The reaction, far and wide, to one item on the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission’s October meeting agenda turned out to be little more than a tempest in a teapot.
The item, “Introduction of Proposal to Limit Harvest of Hen Mallards and Hen Northern Pintails for the 2027-2028 Season,” was offered by commission member Duke Lowrie, who said he wanted to let the other commissioners and the public know he plans to push for the reduction when the LWFC meets in January when the state wildlife managers announce proposals for the next hunting seasons.
“When the (federal) breeding populations came out (in late August), it showed mallards down 26% and pintails down 48% … and hens are most important to populations,” Lowrie said.
The numbers he cited are based on long-term population numbers dating back to the mid-1950s.
Lowrie said he talked with hunting clubs and some said the reduction makes sense while other clubs said harvest “doesn’t matter,” and that continued regulations only serve to drive hunters away.
“I don’t think that’s the case,” he said. “Hunters lost are already gone and are not coming back. We have to go forward and consider reducing hen harvest next season as a conservation measure. Waterfowl hunters of Louisiana want us to do things to conserve, and, hopefully, this commission is talking about it now, to propose reduce taking hens next season and get other states to follow suit.
“I talked to a Minnesota biologist, and he was excited Louisiana reduced pintail hen (limit) to one (per day).”
Black-bellied whistling ducks
The discussion of ducks didn’t stop there. Wildlife and Fisheries Assistant Secretary Tommy Tuma termed the Oct. 3 opening weekend of the first-ever black-bellied whistling duck season a success with some negatives, that hunters should know this first effort is designed to collect data, and to expect changes. He said one plus was a new whistling duck decoy was on the market.
Commission member Jonathan Walker said he returned from breeding grounds tours with Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl excited “…because everyone is talking about this is the wettest season in years and it’s finally wet on the breeding grounds.”
Other commission actions
-Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Tyler Bosworth announced the winner of the first Larry Selders Memorial Lifetime License is Krystal Deakle, who was drawn from a youth-only lottery during National Hunting and Fishing Day celebrations. Bosworth explained the memorial honors the former state senator, who promoted wildlife and fisheries efforts to introduce the outdoors to young boys and girls;
-Recognition of the 22 graduates of the agency’s 38th Cadet Academy, a 22-week training course. The 22 additional agents leaves the Enforcement Division 10 short of a complete state, according to Col. Stephen Clark;
-General counsel Cole Garrett outlined a notice of intent for changes to department-managed refuges and sanctuaries as part of a response to an executive order to review rules and regulations older than 20 years. Garrett said the notice will repeal four items regarding no-longer-needed leases and permits; a regulation on minerals in a St. Tammany Parish area; elimination of a regulation on the Atchafalaya Delta area, which has been codified and no longer needs to appear in this specific section; and, specified updating or eliminating rules on places like Spanish Lake, Bundick Lake, Lake Martin and Lake Bistineau;
-From agency biologist Michael Harden, a demonstration of the new electronic trip ticket, a plan that by July 2028 will eliminate all varieties of the paper forms used by all levels of commercial fishing interests in filing catch and sale operations;
-Delaying the notice of intent to modify the trip ticket reporting regulations to the LWFC’s December meeting.
