Will Poston for SPLIT REED
If you’re a serious waterfowler, you’ve heard of the Chesapeake Bay and its place in waterfowling glory. The Bay has one of the richest waterfowl traditions in the entire country, and for good reason. With attractions such as the Havre De Grace Decoy Museum, the Waterfowl Festival, and allure of miles and miles of prime waterfowl habitat, this comes as no surprise. However, this season has been different and reminiscent of past seasons’ pitfalls.
Way back in the day, waterfowling on the Chesapeake Bay was a profitable business; market hunters used big-bore guns to kill dozens of birds at a time to maximize profits. Well, as one could have guessed, this business model was not sustainable, and waterfowl populations began to crash in the early 20th century. With commercial waterfowl hunting essentially outlawed and regulatory controls placed on waterfowl hunting with the Migratory Bird Act in 1918, the Bay’s populations began to rebound. Modern agriculture caught the attention of migrating geese and brought on nearly 30 years of outstanding goose hunting in the Bay and its tributaries. With massive numbers of geese, long seasons, and a three bird limit guides were busy, leases and good hunting land were in high demand, and local economies were benefiting.
Then, due to several poor breeding seasons—and yes, overhunting—the number of breeding pairs became so concerningly low that a six-year goose hunting moratorium was instituted for the Atlantic Flyway. Goose numbers in the Atlantic Flyway rebounded, and in 2001 the moratorium was lifted. Goose hunting was once again good, really good, and migratory goose hunters in the Bay region were afforded a two bird limit for 45 days. Consequently, Chesapeake Bay communities benefitted from increased tourism.
Fast forward to this season, waterfowling on the Chesapeake Bay is a shadow of its former self. The entire Atlantic Flyway has had a tough couple of breeding seasons for mallards and Canada geese. Following these poor hatches, the Atlantic Flyway Council implemented some changes for the 2019-2020 waterfowl season: two mallards (one of which can be a hen), one goose for Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, and two geese for the rest of the flyway. Additionally, these goose seasons were shortened to 30 days. For the Chesapeake Bay and its former-glory as a top goose hunting destination, this caused immediate pushback. Especially, given the rest of the flyway has always had a higher limit for the same birds.
Well, when the 2019-2020 waterfowl season opened, the usual giddiness was lacking—for good reason. It is reasonably difficult to get excited to wake up at 4:00 AM (or earlier), drive to your blind, set up a hundred decoys, then shoot one goose. Further, for guides and outfitter operations, it is even harder for them to tell longtime clients that it would still be worth it to pay good money to shoot one goose. Also, Chesapeake Bay guides this season have to worry even more about hunting parties exceeding their limit. The old “two birds one stone” saying can mean a serious fine and/or penalty.
This shortened season is sending negative reverberations throughout the Chesapeake Bay region’s economies. Billy Quade, a longtime Eastern Shore waterfowl guide, said the shortened season would take thousands of dollars out of his pocket, tens of thousands of dollars out of outfitters’ pockets, and millions of tourism dollars from communities and local businesses. What makes all of this even harder is, through all of this, prices for hunting leases aren’t changing, putting even more strain on guides and outfitters.
Private hunters are expressing similar grievances. For example, the active MD hunting forums have been flooded with sarcastic and frustrated posts touting pictures of hunters’ one goose limits. “Smacked ‘em today. Shot my limit,” as a hunter holds one goose. As hunting participation continues to decline, season limitations like this may exacerbate the declining trend.
However, without stable waterfowl populations, it is safe to say that hunting participation would be even more affected. Either way, hunting participation and license sales directly fuel conservation efforts across the country. So, a reasonable balance must be met to secure the conservation dollars to better understand and conserve these waterfowl species and sustain tomorrow’s hunters.
The rich waterfowling tradition of the Chesapeake Bay is changing—that is for sure and not just because of this season’s regulations. Billy Quade highlighted hunting around the Chesapeake Bay has changed over the years. Obviously, the 15 percent long term average decline in Atlantic Flyway mallards doesn’t help, but Billy has noticed that unless there is really bad weather, ducks are hitting ponds before or after shooting light. Also, the sheer number of flood fields and impoundments on the Eastern Shore—with the lower numbers of mallards—has made duck hunting even more difficult.
As geese go, Billy had two big takeaways. First, changing agriculture practices in the Northeast are holding geese later into the season. Back in the day, when much of the Northeast was dairy farming, geese would arrive in mass by November. But now, with much more row crop, geese are reaching the Bay much later. Second, geese these days are much wearier and oftentimes flat out confused. Billy has witnessed geese circle and circle live birds in a field many times. That’s right, live geese circling live geese unsure whether to commit. With the ultra-realistic decoys that are readily available today, Billy thinks that these birds are constantly second-guessing themselves. One reason for these observations is the awful 2018 breeding season left mainly mature, educated birds in the migratory population.
All waterfowlers on the Chesapeake Bay can hope for is something to change. There is still good diver and sea duck hunting—and even some pretty good snow goose opportunities—but these types of waterfowling are far less accessible. In any case, the Chesapeake Bay is missing its crown jewel: Canada goose hunting. Hopefully, 2020 brings a good breeding year and better hunting. But until, the proposed regs come out later this winter and hatch reports surface, how the 2020-2021 season will look will be anyone’s guess.
If you hunt in the Chesapeake Bay region, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this season and the one goose limit; comment below or send us a DM!
A little further North but I hunt the coast of NH. This seasons mallard population and hunting opportunity was the worst ive seen it in the past 12 years of hunting here. It’s in my blood and habe two dogs well trained but for the first time in my hunting career I found myself sleeping in towards the end of the season due to lack of birds.
It definitely sounds like it’s been rough for y’all out that way- hopefully, we see a turnaround sooner than later for you guys!
I have been Waterfowling in MD for about 30 years. From what I have been seeing in the field the past 8 or so years hunters (particularly the newer ones that have been shaped by video games and the hunting media) need to b kept away from from Waterfowl/Wildlife as much as possible. The behavior displayed by these freaks with shotguns is sickening. There attitude toward wildlife is obscene. There behavior in the woods/waters is obscene. Where they learned this behavior is another subject but hunters these days are mostly white trash shooting the living h#ll out of the woids and waters. Most hunters need to r heavily regulated and kept away from any sorts wildlife. So it is good that the Birds don’t come down like they used to. Hopefully they will continue to stay away long enough for the white trash to go back to NasCar or whatever. Now I say this even though my hunting has declined by literally 80% due to lack of Waterfowl. They simply are not here. So even though I am very definitely negatively affected and sorely miss the sights and sounds of Waterfowling I realize there is good in it. Sam S.