The 2011 waterfowl season could be a historic one for Wisconsin duck hunters if the US Fish & Wildlife Service agrees to allow Wisconsin to create additional duck hunting zone options, a possibility that has been previously forbidden.

Ever since the early 1990’s, duck hunters here have requested that the USFWS allow hunters that hunt the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan the ability to hunt later in the year. Up until last year the USFWS have declined all requests for any additional zone options. Under the current system, every 5 years the zone options are reviewed and have the ability to be changed, modified, or remain the same. With the USFWS potential to offer additional choices it is important that WWA understand the desires of its membership so that we are able to represent your thoughts and views on this matter when the time comes. Please take the time to complete this short survey.

Please note: This survey was modified from the Wisconsin DNR survey that was distributed to a random sampling of waterfowl hunters across the state. As with most major decisions concerning waterfowl hunting, WWA is an active participant in the process. An ad-hoc committee was created by the WI DNR and the Conservation Congress in which numerous groups, including WWA, participated. From this information, Kent Van Horn (Migratory Game Bird Ecologist, WI DNR) created the survey, which was then distributed, as previously mentioned Again, your ideas and opinions are important to us.

Thank you on behalf of WWA's Government Relations Committee for taking the time to share your opinions with us.

Are you a current member of Wisconsin Waterfowl Association?

This first section asks about your duck hunting experiences in Wisconsin:

In which of the past five years did you hunt ducks in Wisconsin?
(Check all that apply)

How many years have you been duck hunting in Wisconsin?

Please share with us the Wisconsin COUNTIES in which you have spent the most days duck hunting during the past five years.

For the following four questions, please share how many days you typically hunt ducks in Wisconsin in a year.  For each month please write the number of days you have typically hunted in a year.  Your best recollection is fine.

Number of days I hunted ducks in September was:

Number of days I hunted ducks in October was:

Number of days I hunted ducks in November was:

Number of days I hunted ducks in December was:

Over the past five years what has been the average number of ducks you have usually harvested in a year?  Your best recollection is fine.

These next questions consider potential changes to Wisconsin's duck zones.  Please carefully read the information on this page.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service is considering expanding the options for state duck hunting zones in Wisconsin for 2011.  Based on these new duck zone opportunities, a committee of duck hunters and waterfowl managers from around the state developed some options for a new duck zone configuration.

Based on past public input and duck harvest date, the goal of the new zones is to provide additional late season duck hunting days where late hunting is most likely (in areas of later freeze-up) while minimizing the loss of mid-fall duck hunting opportunities elsewhere in the state.

The committee has recommended three zones: a north duck zone, a central duck zone, and a U-shaped south/big water zone.  This south/big water zone is intended to target those areas that would have ducks later in the season.

South/big water zone

The south/big water zone would be U-shaped to include: the Mississippi River defined as the area west of Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway and south of Hwy 10 (identical to the current Mississippi goose subzone); the area of the state south of Hwy 11; and the waters of Lake Michigan more than 500 feet from shore (not including the waters of Green Bay).

US Fish & Wildlife Service Regulations state that a zone must be contiguous which is why the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan are connected by the land area south of Hwy 11. 

See maps below.

Possible season dates

The exact duck hunting season dates and options for split seasons (closures) will be decided annually but the zone lines must remain for five years once established in 2011. It is anticipated that the three zones would have either different starting dates or different lengths to the season splits.

To aid your input on the configuration of duck zones we expect the season dates for the three zones under a 60-day season would be similar to the following:

The NORTH DUCK ZONE would likely open the Saturday nearest September 24 and run for 60 days without a split ending sometime in late November.  The option for a short split for the north zone has been considered in the past but never adopted.

The CENTRAL DUCK ZONE would likely open the Saturday nearest October 1 and have a short (5 day) split sometime in October, with the season ending in the first week of December. Options for no split in the central zone or an opening date the Saturday nearest September 24 are likely to be discussed annually by duck hunters.

The SOUTH/BIG WATER DUCK ZONE would likely open the Saturday nearest October 1 but have a relatively long split of 7 to 12 days in October with the objective of the season ending in mid-December.  The option of a later opening date may be discussed but likely avoided because of the hunter crowding issues that may result.

Would you prefer Wisconsin continue to maintain its current two north and south hunting zones or would you prefer three duck hunting zones (north, central and south/big water)?

If you prefer three hunting zones, the next question will allow you to select the boundary line separating the north and central zones; the south/big water zone is defined in the maps above.

If you prefer three hunting zones, think about where the line should be located to separate the central zone from the north zone.  The central zone will extend north from Hwy 11 to either Hwy 10/41 or north to Hwy 64.  The area north of the line you select would be designated the north zone.  Would you prefer the north zone and the central zones be separated along Hwy 10/41 or along Hwy 64? (Refer to maps above)

I prefer the zone separation line along:

Lastly, two questions to help us compare your responses to those of other duck hunters:

How old are you?

In which Wisconsin county is your primary residence?

In which zone(s) have you hunted ducks - north, south or both zones?