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Duck season starts Saturday on refuges in the Sac Valley
Record Searchlight staff
October 26, 2003
If you have had a chance to visit the northern Sacramento Valley this past month, the long strings of migrating ducks and geese have been an impressive site to view.
More than 145,000 geese, primarily white-fronts, and a half million ducks have arrived on the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) complex from their northern breeding grounds. The 2003 waterfowl "breeding population" surveys indicate a good year of production in the areas of greatest importance to the Pacific Flyway.
The ducks and geese will get a short respite before hunting season begins.
Opening day of duck season on the Sacramento NWR Complex was delayed two weeks because of the late rice harvest for north valley farmers. The following refuges will open on Saturday: Sacramento NWR, Delevan NWR, Colusa NWR and Sutter NWR.
Despite the shorter duck season, there will still be plenty of waterfowl-hunting opportunities on the Sacramento NWR during the upcoming season. Flood-up of the hunting areas by the opener is as follows: Sacramento NWR, 95 percent, Delevan NWR 100 percent, Colusa NWR 90-95 percent and Sutter NWR 90 percent. Hunter quotas will be set accordingly.
There are a few changes in the refuges' hunting facilities and procedures this season.
On Sacramento NWR, eight new concrete blinds have replaced the old metal blinds at sites 6, 11, 14A, 16, 39, 40, 48, and 52. With the replacement of these blinds, all 43 blind sites at Sacramento NWR now have two, two-person concrete in-ground blinds at each site. The blinds have shelves, hooks and adjustable stools.
On Delevan NWR, Blind 30D will remain in the same location as last year. There is an additional boat ramp to access Tract 34.3 from parking area C for hunters with disabilities. Currently, there are no changes or additions to the facilities at Colusa NWR. The completed construction of a new water-conveyance system at Sutter NWR will allow more efficient management of water to flood, drain and irrigate refuge lands.
Additionally, the complex is anxiously awaiting the delivery of a new aluminum-pontoon floating blind for hunters with disabilities. It will be used on Delevan in Tract 34.3, just north of parking lot C. The blind can be accessed via the reservation, lottery draw or first-come, first-served systems for hunters with disabilities. The Granite Bay Chapter of Safari Club International and the California Waterfowl Association's Disabled Sportman's Chapter made purchase of the blind possible.
Waterfowl population surveys and numbers of birds harvested on each refuge are available on Sacramento NWR's recorded telephone message at 934-7774. During the waterfowl-hunting season, this recording is updated each Monday and Thursday after 1 p.m.
For more information on the complex's hunting program, junior hunts and facilities for hunters with disabilities, visit the Web site at http://sacramentovalleyrefuges.fws.gov or call 934-2801 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
Record Searchlight staff
October 26, 2003
If you have had a chance to visit the northern Sacramento Valley this past month, the long strings of migrating ducks and geese have been an impressive site to view.
More than 145,000 geese, primarily white-fronts, and a half million ducks have arrived on the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) complex from their northern breeding grounds. The 2003 waterfowl "breeding population" surveys indicate a good year of production in the areas of greatest importance to the Pacific Flyway.
The ducks and geese will get a short respite before hunting season begins.
Opening day of duck season on the Sacramento NWR Complex was delayed two weeks because of the late rice harvest for north valley farmers. The following refuges will open on Saturday: Sacramento NWR, Delevan NWR, Colusa NWR and Sutter NWR.
Despite the shorter duck season, there will still be plenty of waterfowl-hunting opportunities on the Sacramento NWR during the upcoming season. Flood-up of the hunting areas by the opener is as follows: Sacramento NWR, 95 percent, Delevan NWR 100 percent, Colusa NWR 90-95 percent and Sutter NWR 90 percent. Hunter quotas will be set accordingly.
There are a few changes in the refuges' hunting facilities and procedures this season.
On Sacramento NWR, eight new concrete blinds have replaced the old metal blinds at sites 6, 11, 14A, 16, 39, 40, 48, and 52. With the replacement of these blinds, all 43 blind sites at Sacramento NWR now have two, two-person concrete in-ground blinds at each site. The blinds have shelves, hooks and adjustable stools.
On Delevan NWR, Blind 30D will remain in the same location as last year. There is an additional boat ramp to access Tract 34.3 from parking area C for hunters with disabilities. Currently, there are no changes or additions to the facilities at Colusa NWR. The completed construction of a new water-conveyance system at Sutter NWR will allow more efficient management of water to flood, drain and irrigate refuge lands.
Additionally, the complex is anxiously awaiting the delivery of a new aluminum-pontoon floating blind for hunters with disabilities. It will be used on Delevan in Tract 34.3, just north of parking lot C. The blind can be accessed via the reservation, lottery draw or first-come, first-served systems for hunters with disabilities. The Granite Bay Chapter of Safari Club International and the California Waterfowl Association's Disabled Sportman's Chapter made purchase of the blind possible.
Waterfowl population surveys and numbers of birds harvested on each refuge are available on Sacramento NWR's recorded telephone message at 934-7774. During the waterfowl-hunting season, this recording is updated each Monday and Thursday after 1 p.m.
For more information on the complex's hunting program, junior hunts and facilities for hunters with disabilities, visit the Web site at http://sacramentovalleyrefuges.fws.gov or call 934-2801 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
