Taking the "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" approach, state wildlife officials are proposing only a few minor adjustments to sandhill crane and waterfowl hunting regulations this year.

Texas Parks and Wildlife is currently taking public comment on proposed changes to the 2001-2002 Migratory Game Bird Proclamation, which includes sandhill crane, ducks, coots and geese hunting. The TPW Commission will make the final decision on these regulations at its Aug. 30 public hearing in Austin.

Aside from additional crane hunting opportunity along the mid coast and a boundary shift in North Texas, hunters could see little change from last year, according to Vernon Bevill, TPW game bird program director. "We've received approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to open sandhill crane hunting along the mid coast from Lavaca Bay to Galveston Bay and from Corpus Christi Bay south," said Bevill. This area will be included in "Zone C" with a reduction in daily bag limit from three birds to two.

Bevill went on to add that the crane season length in Zone C will be shortened to 23 days (Dec. 29, 2001 - Jan. 20, 2002) because the Light Goose Conservation Order will open on Jan. 21, 2002. No crane hunting is allowed during the special season.

TPW also proposes an early closure for a small portion of the northeast corner of sandhill crane Zone B, which lies in the Eastern Goose zone. This would eliminate the need to close the entire zone at the start of a special light goose conservation season in the eastern goose zone north of Ft. Worth to the Oklahoma line. Under federal requirements, waterfowl and sandhill crane seasons must be closed before a special light goose season can begin. By making the crane Zone B boundary consistent with the East/West goose zone boundary, crane season can be extended to Feb. 10, 2002.

Texas must set its migratory game bird seasons and bag limits using federal frameworks adopted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service earlier this month. Under that framework, TPW has the authority to set a 74-day hunting season in the eastern two-thirds of the state east of the High Plains Mallard Management Unit for all ducks except canvasbacks, which will be limited this year to a 25 day open season and a one bird per day limit.

The restriction on canvasback ducks follows a slight drop this year in population estimates. Historically, population declines have resulted in closure on all canvasback harvest, but because canvasback numbers are still above the long-term average and goals established under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the option for a restricted season was made available.

TPW is proposing to allow hunters to take canvasbacks during the last 25 days of the season, from Dec. 27, 2001 to Jan. 20, 2002 statewide.

For the North Zone, the proposed duck hunting season would run Oct. 27-28 and Nov. 10, 2001, through Jan. 20, 2002.

TPW is considering two options for the South Zone duck hunting season splits. Under one scenario, the season would run Oct. 27 - Nov. 25 and reopen Dec. 8, 2001, through Jan. 20, 2002. This first option closes the first split on the traditional Sunday after Thanksgiving, which means closing it with nearly a full week left in November. The other option would be to extend the first split from Oct. 27 - Dec. 2, 2001, and reopen Dec. 15 through Jan. 20, 2002. The second option would reopen the second split a little later than normal. Duck harvest during the last week in November can be very good and TPW officials want comments from the public to guide recommendations on when to split the South zone season.

In the High Plains Mallard Management Unit, duck season would run Oct. 20-22 and Oct. 27, 2001, through Jan. 20, 2002.

The daily bag limit would remain six ducks statewide; to include no more than five mallards (no more than two hens), three scaup, two wood ducks, two redheads, one mottled duck, one pintail and one canvasback (during the last 25-days of the season only).

Another duck hunting change being considered involves a minor zone boundary shift. Every five years, federal duck hunting season guidelines allow alterations to in-state hunting zones. Texas has that option this year, and wildlife officials were suggesting the possibility of a minor shift from the South Zone to the North Zone that portion of the state east and south of Houston between Interstate 45 and Interstate 10. After receiving comments through the summer on this proposal, TPW staff no longer believes this change is needed.

Goose seasons in the east zone from has been recommended for Oct. 27, 2001, through Jan. 20, 2002, for both light and dark geese with a daily bag limit of 20 light geese in the aggregate (snow, blue, Ross); two white-fronts and one Canada goose. The west zone goose season would run from October 27-February 10. Daily bag limits in the west zone are 20 light geese in the aggregate and 5 dark geese in the aggregate to include no more than 1 white-fronted goose.

TPW is again recommending a Light Goose Conservation Order that begins January 21 in the east zone and February 11 in the west zone. LGCO would close on March 31 in both zones. During the special season there is no bag limit on light geese.

The special youth-only weekend (licensed hunters 16 and under) for ducks in both the North and South Zones is proposed for Oct. 20-21, while the youth hunt in the High Plains Mallard Management Unit will be Oct 13-14.

Anyone wishing to comment on these proposed changes can write to Hunting Information at TPW, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or call (800) 792-1112, Menu 5, Selection 1, or (512) 389-4505, or on the Internet (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/). Comments may also be made at the public hearing to be held at the Commissioners Hearing Room, Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, on Aug. 30, 2001, at about 9 a.m.