1.
There are some baby ducks (or geese) in my yard and I think the mother
has abandoned them. What should I do?
Chances are that the
hen has not abandoned the ducklings, but has been momentarily frightened
away or has left the brood in an effort to distract a potential predator
(such as a dog or cat) away from the ducklings. She will very likely
return to gather up the ducklings after the area has been free of disturbance
for a while. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CATCH THE DUCKLINGS. Your actions
may cause them to become more widely scattered, making it difficult for
the hen to gather them. If you do capture some of them, the hen may
assume that they are gone (dead) when she returns and they don’t respond
to her brooding calls. She will then leave with the remaining members
of the brood, even if it is only 1 duckling, because she has a very strong
urge to get the brood to the safety of water. Handling migratory
birds also requires a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; therefore,
if you round-up and confine these ducklings you will be subject to prosecution
and fines.
2.
How can I get plans for wood duck boxes and other nest structures for ducks
or geese?
You can obtain plans
for constructing Wood duck nest boxes as well as nesting structures for
other species of waterfowl by clicking on this link to Nesting
Structures for Ducks and Geese at a site maintained by the USGS-Northern
Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
3.
What are the season dates, bag limits and shooting hours for duck and goose
seasons?
For waterfowl hunting
season dates and bag limits Click
here
4.
What is the boundary between the north and south waterfowl zones?
The Duck Zone boundary beginning at the Nebraska-Iowa border: is State Highway 175,
east to State Highway 37, southeast to State Highway 183, northeast to State
Highway 141, east to U.S. Highway 30, and along U.S. Highway 30 to the
Iowa-Illinois border.
The Goose Zone boundary is U.S. Highway 20.
5.
Where are the areas that are closed to Canada goose hunting and how large
are they?
The size of Canada goose
refuges varies by area. Maps of areas closed to the taking of Canada
geese are available in PDF format by following this link. Click
here.
6.
How long will the area that is closed to Canada goose hunting have to remain
closed?
Some part of the area
that is presently closed to Canada goose hunting will very likely have
to remain closed because Canada goose biology and behavior makes them susceptible
to over harvest given current hunting pressure. All Canada goose
closed areas are eventually reduced from their original size. Some
closed areas have been reduced to less than 40 square miles in size.
Protection from over harvest, however, is critical to sustaining Canada
goose populations and providing long-term recreational opportunities.
For additional information regarding Iowa's Canada goose management Click
here.
7.
What public hunting areas have waterfowl refuges on them?
To see which Iowa wildlife
management areas contain waterfowl refuge areas Click
here(Law Enforcement Bureau page).
Also see areas closed to Canada goose hunting above.
8.
Who sets the waterfowl hunting regulations in Iowa?
The process of setting
the waterfowl hunting regulations is complex and involves the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service as well as Iowa DNR staff and the Natural Resources
Commission. To get more information about the "Process of Setting
Waterfowl Hunting Regulations in Iowa" Click
here.
Back to
Top |
