Regulations Changes Ahead for 2024-25 Waterfowl Season
Arkansas reduces white-fronted goose limit, Texas eliminates Light Goose Conservation Order season
As states finalize waterfowl seasons and regulations for the 2024-25 season, several key changes have come into focus.
One potential change strongly considered in Arkansas was a measure to reduce the four-mallard daily bag limit to include only one hen. The measure was tabled in committee, and the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission approved a regulations package for the 2024-25 season to maintain the daily bag limit of four mallards with up to two hens.
Here’s a rundown of some key state waterfowl changes that have been approved.
Texas
- Eliminated the Light Goose Conservation Order season for spring 2025.
- Extended the regular goose season in the Eastern Zone by 19 days for light geese.
- Reduced the bag limit on light geese to five daily (formerly 10).
- Increased the daily bag limit of white-fronted geese to five (formerly two) in the Western Zone. Note that white-fronted geese are part of the dark geese aggregate bag limit that includes Canada geese and cackling geese.
Arkansas
- Reduced the bag limit on white-fronted geese to two daily (formerly three) and shortened the whitefront season to 69 days.
- Eliminated restrictions on the use of spinning-wing and motion decoys on state-owned wildlife management areas.
Washington
- Reinstated a season on harlequin ducks, under an application system that allows for a draw for 38 allocated permits. The season had been closed for two seasons because the yearly take had been increasing and exceeded harvest goals during the 2021-22 season.
Nevada
- Increased the number of tundra swan harvest permits to 750, allowing an additional 100 permit holders to hunt swans. Population estimates for the Western tundra swans is 97,709, which is 63% above the objective of 60,000 swans.
New Jersey
- Canada goose season in the North and South zones is shortened to 30 days, with a three-goose daily limit. The Coast Zone season remains at 60 days concurrent with duck season, with a daily limit of two Canada geese.
Maryland
- Canada goose season in the AP Zone (Atlantic Population) is reduced to 30 days, with a two-goose daily bag limit.
The changes highlighted here are not a complete list for every state. As always, be sure to review all waterfowl hunting regulations for the jurisdiction you are hunting. — Paul Wait
In Arkansas, we still have way too many white-fronted geese who arrive early and eat up the scant rice spillage before ducks arrive. If anything, the harvest of these voracious waterfowl should be expanded including a conservation hunt prior to duck season. Reducing what we have makes no sense to me, but I would support reducing bag limit of hen mallards to one.