.-283 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-400, then east on Federal highway U.S.-400 to its junction with Ford Spearville Road, then east on Ford Spearville Road to Ford County Road 126 (South Stafford Street), then north on Ford County Road 126 to Garnett Road, then west on Garnett Road to Ford County Road 126, then north on Ford County Road 126 to Davis Street, then west on Davis Street to North Main Street, then north on North Main Street to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-56, then east on Federal highway U.S.-56 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-183, then south on Federal highway U.S.-183 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-54, then east on Federal highway U.S.-54 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-281, then north on Federal highway U.S.-281 to its junction with State highway K-19, then west on State highway K-19 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-56, then east on Federal highway U.S.-56 to its junction with State highway K-96, then southeast on State highway K-96 to its junction with State highway K-61, then northeast on State highway K-61 to its junction with McPherson County Arapaho Road, then east on McPherson County Arapaho Road to its junction with McPherson County 14th Avenue, then north on McPherson County 14th Avenue to its junction with State highway K-61, then east on State highway K-61 to its junction with interstate highway I-135, then north on interstate highway I-135 to its junction with State highway K-4, then west on State highway K-4 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-281, then north on Federal highway U.S.-281 to its junction with State highway K-18, then east on State highway K-18 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-181, then north on Federal highway U.S.-181 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-24, then east on Federal highway U.S.-24 to its junction with State highway K-9, then east on State highway K-9 to its junction with Cloud County 40th Road, then north on Cloud County 40th Road to its junction with Republic County 50th Road, then north on Republic County 50th Road to its junction with State highway K-148, then west on State highway K-148 to its junction with Republic County 30th Road, then north on Republic County 30th Road to its junction with State highway K-199, then north on State highway K-199 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-36, then west on Federal highway U.S.-36 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-281, then south on Federal highway U.S.-281 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-24, then west on Federal highway U.S.-24 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-183, then south on Federal highway U.S.-183 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-96, and then west on Federal highway U.S.-96 to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-283.

Low Plains Southeast Zone: That part of Kansas bounded by a line from the Missouri-Kansas State line west on K-68 to its junction with I-35, then southwest on I-35 to its junction with Butler County, NE 150th Street, then west on NE 150th Street to its junction with Federal highway U.S.-77, then south on Federal highway U.S.-77 to the Oklahoma-Kansas State line, then east along the Kansas-Oklahoma State line to its junction with the Kansas-Missouri State line, then north along the Kansas-Missouri State line to its junction with State highway K-68.

Montana (Central Flyway Portion)

Zone 1: The Counties of Blaine, Carter, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Garfield, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, McCone, Musselshell, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Valley, Wheatland, and Wibaux.

Zone 2: The Counties of Big Horn, Carbon, Custer, Prairie, Rosebud, Treasure, and Yellowstone.

Nebraska

High Plains: That portion of Nebraska lying west of a line beginning at the South Dakota-Nebraska border on U.S. Hwy 183; south on U.S. Hwy 183 to U.S. Hwy 20; west on U.S. Hwy 20 to NE Hwy 7; south on NE Hwy 7 to NE Hwy 91; southwest on NE Hwy 91 to NE Hwy 2; southeast on NE Hwy 2 to NE Hwy 92; west on NE Hwy 92 to NE Hwy 40; south on NE Hwy 40 to NE Hwy 47; south on NE Hwy 47 to NE Hwy 23; east on NE Hwy 23 to U.S. Hwy 283; and south on U.S. Hwy 283 to the Kansas-Nebraska border.

Zone 1: Area bounded by designated Federal and State highways and political boundaries beginning at the South Dakota-Nebraska border west of NE Hwy 26E Spur and north of NE Hwy 12; those portions of Dixon, Cedar, and Knox Counties north of NE Hwy 12; that portion of Keya Paha County east of U.S. Hwy 183; and all of Boyd County. Both banks of the Niobrara River in Keya Paha and Boyd Counties east of U.S. Hwy 183 shall be included in Zone 1.

Zone 2: The area south of Zone 1 and north of Zone 3.

Zone 3: Area bounded by designated Federal and State highways, County roads, and political boundaries beginning at the Wyoming-Nebraska border at the intersection of the Interstate Canal; east along northern borders of Scotts Bluff and Morrill Counties to Broadwater Road; south to Morrill County Rd 94; east to County Rd 135; south to County Rd 88; southeast to County Rd 151; south to County Rd 80; east to County Rd 161; south to County Rd 76; east to County Rd 165; south to County Rd 167; south to U.S. Hwy 26; east to County Rd 171; north to County Rd 68; east to County Rd 183; south to County Rd 64; east to County Rd 189; north to County Rd 70; east to County Rd 201; south to County Rd 60A; east to County Rd 203; south to County Rd 52; east to Keith County Line; east along the northern boundaries of Keith and Lincoln Counties to NE Hwy 97; south to U.S. Hwy 83; south to E Hall School Rd; east to N Airport Road; south to U.S. Hwy 30; east to NE Hwy 47; north to Dawson County Rd 769; east to County Rd 423; south to County Rd 766; east to County Rd 428; south to County Rd 763; east to NE Hwy 21 (Adams Street); south to County Rd 761; east to the Dawson County Canal; south and east along the Dawson County Canal to County Rd 444; south to U.S. Hwy 30; east to U.S. Hwy 183; north to Buffalo County Rd 100; east to 46th Avenue; north to NE Hwy 40; south and east to NE Hwy 10; north to Buffalo County Rd 220 and Hall County Husker Hwy; east to Hall County Rd 70; north to NE Hwy 2; east to U.S. Hwy 281; north to Chapman Rd; east to 7th Rd; south to U.S. Hwy 30; east to Merrick County Rd 13; north to County Rd O; east to NE Hwy 14; north to NE Hwy 52; west and north to NE Hwy 91; west to U.S. Hwy 281; south to NE Hwy 22; west to NE Hwy 11; northwest to NE Hwy 91; west to U.S. Hwy 183; south to Round Valley Rd; west to Sargent River Rd; west to Drive 443; north to Sargent Rd; west to NE Hwy S21A; west to NE Hwy 2; west and north to NE Hwy 91; north and east to North Loup Spur Rd; north to North Loup River Rd; east to Pleasant Valley/Worth Rd; east to Loup County line; north to Loup-Brown County line; east along northern boundaries of Loup and Garfield Counties to Cedar River Rd; south to NE Hwy 70; east to U.S. Hwy 281; north to NE Hwy 70; east to NE Hwy 14; south to NE Hwy 39; southeast to NE Hwy 22; east to U.S. Hwy 81; southeast to U.S. Hwy 30; east to U.S. Hwy 75; north to the Washington County line; east to the Iowa-Nebraska border; south to the Missouri-Nebraska border; south to Kansas-Nebraska border; west along Kansas-Nebraska border to Colorado-Nebraska border; north and west to Wyoming-Nebraska border; north to intersection of Interstate Canal; and excluding that area in Zone 4.

Zone 4: Area encompassed by designated Federal and State highways and County roads beginning at the intersection of NE Hwy 8 and U.S. Hwy 75; north to U.S. Hwy 136; east to the intersection of U.S. Hwy 136 and the Steamboat Trace (Trace); north along the Trace to the intersection with Federal Levee R-562; north along Federal Levee R-562 to the intersection with Nemaha County Rd 643A; south to the Trace; north along the Trace/Burlington Northern Railroad right-of-way to NE Hwy 2; west to U.S. Hwy 75; north to NE Hwy 2; west to NE Hwy 50; north to U.S. Hwy 34; west to NE Hwy 63; north to NE Hwy 66; north and west to U.S. Hwy 77; north to NE Hwy 92; west to NE Hwy Spur 12F; south to Butler County Rd 30; east to County Rd X; south to County Rd 27; west to County Rd W; south to County Rd 26; east to County Rd X; south to County Rd 21 (Seward County Line); west to NE Hwy 15; north to County Rd 34; west to County Rd H; south to NE Hwy 92; west to U.S. Hwy 81; south to NE Hwy 66; west to Polk County Rd C; north to NE Hwy 92; west to U.S. Hwy 30; west to Merrick County Rd 17; south to Hordlake Road; southeast to Prairie Island Road; southeast to Hamilton County Rd T; south to NE Hwy 66; west to NE Hwy 14; south to County Rd 22; west to County Rd M; south to County Rd 21; west to County Rd K; south to U.S. Hwy 34; west to NE Hwy 2; south to U.S. Hwy I-80; west to Gunbarrel Rd (Hall/Hamilton County line); south to Giltner Rd; west to U.S. Hwy 281; south to Lochland Rd; west to Holstein Avenue; south to U.S. Hwy 34; west to NE Hwy 10; north to Kearney County Rd R and Phelps County Rd 742; west to U.S. Hwy 283; south to U.S. Hwy 34; east to U.S. Hwy 136; east to U.S. Hwy 183; north to NE Hwy 4; east to NE Hwy 10; south to U.S. Hwy 136; east to NE Hwy 14; south to NE Hwy 8; east to U.S. Hwy 81; north to NE Hwy 4; east to NE Hwy 15; south to U.S. Hwy 136; east to Jefferson County Rd 578 Avenue; south to PWF Rd; east to NE Hwy 103; south to NE Hwy 8; east to U.S. Hwy 75.

New Mexico (Central Flyway Portion)

North Zone: That portion of the State north of I-40 and U.S. 54.

South Zone: The remainder of New Mexico.

North Dakota

High Plains: That portion of the State south and west of a line beginning at the junction of U.S. Hwy 83 and the South Dakota State line, then north along U.S. Hwy 83 and I-94 to ND Hwy 41, then north on ND Hwy 41 to ND Hwy 53, then west on ND Hwy 53 to U.S. Hwy 83, then north on U.S. Hwy 83 to U.S. Hwy 2, then west on U.S. Hwy 2 to the Williams County line, then north and west along the Williams and Divide County lines to the Canadian border.

Low Plains: The remainder of North Dakota.

Oklahoma

High Plains: The Counties of Beaver, Cimarron, and Texas.

Low Plains Zone 1: That portion of the State east of the High Plains Zone and north of a line extending east from the Texas State line along OK 33 to OK 47, east along OK 47 to U.S. 183, south along U.S. 183 to I-40, east along I-40 to U.S. 177, north along U.S. 177 to OK 33, east along OK 33 to OK 18, north along OK 18 to OK 51, west along OK 51 to I-35, north along I-35 to U.S. 412, west along U.S. 412 to OK 132, then north along OK 132 to the Kansas State line.

Low Plains Zone 2: The remainder of Oklahoma.

South Dakota

High Plains: That portion of the State west of a line beginning at the North Dakota State line and extending south along U.S. 83 to U.S. 14, east on U.S. 14 to Blunt, south on the Blunt-Canning Rd to SD 34, east and south on SD 34 to SD 50 at Lee's Corner, south on SD 50 to I-90, east on I-90 to SD 50, south on SD 50 to SD 44, west on SD 44 across the Platte-Winner bridge to SD 47, south on SD 47 to U.S. 18, east on U.S. 18 to SD 47, south on SD 47 to the Nebraska State line.

Low Plains North Zone: That portion of northeastern South Dakota east of the High Plains Unit and north of a line extending east along U.S. 212 to the Minnesota State line.

Low Plains South Zone: That portion of Gregory County east of SD 47 and south of SD 44; Charles Mix County south of SD 44 to the Douglas County line; south on SD 50 to Geddes; east on the Geddes Highway to U.S. 281; south on U.S. 281 and U.S. 18 to SD 50; south and east on SD 50 to the Bon Homme County line; the Counties of Bon Homme, Yankton, and Clay south of SD 50; and Union County south and west of SD 50 and I-29.

Low Plains Middle Zone: The remainder of South Dakota.

Texas

High Plains: That portion of the State west of a line extending south from the Oklahoma State line along U.S. 183 to Vernon, south along U.S. 283 to Albany, south along TX 6 to TX 351 to Abilene, south along U.S. 277 to Del Rio, then south along the Del Rio International Toll Bridge access road to the Mexico border.

Low Plains North Zone: That portion of northeastern Texas east of the High Plains Zone and north of a line beginning at the International Toll Bridge south of Del Rio, then extending east on U.S. 90 to San Antonio, then continuing east on I-10 to the Louisiana State line at Orange, Texas.

Low Plains South Zone: The remainder of Texas.

Wyoming (Central Flyway portion)

Zone C1: Big Horn, Converse, Goshen, Hot Springs, Natrona, Park, Platte, and Washakie Counties; and Fremont County excluding the portions west or south of the Continental Divide.

Zone C2: Campbell, Crook, Johnson, Niobrara, Sheridan, and Weston Counties.

Zone C3: Albany and Laramie Counties; and that portion of Carbon County east of the Continental Divide.

Pacific Flyway

Arizona

North Zone: Game Management Units 1-5, those portions of Game Management Units 6 and 8 within Coconino County, and Game Management Units 7, 9, and 12A.

South Zone: Those portions of Game Management Units 6 and 8 in Yavapai County, and Game Management Units 10 and 12B-45.

California

Northeastern Zone: That portion of California lying east and north of a line beginning at the intersection of Interstate 5 with the California-Oregon line; south along Interstate 5 to its junction with Walters Lane south of the town of Yreka; west along Walters Lane to its junction with Easy Street; south along Easy Street to the junction with Old Highway 99; south along Old Highway 99 to the point of intersection with Interstate 5 north of the town of Weed; south along Interstate 5 to its junction with Highway 89; east and south along Highway 89 to Main Street Greenville; north and east to its junction with North Valley Road; south to its junction of Diamond Mountain Road; north and east to its junction with North Arm Road; south and west to the junction of North Valley Road; south to the junction with Arlington Road (A22); west to the junction of Highway 89; south and west to the junction of Highway 70; east on Highway 70 to Highway 395; south and east on Highway 395 to the point of intersection with the California-Nevada State line; north along the California-Nevada State line to the junction of the California-Nevada-Oregon State lines; west along the California-Oregon State line to the point of origin.

Colorado River Zone: Those portions of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties east of a line from the intersection of Highway 95 with the California-Nevada State line; south on Highway 95 through the junction with Highway 40; south on Highway 95 to Vidal Junction; south through the town of Rice to the San Bernardino-Riverside County line on a road known as “Aqueduct Road” also known as Highway 62 in San Bernardino County; southwest on Highway 62 to Desert Center Rice Road; south on Desert Center Rice Road/Highway 177 to the town of Desert Center; east 31 miles on Interstate 10 to its intersection with Wiley Well Road; south on Wiley Well Road to Wiley Well; southeast on Milpitas Wash Road to the Blythe, Brawley, Davis Lake intersections; south on Blythe Ogilby Road also known as County Highway 34 to its intersection with Ogilby Road; south on Ogilby Road to its intersection with Interstate 8; east 7 miles on Interstate 8 to its intersection with the Andrade-Algodones Road/Highway 186; south on Highway 186 to its intersection with the U.S.-Mexico border at Los Algodones, Mexico.

Southern Zone: That portion of southern California (but excluding the Colorado River zone) south and east of a line beginning at the mouth of the Santa Maria River at the Pacific Ocean; east along the Santa Maria River to where it crosses Highway 101-166 near the City of Santa Maria; north on Highway 101-166; east on Highway 166 to the junction with Highway 99; south on Highway 99 to the junction of Interstate 5; south on Interstate 5 to the crest of the Tehachapi Mountains at Tejon Pass; east and north along the crest of the Tehachapi Mountains to where it intersects Highway 178 at Walker Pass; east on Highway 178 to the junction of Highway 395 at the town of Inyokern; south on Highway 395 to the junction of Highway 58; east on Highway 58 to the junction of Interstate 15; east on Interstate 15 to the junction with Highway 127; north on Highway 127 to the point of intersection with the California-Nevada State line.

Southern San Joaquin Valley Zone: All of Kings and Tulare Counties and that portion of Kern County north of the Southern Zone.

Balance of State Zone: The remainder of California not included in the Northeastern, Colorado River, Southern, and the Southern San Joaquin Valley Zones.

Colorado (Pacific Flyway Portion)

Eastern Zone: Routt, Grand, Summit, Eagle, and Pitkin Counties, those portions of Saguache, San Juan, Hinsdale, and Mineral Counties west of the Continental Divide, those portions of Gunnison County except the North Fork of the Gunnison River Valley (Game Management Units 521, 53, and 63), and that portion of Moffat County east of the northern

intersection of Moffat County Road 29 with the Moffat-Routt County line, south along Moffat County Road 29 to the intersection of Moffat County Road 29 with the Moffat-Routt County line (Elkhead Reservoir State Park).

Western Zone: All areas west of the Continental Divide not included in the Eastern Zone.

Idaho

Zone 1: All lands and waters within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, including private in-holdings; Bannock County; Bingham County except that portion within the Blackfoot Reservoir drainage; Caribou County within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation; and Power County east of State Highway 37 and State Highway 39.

Zone 2: Bear Lake, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, and Teton Counties; Bingham County within the Blackfoot Reservoir drainage; and Caribou County except within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Zone 3: Ada, Adams, Benewah, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Boundary, Camas, Canyon, Cassia, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Shoshone, Twin Falls, and Washington Counties; and Power County west of State Highway 37 and State Highway 39.

Zone 4: Valley County.

Nevada

Northeast Zone: Elko and White Pine Counties.

Northwest Zone: Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, and Washoe Counties.

South Zone: Clark and Lincoln Counties.

Moapa Valley Special Management Area: That portion of Clark County including the Moapa Valley to the confluence of the Muddy and Virgin Rivers.

Oregon

Zone 1: Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Wasco, Washington, and Yamhill, Counties.

Zone 2: The remainder of Oregon not included in Zone 1.

Utah

Zone 1: Box Elder, Cache, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, Summit, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, and Weber Counties, and that part of Toole County north of I-80.

Zone 2: The remainder of Utah not included in Zone 1.

Washington

East Zone: All areas east of the Pacific Crest Trail and east of the Big White Salmon River in Klickitat County.

West Zone: The remainder of Washington not included in the East Zone.

Wyoming (Pacific Flyway Portion)

Snake River Zone: Beginning at the south boundary of Yellowstone National Park and the Continental Divide; south along the Continental Divide to Union Pass and the Union Pass Road (U.S.F.S. Road 600); west and south along the Union Pass Road to U.S.F.S. Road 605; south along U.S.F.S. Road 605 to the Bridger-Teton National Forest boundary; along the national forest boundary to the Idaho State line; north along the Idaho State line to the south boundary of Yellowstone National Park; east along the Yellowstone National Park boundary to the Continental Divide.

Balance of State Zone: The remainder of the Pacific Flyway portion of Wyoming not included in the Snake River Zone.

Geese

Atlantic Flyway

Connecticut

Early Canada Goose Seasons

South Zone: Same as for ducks.

North Zone: Same as for ducks.

Regular Seasons

AP Unit: Litchfield County and the portion of Hartford County west of a line beginning at the Massachusetts border in Suffield and extending south along Route 159 to its intersection with I-91 in Windsor, and then extending south along I-91 to its intersection with the Hartford-Middlesex County line (Rocky Hill/Cromwell).

NAP H-Unit: That part of the State east of a line beginning at the Massachusetts border in Suffield and extending south along Route 159 to its intersection with I-91 in Windsor and then extending south along I-91 to State Street in New Haven; then south on State Street to Route 34, west on Route 34 to Route 8, south along Route 8 to Route 110, south along Route 110 to Route 15, north along Route 15 to the Milford Parkway, south along the Milford Parkway to I-95, north along I-95 to the intersection with the east shore of the Quinnipiac River, south to the mouth of the Quinnipiac River and then south along the eastern shore of New Haven Harbor to the Long Island Sound.

Atlantic Flyway Resident Population (AFRP) Unit: Remainder of the State not included in AP and NAP Units.

South Zone: Same as for ducks.

Maine

North NAP-H Zone: Same as North Zone for ducks.

Coastal NAP-L Zone: Same as Coastal Zone for ducks.

South NAP-H Zone: Same as South Zone for ducks.

Maryland

Early Canada Goose Seasons

Eastern Unit: Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties; and that part of Anne Arundel County east of Interstate 895, Interstate 97, and Route 3; that part of Prince George's County east of Route 3 and Route 301; and that part of Charles County east of Route 301 to the Virginia State line.

Western Unit: Allegany, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, and Washington Counties and that part of Anne Arundel County west of Interstate 895, Interstate 97, and Route 3; that part of Prince George's County west of Route 3 and Route 301; and that part of Charles County west of Route 301 to the Virginia State line.

Regular Seasons

Resident Population (RP) Zone: Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, Montgomery, and Washington Counties; that portion of Prince George's County west of Route 3 and Route 301; that portion of Charles County west of Route 301 to the Virginia State line; and that portion of Carroll County west of Route 31 to the intersection of Route 97, and west of Route 97 to the Pennsylvania State line.

AP Zone: Remainder of the State.

Massachusetts

NAP Zone: Central and Coastal Zones (see duck zones).

AP Zone: The Western Zone (see duck zones).

Special Late Season Area: The Central Zone and that portion of the Coastal Zone (see duck zones) that lies north of the Cape Cod Canal, north to the New Hampshire State line.

New Hampshire

Same zones as for ducks.

New Jersey

AP Zone: North and South Zones (see duck zones).

NAP Zone: The Coastal Zone (see duck zones).

Special Late Season Area: In northern New Jersey, that portion of the State within a continuous line that runs east along the New York State boundary line to the Hudson River; then south along the New York State boundary to its intersection with Route 440 at Perth Amboy; then west on Route 440 to its intersection with Route 287; then west along Route 287 to its intersection with Route 206 in Bedminster (Exit 18); then north along Route 206 to its intersection with Route 94; then west along Route 94 to the toll bridge in Columbia; then north along the Pennsylvania State boundary in the Delaware River to the beginning point. In southern New Jersey, that portion of the State within a continuous line that runs west from the Atlantic Ocean at Ship Bottom along Route 72 to Route 70; then west along Route 70 to Route 206; then south along Route 206 to Route 536; then west along Route 536 to Route 322; then west along Route 322 to Route 55; then south along Route 55 to Route 553 (Buck Road); then south along Route 553 to Route 40; then east along Route 40 to route 55; then south along Route 55 to Route 552 (Sherman Avenue); then west along Route 552 to Carmel Road; then south along Carmel Road to Route 49; then east along Route 49 to Route 555; then south along Route 555 to Route 553; then east along Route 553 to Route 649; then north along Route 649 to Route 670; then east along Route 670 to Route 47; then north along Route 47 to Route 548; then east along Route 548 to Route 49; then east along Route 49 to Route 50; then south along Route 50 to Route 9; then south along Route 9 to Route 625 (Sea Isle City Boulevard); then east along Route 625 to the Atlantic Ocean; then north to the beginning point.

New York

Lake Champlain Goose Area: The same as the Lake Champlain Waterfowl Hunting Zone, which is that area of New York State lying east and north of a continuous line extending along Route 11 from the New York-Canada international boundary south to Route 9B, south along Route 9B to Route 9, south along Route 9 to Route 22 south of Keeseville, south along Route 22 to the west shore of South Bay along and around the shoreline of South Bay to Route 22 on the east shore of South Bay, southeast along Route 22 to Route 4, northeast along Route 4 to the New York-Vermont boundary.

Northeast Goose Area: The same as the Northeastern Waterfowl Hunting Zone, which is that area of New York State lying north of a continuous line extending from Lake Ontario east along the north shore of the Salmon River to Interstate 81, south along Interstate 81 to Route 31, east along Route 31 to Route 13, north along Route 13 to Route 49, east along Route 49 to Route 365, east along Route 365 to Route 28, east along Route 28 to Route 29, east along Route 29 to Route 22 at Greenwich Junction, north along Route 22 to Washington County Route 153, east along CR 153 to the New York-Vermont boundary, exclusive of the Lake Champlain Zone.

East Central Goose Area: That area of New York State lying inside of a continuous line extending from Interstate Route 81 in Cicero, east along Route 31 to Route 13, north along Route 13 to Route 49, east along Route 49 to Route 365, east along Route 365 to Route 28, east along Route 28 to Route 29, east along Route 29 to Route 147 at Kimball Corners, south along Route 147 to Schenectady County Route 40 (West Glenville Road), west along Route 40 to Touareuna Road, south along Touareuna Road to Schenectady County Route 59, south along Route 59 to State Route 5, east along Route 5 to the Lock 9 bridge, southwest along the Lock 9 bridge to Route 5S, southeast along Route 5S to Schenectady County Route 58, southwest along Route 58 to the NYS Thruway, south along the Thruway to Route 7, southwest along Route 7 to Schenectady County Route 103, south along Route 103 to Route 406, east along Route 406 to Schenectady County Route 99 (Windy Hill Road), south along Route 99 to Dunnsville Road, south along Dunnsville Road to Route 397, southwest along Route 397 to Route 146 at Altamont, west along Route 146 to Albany County Route 252, northwest along Route 252 to Schenectady County Route 131, north along Route 131 to Route 7, west along Route 7 to Route 10 at Richmondville, south on Route 10 to Route 23 at Stamford, west along Route 23 to Route 7 in Oneonta, southwest along Route 7 to Route 79 to Interstate Route 88 near Harpursville, west along Route 88 to Interstate Route 81, north along Route 81 to the point of beginning.

West Central Goose Area: That area of New York State lying within a continuous line beginning at the point where the northerly extension of Route 269 (County Line Road on the Niagara-Orleans County boundary) meets the international boundary with Canada, south to the shore of Lake Ontario at the eastern boundary of Golden Hill State Park, south along the extension of Route 269 and Route 269 to Route 104 at Jeddo, west along Route 104 to Niagara County Route 271, south along Route 271 to Route 31E at Middleport, south along Route 31E to Route 31, west along Route 31 to Griswold Street, south along Griswold Street to Ditch Road, south along Ditch Road to Foot Road, south along Foot Road to the north bank of Tonawanda Creek, west along the north bank of Tonawanda Creek to Route 93, south along Route 93 to Route 5, east along Route 5 to Crittenden-Murrays Corners Road, south on Crittenden-Murrays Corners Road to the NYS Thruway, east along the Thruway 90 to Route 98 (at Thruway Exit 48) in Batavia, south along Route 98 to Route 20, east along Route 20 to Route 19 in Pavilion Center, south along Route 19 to Route 63, southeast along Route 63 to Route 246, south along Route 246 to Route 39 in Perry, northeast along Route 39 to Route 20A, northeast along Route 20A to Route 20, east along Route 20 to Route 364 (near Canandaigua), south and east along Route 364 to Yates County Route 18 (Italy Valley Road), southwest along Route 18 to Yates County Route 34, east along Route 34 to Yates County Route 32, south along Route 32 to Steuben County Route 122, south along Route 122 to Route 53, south along Route 53 to Steuben County Route 74, east along Route 74 to Route 54A (near Pulteney), south along Route 54A to Steuben County Route 87, east along Route 87 to Steuben County Route 96, east along Route 96 to Steuben County Route 114, east along Route 114 to Schuyler County Route 23, east and southeast along Route 23 to Schuyler County Route 28, southeast along Route 28 to Route 409 at Watkins Glen, south along Route 409 to Route 14, south along Route 14 to Route 224 at Montour Falls, east along Route 224 to Route 228 in Odessa, north along Route 228 to Route 79 in Mecklenburg, east along Route 79 to Route 366 in Ithaca, northeast along Route 366 to Route 13, northeast along Route 13 to Interstate Route 81 in Cortland, north along Route 81 to the north shore of the Salmon River to shore of Lake Ontario, extending generally northwest in a straight line to the nearest point of the international boundary with Canada, south and west along the international boundary to the point of beginning.

Hudson Valley Goose Area: That area of New York State lying within a continuous line extending from Route 4 at the New York-Vermont boundary, west and south along Route 4 to Route 149 at Fort Ann, west on Route 149 to Route 9, south along Route 9 to Interstate Route 87 (at Exit 20 in Glens Falls), south along Route 87 to Route 29, west along Route 29 to Route 147 at Kimball Corners, south along Route 147 to Schenectady County Route 40 (West Glenville Road), west along Route 40 to Touareuna Road, south along Touareuna Road to Schenectady County Route 59, south along Route 59 to State Route 5, east along Route 5 to the Lock 9 bridge, southwest along the Lock 9 bridge to Route 5S, southeast along Route 5S to Schenectady County Route 58, southwest along Route 58 to the NYS Thruway, south along the Thruway to Route 7, southwest along Route 7 to Schenectady County Route 103, south along Route 103 to Route 406, east along Route 406 to Schenectady County Route 99 (Windy Hill Road), south along Route 99 to Dunnsville Road, south along Dunnsville Road to Route 397, southwest along Route 397 to Route 146 at Altamont, southeast along Route 146 to Main Street in Altamont, west along Main Street to Route 156, southeast along Route 156 to Albany County Route 307, southeast along Route 307 to Route 85A, southwest along Route 85A to Route 85, south along Route 85 to Route 443, southeast along Route 443 to Albany County Route 301 at Clarksville, southeast along Route 301 to Route 32, south along Route 32 to Route 23 at Cairo, west along Route 23 to Joseph Chadderdon Road, southeast along Joseph Chadderdon Road to Hearts Content Road (Greene County Route 31), southeast along Route 31 to Route 32, south along Route 32 to Greene County Route 23A, east along Route 23A to Interstate Route 87 (the NYS Thruway), south along Route 87 to Route 28 (Exit 19) near Kingston, northwest on Route 28 to Route 209, southwest on Route 209 to the New York-Pennsylvania boundary, southeast along the New York-Pennsylvania boundary to the New York-New Jersey boundary, southeast along the New York-New Jersey boundary to Route 210 near Greenwood Lake, northeast along Route 210 to Orange County Route 5, northeast along Orange County Route 5 to Route 105 in the Village of Monroe, east and north along Route 105 to Route 32, northeast along Route 32 to Orange County Route 107 (Quaker Avenue), east along Route 107 to Route 9W, north along Route 9W to the south bank of Moodna Creek, southeast along the south bank of Moodna Creek to the New Windsor-Cornwall town boundary, northeast along the New Windsor-Cornwall town boundary to the Orange-Dutchess County boundary (middle of the Hudson River), north along the county boundary to Interstate Route 84, east along Route 84 to the Dutchess-Putnam County boundary, east along the county boundary to the New York-Connecticut boundary, north along the New York-Connecticut boundary to the New York-Massachusetts boundary, north along the New York-Massachusetts boundary to the New York-Vermont boundary, north to the point of beginning.

Eastern Long Island Goose Area (NAP High Harvest Area): That area of Suffolk County lying east of a continuous line extending due south from the New York-Connecticut boundary to the northernmost end of Roanoke Avenue in the Town of Riverhead; then south on Roanoke Avenue (which becomes County Route 73) to State Route 25; then west on Route 25 to Peconic Avenue; then south on Peconic Avenue to County Route (CR) 104 (Riverleigh Avenue); then south on CR 104 to CR 31 (Old Riverhead Road); then south on CR 31 to Oak Street; then south on Oak Street to Potunk Lane; then west on Stevens Lane; then south on Jessup Avenue (in Westhampton Beach) to Dune Road (CR 89); then due south to international waters.

Western Long Island Goose Area (RP Area): That area of Westchester County and its tidal waters southeast of Interstate Route 95 and that area of Nassau and Suffolk Counties lying west of a continuous line extending due south from the New York-Connecticut boundary to the northernmost end of Sound Road (just east of Wading River Marsh); then south on Sound Road to North Country Road; then west on North Country Road to Randall Road; then south on Randall Road to Route 25A, then west on Route 25A to the Sunken Meadow State Parkway; then south on the Sunken Meadow Parkway to the Sagtikos State Parkway; then south on the Sagtikos Parkway to the Robert Moses State Parkway; then south on the Robert Moses Parkway to its southernmost end; then due south to international waters.

Central Long Island Goose Area (NAP Low Harvest Area): That area of Suffolk County lying between the Western and Eastern Long Island Goose Areas, as defined above.

South Goose Area: The remainder of New York State, excluding New York City.

North Carolina

Northeast Zone: Includes the following counties or portions of counties: Bertie (that portion north and east of a line formed by NC 45 at the Washington County line to U.S. 17 in Midway, U.S. 17 in Midway to U.S. 13 in Windsor, U.S. 13 in Windsor to the Hertford County line), Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington.

RP Zone: Remainder of the State.

Pennsylvania

Resident Canada Goose Zone: All of Pennsylvania except for the SJBP Zone and area east of route SR 97 from the Maryland State Line to the intersection of SR 194, east of SR 194 to the intersection of U.S. Route 30, south of U.S. Route 30 to SR 441, east of SR 441 to SR 743, east of SR 743 to intersection of I-81, east of I-81 to intersection of I-80, and south of I-80 to the New Jersey State line.

SJBP Zone: The area north of I-80 and west of I-79 including in the city of Erie west of Bay Front Parkway to and including the Lake Erie Duck zone (Lake Erie, Presque Isle, and the area within 150 yards of the Lake Erie shoreline).

AP Zone: The area east of route SR 97 from Maryland State Line to the intersection of SR 194, east of SR 194 to intersection of U.S. Route 30, south of U.S. Route 30 to SR 441, east of SR 441 to SR 743, east of SR 743 to intersection of I-81, east of I-81 to intersection of I-80, south of I-80 to the New Jersey State line.

Rhode Island

Special Area for Canada Geese: Kent and Providence Counties and portions of the towns of Exeter and North Kingston within Washington County (see State regulations for detailed descriptions).

South Carolina

Canada Goose Area: Statewide except for the following area:

East of U.S. 301: That portion of Clarendon County bounded to the North by S-14-25, to the East by Hwy 260, and to the South by the markers delineating the channel of the Santee River.

West of U.S. 301: That portion of Clarendon County bounded on the North by S-14-26 extending southward to that portion of Orangeburg County bordered by Hwy 6.

Vermont

Same zones as for ducks.

Virginia

AP Zone: The area east and south of the following line—the Stafford County line from the Potomac River west to Interstate 95 at Fredericksburg, then south along Interstate 95 to Petersburg, then Route 460 (SE) to City of Suffolk, then south along Route 32 to the North Carolina line.

SJBP Zone: The area to the west of the AP Zone boundary and east of the following line: The “Blue Ridge” (mountain spine) at the West Virginia-Virginia Border (Loudoun County-Clarke County line) south to Interstate 64 (the Blue Ridge line follows county borders along the western edge of Loudoun-Fauquier-Rappahannock-Madison-Greene-Albemarle and into Nelson Counties), then east along Interstate Rte. 64 to Route 15, then south along Rte. 15 to the North Carolina line.

RP Zone: The remainder of the State west of the SJBP Zone.

Mississippi Flyway

Arkansas

Northwest Zone: Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Marion, Newton, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Searcy, Sebastian, Scott, Van Buren, Washington, and Yell Counties.

Remainder of State: That portion of the State outside of the Northwest Zone.

Illinois

Early Canada Goose Seasons

North September Canada Goose Zone: That portion of the State north of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Interstate 80 to I-39, south along I-39 to Illinois Route 18, west along Illinois Route 18 to Illinois Route 29, south along Illinois Route 29 to Illinois Route 17, west along Illinois Route 17 to the Mississippi River, and due south across the Mississippi River to the Iowa border.

Central September Canada Goose Zone: That portion of the State south of the North September Canada Goose Zone line to a line extending west from the Indiana border along I-70 to Illinois Route 4, south along Illinois Route 4 to Illinois Route 161, west along Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 158, south and west along Illinois Route 158 to Illinois Route 159, south along Illinois Route 159 to Illinois Route 3, south along Illinois Route 3 to St. Leo's Road, south along St. Leo's road to Modoc Road, west along Modoc Road to Modoc Ferry Road, southwest along Modoc Ferry Road to Levee Road, southeast along Levee Road to County Route 12 (Modoc Ferry entrance Road), south along County Route 12 to the Modoc Ferry route and southwest on the Modoc Ferry route across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border.

South September Canada Goose Zone: That portion of the State south and east of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Interstate 70, south along U.S. Highway 45, to Illinois Route 13, west along Illinois Route 13 to Greenbriar Road, north on Greenbriar Road to Sycamore Road, west on Sycamore Road to N. Reed Station Road, south on N. Reed Station Road to Illinois Route 13, west along Illinois Route 13 to Illinois Route 127, south along Illinois Route 127 to State Forest Road (1025 N), west along State Forest Road to Illinois Route 3, north along Illinois Route 3 to the south bank of the Big Muddy River, west along the south bank of the Big Muddy River to the Mississippi River, west across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border.

South Central September Canada Goose Zone: The remainder of the State between the south border of the Central September Canada Goose Zone and the north border of the South September Canada Goose Zone.

Regular Seasons

North Zone: That portion of the State north of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Interstate 80 to I-39, south along I-39 to Illinois Route 18, west along Illinois Route 18 to Illinois Route 29, south along Illinois Route 29 to Illinois Route 17, west along Illinois Route 17 to the Mississippi River, and due south across the Mississippi River to the Iowa border.

Central Zone: That portion of the State south of the North Goose Zone line to a line extending west from the Indiana border along I-70 to Illinois Route 4, south along Illinois Route 4 to Illinois Route 161, west along Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 158, south and west along Illinois Route 158 to Illinois Route 159, south along Illinois Route 159 to Illinois Route 3, south along Illinois Route 3 to St. Leo's Road, south along St. Leo's road to Modoc Road, west along Modoc Road to Modoc Ferry Road, southwest along Modoc Ferry Road to Levee Road, southeast along Levee Road to County Route 12 (Modoc Ferry entrance Road), south along County Route 12 to the Modoc Ferry route and southwest on the Modoc Ferry route across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border.

South Zone: Same zone as for ducks.

South Central Zone: Same zone as for ducks.

Indiana

Same zones as for ducks.

Iowa

Early Canada Goose Seasons

Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Goose Zone: Includes portions of Linn and Johnson Counties bounded as follows: Beginning at the intersection of the west border of Linn County and Linn County Road E2W; then south and east along County Road E2W to Highway 920; then north along Highway 920 to County Road E16; then east along County Road E16 to County Road W58; then south along County Road W58 to County Road E34; then east along County Road E34 to Highway 13; then south along Highway 13 to Highway 30; then east along Highway 30 to Highway 1; then south along Highway 1 to Morse Road in Johnson County; then east along Morse Road to Wapsi Avenue; then south along Wapsi Avenue to Lower West Branch Road; then west along Lower West Branch Road to Taft Avenue; then south along Taft Avenue to County Road F62; then west along County Road F62 to Kansas Avenue; then north along Kansas Avenue to Black Diamond Road; then west on Black Diamond Road to Jasper Avenue; then north along Jasper Avenue to Rohert Road; then west along Rohert Road to Ivy Avenue; then north along Ivy Avenue to 340th Street; then west along 340th Street to Half Moon Avenue; then north along Half Moon Avenue to Highway 6; then west along Highway 6 to Echo Avenue; then north along Echo Avenue to 250th Street; then east on 250th Street to Green Castle Avenue; then north along Green Castle Avenue to County Road F12; then west along County Road F12 to County Road W30; then north along County Road W30 to Highway 151; then north along the Linn-Benton County line to the point of beginning.

Des Moines Goose Zone: Includes those portions of Polk, Warren, Madison, and Dallas Counties bounded as follows: Beginning at the intersection of Northwest 158th Avenue and County Road R38 in Polk County; then south along R38 to Northwest 142nd Avenue; then east along Northwest 142nd Avenue to Northeast 126th Avenue; then east along Northeast 126th Avenue to Northeast 46th Street; then south along Northeast 46th Street to Highway 931; then east along Highway 931 to Northeast 80th Street; then south along Northeast 80th Street to Southeast 6th Avenue; then west along Southeast 6th Avenue to Highway 65; then south and west along Highway 65 to Highway 69 in Warren County; then south along Highway 69 to County Road G24; then west along County Road G24 to Highway 28; then southwest along Highway 28 to 43rd Avenue; then north along 43rd Avenue to Ford Street; then west along Ford Street to Filmore Street; then west along Filmore Street to 10th Avenue; then south along 10th Avenue to 155th Street in Madison County; then west along 155th Street to Cumming Road; then north along Cumming Road to Badger Creek Avenue; then north along Badger Creek Avenue to County Road F90 in Dallas County; then east along County Road F90 to County Road R22; then north along County Road R22 to Highway 44; then east along Highway 44 to County Road R30; then north along County Road R30 to County Road F31; then east along County Road F31 to Highway 17; then north along Highway 17 to Highway 415 in Polk County; then east along Highway 415 to Northwest 158th Avenue; then east along Northwest 158th Avenue to the point of beginning.

Cedar Falls/Waterloo Goose Zone: Includes those portions of Black Hawk County bounded as follows: Beginning at the intersection of County Roads C66 and V49 in Black Hawk County, then south along County Road V49 to County Road D38, then west along County Road D38 to State Highway 21, then south along State Highway 21 to County Road D35, then west along County Road D35 to Grundy Road, then north along Grundy Road to County Road D19, then west along County Road D19 to Butler Road, then north along Butler Road to County Road C57, then north and east along County Road C57 to U.S. Highway 63, then south along U.S. Highway 63 to County Road C66, then east along County Road C66 to the point of beginning.

Regular Seasons

Same zones as for ducks.

Louisiana

North Zone: That portion of the State north of the line from the Texas border at Hwy 190/12 east to Hwy 49, then south on Hwy 49 to I-10, then east on I-10 to I-12, then east on I-12 to I-10, then east on I-10 to the Mississippi State line.

South Zone: Remainder of the State.

Michigan

North Zone: Same as North duck zone.

Middle Zone: Same as Middle duck zone.

South Zone: Same as South duck zone.

Allegan County Game Management Unit (GMU): That area encompassed by a line beginning at the junction of 136th Avenue and Interstate Highway 196 in Lake Town Township and extending easterly along 136th Avenue to Michigan Highway 40, southerly along Michigan 40 through the city of Allegan to 108th Avenue in Trowbridge Township, westerly along 108th Avenue to 46th Street, northerly along 46th Street to 109th Avenue, westerly along 109th Avenue to I-196 in Casco Township, then northerly along I-196 to the point of beginning.

Muskegon Wastewater GMU: That portion of Muskegon County within the boundaries of the Muskegon County wastewater system, east of the Muskegon State Game Area, in sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, and 32, T10N R14W, and sections 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 24, and 25, T10N R15W, as posted.

Minnesota

Same zones as for ducks.

Missouri

Same zones as for ducks.

Ohio

Same zones as for ducks.

Tennessee

Reelfoot Zone: The lands and waters within the boundaries of Reelfoot Lake WMA only.

Remainder of State: The remainder of the State.

Wisconsin

Same zones as for ducks.

Central Flyway

Colorado (Central Flyway Portion)

Northern Front Range Area: All areas in Boulder, Larimer, and Weld Counties from the Continental Divide east along the Wyoming border to U.S. 85, south on U.S. 85 to the Adams County line, and all lands in Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Gilpin, and Jefferson Counties.

North Park Area: Jackson County.

South Park Area: Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Lake, Park, and Teller Counties.

San Luis Valley Area: All of Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, and Rio Grande Counties, and those portions of Saguache, Mineral, Hinsdale, Archuleta, and San Juan Counties east of the Continental Divide.

Remainder: Remainder of the Central Flyway portion of Colorado.

Eastern Colorado Late Light Goose Area: That portion of the State east of Interstate Highway 25.

Montana (Central Flyway Portion)

Zone 1: Same as Zone 1 for ducks and coots.

Zone 2: Same as Zone 2 for ducks and coots.

Nebraska

Dark Geese

Niobrara Unit: That area contained within and bounded by the intersection of the South Dakota State line and the eastern Cherry County line, south along the Cherry County line to the Niobrara River, east to the Norden Road, south on the Norden Road to U.S. Hwy 20, east along U.S. Hwy 20 to NE Hwy 14, north along NE Hwy 14 to NE Hwy 59 and County Road 872, west along County Road 872 to the Knox County Line, north along the Knox County Line to the South Dakota State line. Where the Niobrara River forms the boundary, both banks of the river are included in the Niobrara Unit.

East Unit: That area north and east of U.S. 81 at the Kansas-Nebraska State line, north to NE Hwy 91, east to U.S. 275, south to U.S. 77, south to NE 91, east to U.S. 30, east to the Nebraska-Iowa State line.

Platte River Unit: That area north and west of U.S. 81 at the Kansas-Nebraska State line, north to NE Hwy 91, west along NE 91 to NE 11, north to the Holt County line, west along the northern border of Garfield, Loup, Blaine, and Thomas Counties to the Hooker County line, south along the Thomas-Hooker County lines to the McPherson County line, east along the south border of Thomas County to the western line of Custer County, south along the Custer-Logan County line to NE 92, west to U.S. 83, north to NE 92, west to NE 61, south along NE 61 to NE 92, west along NE 92 to U.S. Hwy 26, south along U.S. Hwy 26 to Keith County Line, south along Keith County Line to the Colorado State line.

Panhandle Unit: That area north and west of Keith-Deuel County Line at the Nebraska-Colorado State line, north along the Keith County Line to U.S. Hwy 26, west to NE Hwy 92, east to NE Hwy 61, north along NE Hwy 61 to NE Hwy 2, west along NE 2 to the corner formed by Garden-Grant-Sheridan Counties, west along the north border of Garden, Morrill, and Scotts Bluff Counties to the intersection of the Interstate Canal, west to the Wyoming State line.

North-Central Unit: The remainder of the State.

Light Geese

Rainwater Basin Light Goose Area: The area bounded by the junction of NE Hwy 92 and NE Hwy 15, south along NE Hwy 15 to NE Hwy 4, west along NE Hwy 4 to U.S. Hwy 34, west along U.S. Hwy 34 to U.S. Hwy 283, north along U.S. Hwy 283 to U.S. Hwy 30, east along U.S. Hwy 30 to NE Hwy 92, east along NE Hwy 92 to the beginning.

Remainder of State: The remainder of Nebraska.

New Mexico (Central Flyway Portion)

Dark Geese

Middle Rio Grande Valley Unit: Sierra, Socorro, and Valencia Counties.

Remainder: The remainder of the Central Flyway portion of New Mexico.

North Dakota

Missouri River Canada Goose Zone: The area within and bounded by a line starting where ND Hwy 6 crosses the South Dakota border; then north on ND Hwy 6 to I-94; then west on I-94 to ND Hwy 49; then north on ND Hwy 49 to ND Hwy 200; then west on ND Hwy 200; then north on ND Hwy 8 to the Mercer/McLean County line; then east following the county line until it turns south toward Garrison Dam; then east along a line (including Mallard Island) of Lake Sakakawea to U.S. Hwy 83; then south on U.S. Hwy 83 to ND Hwy 200; then east on ND Hwy 200 to ND Hwy 41; then south on ND Hwy 41 to U.S. Hwy 83; then south on U.S. Hwy 83 to I-94; then east on I-94 to U.S. Hwy 83; then south on U.S. Hwy 83 to the South Dakota border; then west along the South Dakota border to ND Hwy 6.

Western North Dakota Canada Goose Zone: Same as the High Plains Unit for ducks, mergansers and coots, excluding the Missouri River Canada Goose Zone.

Rest of State: Remainder of North Dakota.

South Dakota

Early Canada Goose Seasons

Special Early Canada Goose Unit: The Counties of Campbell, Clark, Codington, Day, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Marshall, Roberts, Walworth; that portion of Perkins County west of State Highway 75 and south of State Highway 20; that portion of Dewey County north of Bureau of Indian Affairs Road 8, Bureau of Indian Affairs Road 9, and the section of U.S. Highway 212 east of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Road 8 junction; that portion of Potter County east of U.S. Highway 83; that portion of Sully County east of U.S. Highway 83; portions of Hyde, Buffalo, Brule, and Charles Mix Counties north and east of a line beginning at the Hughes-Hyde County line on State Highway 34, east to Lees Boulevard, southeast to State Highway 34, east 7 miles to 350th Avenue, south to Interstate 90 on 350th Avenue, south and east on State Highway 50 to Geddes, east on 285th Street to U.S. Highway 281, and north on U.S. Highway 281 to the Charles Mix-Douglas County boundary; that portion of Bon Homme County north of State Highway 50; those portions of Yankton and Clay Counties north of a line beginning at the junction of State Highway 50 and 306th Street/County Highway 585 in Bon Homme County, east to U.S. Highway 81, then north on U.S. Highway 81 to 303rd Street, then east on 303rd Street to 444th Avenue, then south on 444th Avenue to 305th Street, then east on 305th Street/Bluff Road to State Highway 19, then south to State Highway 50 and east to the Clay/Union County Line; Aurora, Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Butte, Corson, Davison, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Haakon, Hand, Hanson, Harding, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, McCook, McPherson, Meade, Mellette, Miner, Moody, Oglala Lakota (formerly Shannon), Sanborn, Spink, Todd, Turner, and Ziebach Counties; and those portions of Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties outside of an area bounded by a line beginning at the junction of the South Dakota-Minnesota State line and Minnehaha County Highway 122 (254th Street) west to its junction with Minnehaha County Highway 149 (464th Avenue), south on Minnehaha County Highway 149 (464th Avenue) to Hartford, then south on Minnehaha County Highway 151 (463rd Avenue) to State Highway 42, east on State Highway 42 to State Highway 17, south on State Highway 17 to its junction with Lincoln County Highway 116 (Klondike Road), and east on Lincoln County Highway 116 (Klondike Road) to the South Dakota-Iowa State line, then north along the South Dakota-Iowa and South Dakota-Minnesota border to the junction of the South Dakota-Minnesota State line and Minnehaha County Highway 122 (254th Street).

Regular Seasons

Unit 1: Same as that for the September Canada goose season.

Unit 2: Remainder of South Dakota.

Unit 3: Bennett County.

Texas

Northeast Goose Zone: That portion of Texas lying east and north of a line beginning at the Texas-Oklahoma border at U.S. 81, then continuing south to Bowie and then southeasterly along U.S. 81 and U.S. 287 to I-35W and I-35 to the juncture with I-10 in San Antonio, then east on I-10 to the Texas-Louisiana border.

Southeast Goose Zone: That portion of Texas lying east and south of a line beginning at the International Toll Bridge at Laredo, then continuing north following I-35 to the juncture with I-10 in San Antonio, then easterly along I-10 to the Texas-Louisiana border.

West Goose Zone: The remainder of the State.

Wyoming (Central Flyway Portion)

Dark Geese

Zone G1: Big Horn, Converse, Hot Springs, Natrona, Park, and Washakie Counties.

Zone G1A: Goshen and Platte Counties.

Zone G2: Campbell, Crook, Johnson, Niobrara, Sheridan, and Weston Counties.

Zone G3: Albany and Laramie Counties; and that portion of Carbon County east of the Continental Divide.

Zone G4: Fremont County excluding those portions south or west of the Continental Divide.

Pacific Flyway

Arizona

Same zones as for ducks.

California

Northeastern Zone: That portion of California lying east and north of a line beginning at the intersection of Interstate 5 with the California-Oregon line; south along Interstate 5 to its junction with Walters Lane south of the town of Yreka; west along Walters Lane to its junction with Easy Street; south along Easy Street to the junction with Old Highway 99; south along Old Highway 99 to the point of intersection with Interstate 5 north of the town of Weed; south along Interstate 5 to its junction with Highway 89; east and south along Highway 89 to main street Greenville; north and east to its junction with North Valley Road; south to its junction of Diamond Mountain Road; north and east to its junction with North Arm Road; south and west to the junction of North Valley Road; south to the junction with Arlington Road (A22); west to the junction of Highway 89; south and west to the junction of Highway 70; east on Highway 70 to Highway 395; south and east on Highway 395 to the point of intersection with the California-Nevada State line; north along the California-Nevada State line to the junction of the California-Nevada-Oregon State lines west along the California-Oregon State line to the point of origin.

Klamath Basin Special Management Area: Beginning at the intersection of Highway 161 and Highway 97; east on Highway 161 to Hill Road; south on Hill Road to N Dike Road West Side; east on N Dike Road West Side until the junction of the Lost River; north on N Dike Road West Side until the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway; east on Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway until N Dike Road East Side; south on the N Dike Road East Side; continue east on N Dike Road East Side to Highway 111; south on Highway 111/Great Northern Road to Highway 120/Highway 124; west on Highway 120/Highway 124 to Hill Road; south on Hill Road until Lairds Camp Road; west on Lairds Camp Road until Willow Creek; west and south on Willow Creek to Red Rock Road; west on Red Rock Road until Meiss Lake Road/Old State Highway; north on Meiss Lake Road/Old State Highway to Highway 97; north on Highway 97 to the point of origin.

Colorado River Zone: Those portions of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties east of a line from the intersection of Highway 95 with the California-Nevada State line; south on Highway 95 through the junction with Highway 40; south on Highway 95 to Vidal Junction; south through the town of Rice to the San Bernardino-Riverside County line on a road known as “Aqueduct Road” also known as Highway 62 in San Bernardino County; southwest on Highway 62 to Desert Center Rice Road; south on Desert Center Rice Road/Highway 177 to the town of Desert Center; east 31 miles on Interstate 10 to its intersection with Wiley Well Road; south on Wiley Well Road to Wiley Well; southeast on Milpitas Wash Road to the Blythe, Brawley, Davis Lake intersections; south on Blythe Ogilby Road also known as County Highway 34 to its intersection with Ogilby Road; south on Ogilby Road to its intersection with Interstate 8; east 7 miles on Interstate 8 to its intersection with the Andrade-Algodones Road/Highway 186; south on Highway 186 to its intersection with the U.S.-Mexico border at Los Algodones, Mexico.

Southern Zone: That portion of southern California (but excluding the Colorado River zone) south and east of a line beginning at the mouth of the Santa Maria River at the Pacific Ocean; east along the Santa Maria River to where it crosses Highway 101-166 near the City of Santa Maria; north on Highway 101-166; east on Highway 166 to the junction with Highway 99; south on Highway 99 to the junction of Interstate 5; south on Interstate 5 to the crest of the Tehachapi Mountains at Tejon Pass; east and north along the crest of the Tehachapi Mountains to where it intersects Highway 178 at Walker Pass; east on Highway 178 to the junction of Highway 395 at the town of Inyokern; south on Highway 395 to the junction of Highway 58; east on Highway 58 to the junction of Interstate 15; east on Interstate 15 to the junction with Highway 127; north on Highway 127 to the point of intersection with the California-Nevada State line.

Imperial County Special Management Area: The area bounded by a line beginning at Highway 86 and the Navy Test Base Road; south on Highway 86 to the town of Westmoreland; continue through the town of Westmoreland to Route S26; east on Route S26 to Highway 115; north on Highway 115 to Weist Road; north on Weist Road to Flowing Wells Road; northeast on Flowing Wells Road to the Coachella Canal; northwest on the Coachella Canal to Drop 18; a straight line from Drop 18 to Frink Road; south on Frink Road to Highway 111; north on Highway 111 to Niland Marina Road; southwest on Niland Marina Road to the old Imperial County boat ramp and the water line of the Salton Sea; from the water line of the Salton Sea, a straight line across the Salton Sea to the Salinity Control Research Facility and the Navy Test Base Road; southwest on the Navy Test Base Road to the point of beginning.

Balance of State Zone: The remainder of California not included in the Northeastern, Colorado River, and Southern Zones.

North Coast Special Management Area: Del Norte and Humboldt Counties.

Sacramento Valley Special Management Area: That area bounded by a line beginning at Willows south on I-5 to Hahn Road; easterly on Hahn Road and the Grimes-Arbuckle Road to Grimes; northerly on CA 45 to the junction with CA 162; northerly on CA 45/162 to Glenn; and westerly on CA 162 to the point of beginning in Willows.

Colorado (Pacific Flyway Portion)

Same zones as for ducks.

Idaho

Canada Geese and Brant

Zone 1: All lands and waters within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, including private in-holdings; Bannock County; Bingham County, except that portion within the Blackfoot Reservoir drainage; Caribou County within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation; and Power County east of State Highway 37 and State Highway 39.

Zone 2: Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, and Teton Counties.

Zone 3: Ada, Adams, Benewah, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Boundary, Camas, Canyon, Cassia, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Shoshone, Twin Falls, and Washington Counties; and Power County west of State Highway 37 and State Highway 39.

Zone 4: Bear Lake County; Bingham County within the Blackfoot Reservoir drainage; and Caribou County, except that portion within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Zone 5: Valley County.

White-Fronted Geese

Zone 1: All lands and waters within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, including private in-holdings; Bannock County; Bingham County except that portion within the Blackfoot Reservoir drainage; Caribou County within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation; and Power County east of State Highway 37 and State Highway 39.

Zone 2: Bear Lake, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, and Teton Counties; Bingham County within the Blackfoot Reservoir drainage; and Caribou County except within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Zone 3: Adams, Benewah, Blaine, Bonner, Boundary, Camas, Clearwater, Custer, Franklin, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Nez Perce, Oneida, and Shoshone Counties; and Power County west of State Highway 37 and State Highway 39.

Zone 4: Ada, Boise, Canyon, Cassia, Elmore, Gem, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, Owyhee, Payette, Twin Falls, and Washington Counties.

Zone 5: Valley County.

Light Geese

Zone 1: All lands and waters within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, including private in-holdings; Bannock County; Bingham County east of the west bank of the Snake River, west of the McTucker boat ramp access road, and east of the American Falls Reservoir bluff, except that portion within the Blackfoot Reservoir drainage; Caribou County within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation; and Power County below the American Falls Reservoir bluff, and within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Zone 2: Franklin and Oneida Counties; Bingham County west of the west bank of the Snake River, east of the McTucker boat ramp access road, and west of the American Falls Reservoir bluff; Power County, except below the American Falls Reservoir bluff and those lands and waters within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Zone 3: Ada, Boise, Canyon, Cassia, Elmore, Gem, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, Owyhee, Payette, Twin Falls, and Washington Counties.

Zone 4: Adams, Benewah, Blaine, Bonner, Boundary, Camas, Clearwater, Custer, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Shoshone Counties.

Zone 5: Bear Lake, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, and Teton Counties; Bingham County within the Blackfoot Reservoir drainage; and Caribou County except within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Zone 6: Valley County.

Nevada

Same zones as for ducks.

New Mexico (Pacific Flyway Portion)

North Zone: The Pacific Flyway portion of New Mexico located north of I-40.

South Zone: The Pacific Flyway portion of New Mexico located south of I-40.

Oregon

Northwest Permit Zone: Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill Counties.

Lower Columbia/N. Willamette Valley Management Area: Those portions of Clatsop, Columbia, Multnomah, and Washington Counties within the Northwest Special Permit Zone.

Tillamook County Management Area: That portion of Tillamook County beginning at the point where Old Woods Road crosses the south shores of Horn Creek, north on Old Woods Road to Sand Lake Road at Woods, north on Sand Lake Road to the intersection with McPhillips Drive, due west (~200 yards) from the intersection to the Pacific coastline, south along the Pacific coastline to a point due west of the western end of Pacific Avenue in Pacific City, east from this point (~250 yards) to Pacific Avenue, east on Pacific Avenue to Brooten Road, south and then east on Brooten Road to Highway 101, north on Highway 101 to Resort Drive, north on Resort Drive to a point due west of the south shores of Horn Creek at its confluence with the Nestucca River, due east (~80 yards) across the Nestucca River to the south shores of Horn Creek, east along the south shores of Horn Creek to the point of beginning.

Southwest Zone: Those portions of Douglas, Coos, and Curry Counties east of Highway 101, and Josephine and Jackson Counties.

South Coast Zone: Those portions of Douglas, Coos, and Curry Counties west of Highway 101.

Eastern Zone: Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Grant, Hood River, Jefferson, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler Counties.

Klamath County Zone: Klamath County.

Harney and Lake County Zone: Harney and Lake Counties.

Malheur County Zone: Malheur County.

Utah

East Box Elder County Zone: Boundary begins at the intersection of the eastern boundary of Public Shooting Grounds Waterfowl Management Area and SR-83 (Promontory Road); east along SR-83 to I-15; south on I-15 to the Perry access road; southwest along this road to the Bear River Bird Refuge boundary; west, north, and then east along the refuge boundary until it intersects the Public Shooting Grounds Waterfowl Management Area boundary; east and north along the Public Shooting Grounds Waterfowl Management Area boundary to SR-83.

Wasatch Front Zone: Boundary begins at the Weber-Box Elder County line at I-15; east along Weber County line to U.S.-89; south on U.S.-89 to I-84; east and south on I-84 to I-80; south on I-80 to U.S.-189; south and west on U.S.-189 to the Utah County line; southeast and then west along this line to the Tooele County line; north along the Tooele County line to I-80; east on I-80 to Exit 99; north from Exit 99 along a direct line to the southern tip of Promontory Point and Promontory Road; east and north along this road to the causeway separating Bear River Bay from Ogden Bay; east on this causeway to the southwest corner of Great Salt Lake Mineral Corporations (GSLMC) west impoundment; north and east along GSLMC's west impoundment to the northwest corner of the impoundment; north from this point along a direct line to the southern boundary of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge; east along this southern boundary to the Perry access road; northeast along this road to I-15; south along I-15 to the Weber-Box Elder County line.

Southern Zone: Boundary includes Beaver, Carbon, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Washington, and Wayne Counties, and that part of Tooele County south of I-80.

Northern Zone: The remainder of Utah not included in the East Box Elder County, Wasatch Front, and Southern Zones.

Washington

Area 1: Skagit, Island, and Snohomish Counties.

Area 2 Inland (Southwest Permit Zone): Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties, and that portion of Grays Harbor County east of Highway 101

Area 2 Coastal (Southwest Permit Zone): Pacific County and that portion of Grays Harbor County west of Highway 101.

Area 3: All areas west of the Pacific Crest Trail and west of the Big White Salmon River that are not included in Areas 1, 2A, and 2B.

Area 4: Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Lincoln, Okanogan, Spokane, and Walla Walla Counties.

Area 5: All areas east of the Pacific Crest Trail and east of the Big White Salmon River that are not included in Area 4.

Brant

Pacific Flyway

California

Northern Zone: Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino Counties.

Balance of State Zone: The remainder of the State not included in the Northern Zone.

Washington

Puget Sound Zone: Clallam, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties.

Coastal Zone: Pacific County.

Swans

Central Flyway

South Dakota

Open Area: Aurora, Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Campbell, Clark, Codington, Davison, Day, Deuel, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hughes, Hyde, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Potter, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Sully, and Walworth Counties.

Pacific Flyway

Idaho

Open Area: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, and Kootenai Counties.

Montana (Pacific Flyway Portion)

Open Area: Cascade, Chouteau, Hill, Liberty, and Toole Counties and those portions of Pondera and Teton Counties lying east of U.S. 287-89.

Nevada

Open Area: Churchill, Lyon, and Pershing Counties.

Utah

Open Area: Those portions of Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Toole Counties lying west of I-15, north of I-80, and south of a line beginning from the Forest Street exit to the Bear River National Wildlife Refuge boundary; then north and west along the Bear River National Wildlife Refuge boundary to the farthest west boundary of the Refuge; then west along a line to Promontory Road; then north on Promontory Road to the intersection of SR 83; then north on SR 83 to I-84; then north and west on I-84 to State Hwy 30; then west on State Hwy 30 to the Nevada-Utah State line; then south on the Nevada-Utah State line to I-80.

Doves

Alabama

South Zone: Baldwin, Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, and Mobile Counties.

North Zone: Remainder of the State.

Florida

Northwest Zone: The Counties of Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Washington, Leon (except that portion north of U.S. 27 and east of State Road 155), Jefferson (south of U.S. 27, west of State Road 59 and north of U.S. 98), and Wakulla (except that portion south of U.S. 98 and east of the St. Marks River).

South Zone: The remainder of the State.

Louisiana

North Zone: That portion of the State north of a line extending east from the Texas border along State Highway 12 to U.S. Highway 190, east along U.S. 190 to Interstate Highway 12, east along Interstate Highway 12 to Interstate Highway 10, then east along Interstate Highway 10 to the Mississippi border.

South Zone: The remainder of the State.

Mississippi

North Zone: That portion of the State north and west of a line extending west from the Alabama State line along U.S. Highway 84 to its junction with State Highway 35, then south along State Highway 35 to the Louisiana State line.

South Zone: The remainder of Mississippi.

Texas

North Zone: That portion of the State north of a line beginning at the International Bridge south of Fort Hancock; north along FM 1088 to TX 20; west along TX 20 to TX 148; north along TX 148 to I-10 at Fort Hancock; east along I-10 to I-20; northeast along I-20 to I-30 at Fort Worth; northeast along I-30 to the Texas-Arkansas State line.

Central Zone: That portion of the State lying between the North and South Zones.

South Zone: That portion of the State south and west of a line beginning at the International Bridge south of Del Rio, proceeding east on U.S. 90 to State Loop 1604 west of San Antonio; then south, east, and north along Loop 1604 to I-10 east of San Antonio; then east on I-10 to Orange, Texas.

Special White-winged Dove Area: Same as the South Zone.

Band-tailed Pigeons

California

North Zone: Alpine, Butte, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties.

South Zone: The remainder of the State not included in the North Zone.

New Mexico

North Zone: North of a line following U.S. 60 from the Arizona State line east to I-25 at Socorro and then south along I-25 from Socorro to the Texas State line.

South Zone: The remainder of the State not included in the North Zone.

Washington

Western Washington: The State of Washington excluding those portions lying east of the Pacific Crest Trail and east of the Big White Salmon River in Klickitat County.

Woodcock

New Jersey

North Zone: That portion of the State north of NJ 70.

South Zone: The remainder of the State.

Sandhill Cranes

Mississippi Flyway

Alabama

Open Area: That area north of Interstate 20 from the Georgia State line to the interchange with Interstate 65, then east of Interstate 65 to the interchange with Interstate 22, then north of Interstate 22 to the Mississippi State line.

Minnesota

Northwest Zone: That portion of the State encompassed by a line extending east from the North Dakota border along U.S. Highway 2 to State Trunk Highway (STH) 32, north along STH 32 to STH 92, east along STH 92 to County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 2 in Polk County, north along CSAH 2 to CSAH 27 in Pennington County, north along CSAH 27 to STH 1, east along STH 1 to CSAH 28 in Pennington County, north along CSAH 28 to CSAH 54 in Marshall County, north along CSAH 54 to CSAH 9 in Roseau County, north along CSAH 9 to STH 11, west along STH 11 to STH 310, and north along STH 310 to the Manitoba border.

Tennessee

Southeast Crane Zone: That portion of the State south of Interstate 40 and east of State Highway 56.

Remainder of State: That portion of Tennessee outside of the Southeast Crane Zone.

Central Flyway

Colorado

Open Area: The Central Flyway portion of the State except the San Luis Valley (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties east of the Continental Divide) and North Park (Jackson County).

Kansas

Central Zone: That portion of the State within an area bounded by a line beginning where I-35 crosses the Kansas-Oklahoma border, then north on I-35 to Wichita, then north on I-135 to Salina, then north on U.S. 81 to the Nebraska border, then west along the Kansas/Nebraska border to its intersection with Hwy 283, then south on Hwy 283 to the intersection with Hwy 18/24, then east along Hwy 18 to Hwy 183, then south on Hwy 183 to Route 1, then south on Route 1 to the Oklahoma border, then east along the Kansas/Oklahoma border to where it crosses I-35.

West Zone: That portion of the State west of the western boundary of the Central Zone.

Montana

Regular Season Open Area: The Central Flyway portion of the State except for that area south and west of Interstate 90, which is closed to sandhill crane hunting.

Special Season Open Area: Carbon County.

New Mexico

Regular-Season Open Area: Chaves, Curry, De Baca, Eddy, Lea, Quay, and Roosevelt Counties.

Special Season Open Areas

Middle Rio Grande Valley Area: The Central Flyway portion of New Mexico in Socorro and Valencia Counties.

Estancia Valley Area: Those portions of Santa Fe, Torrance, and Bernallilo Counties within an area bounded on the west by New Mexico Highway 55 beginning at Mountainair north to NM 337, north to NM 14, north to I-25; on the north by I-25 east to U.S. 285; on the east by U.S. 285 south to U.S. 60; and on the south by U.S. 60 from U.S. 285 west to NM 55 in Mountainair.

Southwest Zone: Area bounded on the south by the New Mexico-Mexico border; on the west by the New Mexico-Arizona border north to Interstate 10; on the north by Interstate 10 east to U.S. 180, north to NM 26, east to NM 27, north to NM 152, and east to Interstate 25; on the east by Interstate 25 south to Interstate 10, west to the Luna County line, and south to the New Mexico-Mexico border.

North Dakota

Area 1: That portion of the State west of U.S. 281.

Area 2: That portion of the State east of U.S. 281.

Oklahoma

Open Area: That portion of the State west of I-35.

South Dakota

Open Area: That portion of the State lying west of a line beginning at the South Dakota-North Dakota border and State Highway 25, south on State Highway 25 to its junction with State Highway 34, east on State Highway 34 to its junction with U.S. Highway 81, then south on U.S. Highway 81 to the South Dakota-Nebraska border.

Texas

Zone A: That portion of Texas lying west of a line beginning at the international toll bridge at Laredo, then northeast along U.S. Highway 81 to its junction with Interstate Highway 35 in Laredo, then north along Interstate Highway 35 to its junction with Interstate Highway 10 in San Antonio, then northwest along Interstate Highway 10 to its junction with U.S. Highway 83 at Junction, then north along U.S. Highway 83 to its junction with U.S. Highway 62, 16 miles north of Childress, then east along U.S. Highway 62 to the Texas-Oklahoma State line.

Zone B: That portion of Texas lying within boundaries beginning at the junction of U.S. Highway 81 and the Texas-Oklahoma State line, then southeast along U.S. Highway 81 to its junction with U.S. Highway 287 in Montague County, then southeast along U.S. Highway 287 to its junction with Interstate Highway 35W in Fort Worth, then southwest along Interstate Highway 35 to its junction with Interstate Highway 10 in San Antonio, then northwest along Interstate Highway 10 to its junction with U.S. Highway 83 in the town of Junction, then north along U.S. Highway 83 to its junction with U.S. Highway 62, 16 miles north of Childress, then east along U.S. Highway 62 to the Texas-Oklahoma State line, then south along the Texas-Oklahoma State line to the south bank of the Red River, then eastward along the vegetation line on the south bank of the Red River to U.S. Highway 81.

Zone C: The remainder of the State, except for the closed areas.

Closed areas:

A. That portion of the State lying east and north of a line beginning at the junction of U.S. Highway 81 and the Texas-Oklahoma State line, then southeast along U.S. Highway 81 to its junction with U.S. Highway 287 in Montague County, then southeast along U.S. Highway 287 to its junction with I-35W in Fort Worth, then southwest along I-35 to its junction with U.S. Highway 290 East in Austin, then east along U.S. Highway 290 to its junction with Interstate Loop 610 in Harris County, then south and east along Interstate Loop 610 to its junction with Interstate Highway 45 in Houston, then south on Interstate Highway 45 to State Highway 342, then to the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, and then north and east along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico to the Texas-Louisiana State line.

B. That portion of the State lying within the boundaries of a line beginning at the Kleberg-Nueces County line and the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, then west along the County line to Park Road 22 in Nueces County, then north and west along Park Road 22 to its junction with State Highway 358 in Corpus Christi, then west and north along State Highway 358 to its junction with State Highway 286, then north along State Highway 286 to its junction with Interstate Highway 37, then east along Interstate Highway 37 to its junction with U.S. Highway 181, then north and west along U.S. Highway 181 to its junction with U.S. Highway 77 in Sinton, then north and east along U.S. Highway 77 to its junction with U.S. Highway 87 in Victoria, then south and east along U.S. Highway 87 to its junction with State Highway 35 at Port Lavaca, then north and east along State Highway 35 to the south end of the Lavaca Bay Causeway, then south and east along the shore of Lavaca Bay to its junction with the Port Lavaca Ship Channel, then south and east along the Lavaca Bay Ship Channel to the Gulf of Mexico, and then south and west along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico to the Kleberg-Nueces County line.

Wyoming

Area 7: Campbell, Converse, Crook, Goshen, Laramie, Niobrara, Platte, and Weston Counties.

Area 4: All lands within the Bureau of Reclamation's Riverton and Boysen Unit boundaries; those lands within Boysen State Park south of Cottonwood Creek, west of Boysen Reservoir, and south of U.S. Highway 20-26; and all non‐Indian owned fee title lands within the exterior boundaries of the Wind River Reservation, excluding those lands within Hot Springs County.

Area 6: Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie Counties.

Area 8: Johnson, Natrona, and Sheridan Counties.

Pacific Flyway

Arizona

Zone 1: Beginning at the junction of the New Mexico State line and U.S. Hwy 80; south along the State line to the U.S.-Mexico border; west along the border to the San Pedro River; north along the San Pedro River to the junction with Arizona Hwy 77; northerly along Arizona Hwy 77 to the Gila River; northeast along the Gila River to the San Carlos Indian Reservation boundary; south then east and north along the reservation boundary to U.S. Hwy 70; southeast on U.S. Hwy 70 to U.S. Hwy 191; south on U.S. Hwy 191 to the 352 exit on I-10; east on I-10 to Bowie-Apache Pass Road; southerly on the Bowie-Apache Pass Road to Arizona Hwy 186; southeasterly on Arizona Hwy 186 to Arizona Hwy 181; south on Arizona Hwy 181 to the West Turkey Creek-Kuykendall cutoff road; southerly on the Kuykendall cutoff road to Rucker Canyon Road; easterly on Rucker Canyon Road to the Tex Canyon Road; southerly on Tex Canyon Road to U.S. Hwy 80; northeast on U.S. Hwy 80 to the New Mexico State line.

Zone 2: Beginning at I-10 and the New Mexico State line; north along the State line to Arizona Hwy 78; southwest on Arizona Hwy 78 to U.S. Hwy 191; northwest on U.S. Hwy 191 to Clifton; westerly on the Lower Eagle Creek Road (Pump Station Road) to Eagle Creek; northerly along Eagle Creek to the San Carlos Indian Reservation boundary; southerly and west along the reservation boundary to U.S. Hwy 70; southeast on U.S. Hwy 70 to U.S. Hwy 191; south on U.S. Hwy 191 to I-10; easterly on I-10 to the New Mexico State line.

Zone 3: Beginning on I-10 at the New Mexico State line; westerly on I-10 to the Bowie-Apache Pass Road; southerly on the Bowie-Apache Pass Road to AZ Hwy 186; southeast on AZ Hwy 186 to AZ Hwy 181; south on AZ Hwy 181 to the West Turkey Creek-Kuykendall cutoff road; southerly on the Kuykendall cutoff road to Rucker Canyon Road; easterly on the Rucker Canyon Road to Tex Canyon Road; southerly on Tex Canyon Road to U.S. Hwy 80; northeast on U.S. Hwy 80 to the New Mexico State line; north along the State line to I-10.

Idaho

Area 1: All of Bear Lake County and all of Caribou County except that portion lying within the Grays Lake Basin.

Area 2: All of Teton County except that portion lying west of State Highway 33 and south of Packsaddle Road (West 400 North) and north of the North Cedron Road (West 600 South) and east of the west bank of the Teton River.

Area 3: All of Fremont County except the Chester Wetlands Wildlife Management Area.

Area 4: All of Jefferson County.

Area 5: All of Bannock County east of Interstate 15 and south of U.S. Highway 30; and all of Franklin County.

Area 6: That portion of Oneida County within the boundary beginning at the intersection of the Idaho-Utah border and Old Highway 191, then north on Old Highway 191 to 1500 S, then west on 1500 S to Highway 38, then west on Highway 38 to 5400 W, then south on 5400 W to Pocatello Valley Road, then west and south on Pocatello Valley Road to 10000 W, then south on 10000 W to the Idaho-Utah border, then east along the Idaho-Utah border to the beginning point.

Montana

Zone 1: Those portions of Deer Lodge County lying within the following described boundary: Beginning at the intersection of I-90 and Highway 273, then westerly along Highway 273 to the junction of Highway 1, then southeast along said highway to Highway 275 at Opportunity, then east along said highway to East Side County road, then north along said road to Perkins Lane, then west on said lane to I-90, then north on said interstate to the junction of Highway 273, the point of beginning. Except for sections 13 and 24, T5N, R10W; and Warm Springs Pond number 3.

Zone 2: That portion of the Pacific Flyway, located in Powell County lying within the following described boundary: Beginning at the junction of State Routes 141 and 200, then west along Route 200 to its intersection with the Blackfoot River at Russell Gates Fishing Access Site (Powell-Missoula County line), then southeast along said river to its intersection with the Ovando-Helmville Road (County Road 104) at Cedar Meadows Fishing Access Site, then south and east along said road to its junction with State Route 141, then north along said route to its junction with State Route 200, the point of beginning.

Zone 3: Beaverhead, Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison Counties.

Zone 4: Broadwater County.

Utah

Cache County: Cache County.

East Box Elder County: That portion of Box Elder County beginning on the Utah-Idaho State line at the Box Elder-Cache County line; west on the State line to the Pocatello Valley County Road; south on the Pocatello Valley County Road to I-15; southeast on I-15 to SR-83; south on SR-83 to Lamp Junction; west and south on the Promontory Point County Road to the tip of Promontory Point; south from Promontory Point to the Box Elder-Weber County line; east on the Box Elder-Weber County line to the Box Elder-Cache County line; north on the Box Elder-Cache County line to the Utah-Idaho State line.

Rich County: Rich County.

Uintah County: Uintah County.

Wyoming

Area 1: All of the Bear River and Ham's Fork River drainages in Lincoln County.

Area 2: All of the Salt River drainage in Lincoln County south of the McCoy Creek Road.

Area 3: All lands within the Bureau of Reclamation's Eden Project in Sweetwater County.

Area 5: Uinta County.

All Migratory Game Birds in Alaska

North Zone: State Game Management Units 11-13 and 17-26.

Gulf Coast Zone: State Game Management Units 5-7, 9, 14-16, and 10 (Unimak Island only).

Southeast Zone: State Game Management Units 1-4.

Pribilof and Aleutian Islands Zone: State Game Management Unit 10 (except Unimak Island).

Kodiak Zone: State Game Management Unit 8.

All Migratory Game Birds in the Virgin Islands

Ruth Cay Closure Area: The island of Ruth Cay, just south of St. Croix.

All Migratory Game Birds in Puerto Rico

Municipality of Culebra Closure Area: All of the municipality of Culebra.

Desecheo Island Closure Area: All of Desecheo Island.

Mona Island Closure Area: All of Mona Island.

El Verde Closure Area: Those areas of the municipalities of Rio Grande and Loiza delineated as follows: (1) All lands between Routes 956 on the west and 186 on the east, from Route 3 on the north to the juncture of Routes 956 and 186 (Km 13.2) in the south; (2) all lands between Routes 186 and 966 from the juncture of 186 and 966 on the north, to the Caribbean National Forest Boundary on the south; (3) all lands lying west of Route 186 for 1 kilometer from the juncture of Routes 186 and 956 south to Km 6 on Route 186; (4) all lands within Km 14 and Km 6 on the west and the Caribbean National Forest Boundary on the east; and (5) all lands within the Caribbean National Forest Boundary whether private or public.

Cidra Municipality and adjacent areas: All of Cidra Municipality and portions of Aguas Buenas, Caguas, Cayey, and Comerio Municipalities as encompassed within the following boundary: Beginning on Highway 172 as it leaves the municipality of Cidra on the west edge, north to Highway 156, east on Highway 156 to Highway 1, south on Highway 1 to Highway 765, south on Highway 765 to Highway 763, south on Highway 763 to the Rio Guavate, west along Rio Guavate to Highway 1, southwest on Highway 1 to Highway 14, west on Highway 14 to Highway 729, north on Highway 729 to Cidra Municipality boundary to the point of the beginning.