NC Sets 2015-16 Webless Migratory Bird Seasons

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has set the dates for webless migratory bird hunting for 2015-2016. They also set the early seasons for Canada geese and teal.

A quick look shows that dove season starts on the traditional Saturday before Labor Day and that resident Canada geese inland from the coast must be getting to be a real problem. I say that last bit because the daily limit for geese during September is 15! Not only that but you can use an unplugged shotgun and electronic calls. I guess some golfers are upset about them pooping all over the manicured greens.

The other thing I noticed is that there must be some Biblical injunction about shooting birds on the Sabbath. The commission has said there shall be no migratory bird hunting on Sundays.

RALEIGH, N.C. (July 17, 2015) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has approved the season dates for dove and other webless migratory game birds, as well as September seasons for Canada geese and teal.

Seasons and bag limits for most species are similar to last year. Shooting hours for all species are ½ hour before sunrise until sunset unless otherwise noted. Dove hunters should note that shooting hours for the entire season, including opening day, begin at ½ hour before sunrise. The change to opening day shooting hours for doves was implemented several years ago. 

Each year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provide frameworks from which to select the seasons and the Wildlife Commission chooses the actual dates within these guidelines. The Wildlife Commission requested public input on the seasons throughout June on its website.

The 2015–16 seasons for webless migratory game birds and waterfowl early seasons are:  

Species	Season	Daily Bag
Mourning Dove & White-winged Dove1	September 5 – October 10, November 23 – January 15	15
King & Clapper Rails1	September 1 – October 3, October 23 – November 28	15
Sora & Virginia Rails1	September 1 – October 3, October 23 – November 28	25
Gallinule & Moorhens1	September 1 – October 3, October 23 – November 28	15
Woodcock	December 17 – January 30	3
Common Snipe	November 13 – February 27	8

1Daily bag limit is either singly or in aggregate.

·      Federal guidelines allow for shooting hours for all migratory game birds to be from ½ hour before sunrise to sunset.

·      Possession limit is three times the daily bag for all species. 

·      These listed seasons do not include Sundays.  There shall be no hunting of migratory game birds by any method on Sundays.

Species	Season	Daily Bag
Canada Goose	September 1 – 30 (statewide) 1.  extend shooting hours to ½ hour after sunset 2.  allow use of unplugged guns 3.  allow use of electronic calls These expanded methods are only to be allowed west of U.S. 17.	15
September Teal (blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal)	September 12 – 30 (East of U.S. 17 only)	6

·      Federal guidelines allow for shooting hours for all migratory game birds to be from ½ hour before sunrise to sunset.

·      Possession limit is three times the daily bag for all species. 

·      These listed seasons do not include Sundays.  There shall be no hunting of migratory game birds by any method on Sundays.

The 2015–16 extended falconry seasons for webless migratory game birds are:

Species	Season
Mourning dove/White-winged dove	October 15 – October 31
Rails, Gallinule and Moorhens	December 5 – January 9
Woodcock	November 7 – December 5 & February 1 – February 27

• The falconry daily bag limit is 3 permitted migratory game birds, singly or in the aggregate.  The regular, i.e., gun season bag limits for individual species do not apply.
• The falconry bag limit is not in addition to the gun bag limit.
• These listed seasons do not include Sundays.  There shall be no hunting of migratory game birds by any method on Sundays.

For more information on migratory game bird hunting, visit Waterfowl and Migratory Game Birds in North Carolina. For more information on hunter safety, hunting regulations and the free Hunting Heritage Apprentice Permits, go to www.ncwildlife.org/hunting