# 2021 Zone 3 split date



## grassmaster (Jan 10, 2009)

Forget this measly 2 day thing some people call a split, give us a real front load split like almost all the other states get, deer season conflict should be minimal now since gun season never seems to shut down anymore anyway.
If the DNR wants to kill deer in November?, tell duck hunters they cant hunt hunt Nov 15th- Nov 21.


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## propbuster (Mar 4, 2004)

I like Dec 18 & 19.


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## walleyewizard (Dec 31, 2009)

January 1-2 please


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## Fall Flight Punisher (Aug 14, 2008)

Hopefully someone will remember..... I think we had a late split that allowed 4 days? Does anyone remember the year? Also we had a season that had a duel split. It was open and then closed for 14 days and then reopened. I personally thought that made great sense. If somebody remembers these date, post up. I am sure I not going crazy.


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## Zeboy (Oct 4, 2002)

18- 19


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## Wallis (Nov 10, 2015)

1/1/22-1/2/22
Black eyed peas, hog jowl, and shooting ducks. I usually do that in AR, it’s a good way to bring in the new year.


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## LoBrass (Oct 16, 2007)

11-7 right now in favor of 1/1 &1/2.

Look dudes, there will not be an extension of the 2 day late split. None of the data support extending anything beyond a couple days.

Keep them comments coming waterfowlers...great feedback thus far.


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

Jan 1,2.


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## Goinpostal83 (Nov 12, 2020)

1st and 2nd. Ice is your friend


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## grassmaster (Jan 10, 2009)

_never 4 days, along time ago we had a bluebill late season if you can wrap your head around that one._


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## LoBrass (Oct 16, 2007)

FYI, I represent Waterfowl USA and will vote according to my constituencies wishes.

I just felt like this topic needed a little publicity as it is about the only issue that CWAC will be discussing that needs a vote. Seasons are about set already with very little flexibility. 

Pretty straight forward meeting actually.


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## fishdip (Dec 29, 2010)

Let me know when its decided,I'll go shoot some birds.


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## Urriah (Jul 26, 2013)

grassmaster said:


> _never 4 days, along time ago we had a bluebill late season if you can wrap your head around that one._


There was actually a 4 day split just a few years back...2015 or so?


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## Rockydawg (Dec 8, 2019)

LoBrass said:


> FYI, I represent Waterfowl USA and will vote according to my constituencies wishes.
> 
> I just felt like this topic needed a little publicity as it is about the only issue that CWAC will be discussing that needs a vote. Seasons are about set already with very little flexibility.
> 
> Pretty straight forward meeting actually.


I asked this same question on the Muskegon wastewater Facebook page today as well. About 2/3rds wanted January 1/2 opposed to Dec 18/19. I assume since the Todd farm numbers on mallards go up the more frozen the surrounding area is, the majority there would prefer later dates for the split as well.


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## Fall Flight Punisher (Aug 14, 2008)

Urriah said:


> There was actually a 4 day split just a few years back...2015 or so?


I have been looking for old season dates. I was thinking the 4 day split was the early 2000’s like 03/04


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## Fowl Play (Nov 30, 2014)

Dec 26/27 is my preference. Definitely no to Dec 18/19.


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## notime (Nov 11, 2011)

Jan 1/2


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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

Urriah said:


> There was actually a 4 day split just a few years back...2015 or so?


I don’t remember this. Maybe someone could elaborate. I remember the 45 day/ 3 bird years, when the split was 4 days at Thanksgiving.


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## birdshooter (Jan 7, 2006)

1-2


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## hoody25 (Jun 9, 2007)

January 1 2

Sent from my SM-G950U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## LoBrass (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks everyone. 

Meeting is at 9am.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

From what I gather the other groups are onboard with a 1/1-1/2 late season as well.


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## Broadbill (Jan 3, 2016)

1/1 1/2


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## Urriah (Jul 26, 2013)

Fall Flight Punisher said:


> I have been looking for old season dates. I was thinking the 4 day split was the early 2000’s like 03/04


I'll have to do some digging, but I thought it was within the last 10 years anyways.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Urriah said:


> I'll have to do some digging, but I thought it was within the last 10 years anyways.


Yes. I believe so as well.


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## Rockydawg (Dec 8, 2019)

I have almost every digest from 2000-2014. Here are the late split dates. I'll try to look up archives to see if I can find further back. 

2001 Jan 6/7
2002 Jan 5/6
2003 Jan 4/5
2004 Jan 3/4
2005 Jan 1/2
2006 dec 31/Jan 1
2007 Dec 31/Jan 1 
2008 Jan 5/6
2009 Jan 3/4 
2010 Jan 2/3
2011 Jan 2/3 
2014 Dec 26/27


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## Urriah (Jul 26, 2013)

It was 2012. 56 days starting on Oct 6 and ending November 30 in zone 3, then 4 days Dec. 29-Jan 1


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## SnowJunkie (Oct 31, 2013)

Urriah said:


> It was 2012. 56 days starting on Oct 6 and ending November 30 in zone 3, then 4 days Dec. 29-Jan 1


Can confirm, 4 day split was 2012/2013 season for sure


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## Fall Flight Punisher (Aug 14, 2008)

Urriah said:


> It was 2012. 56 days starting on Oct 6 and ending November 30 in zone 3, then 4 days Dec. 29-Jan 1


nice work! I thought there was a four day split. I also thought it was way earlier. Thanks you. Now.. I am pretty sure there was an odd ball split at the beginning of a season. Not changing subject here, LOWBRASS really appreciate your work. January dates are my preference.


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## Fall Flight Punisher (Aug 14, 2008)

Rockydawg said:


> I have almost every digest from 2000-2014. Here are the late split dates. I'll try to look up archives to see if I can find further back.
> 
> 2001 Jan 6/7
> 2002 Jan 5/6
> ...


In those digests, was there a front loaded split for zones. Thanks


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

Goinpostal83 said:


> 1st and 2nd. Ice is your friend


 Here’s my observation on ice being your friend . Inside Lake Erie metro park had non hunt able open water with a large population Of birds (mallard and geese) at the end of regular season .Due to pressure at the PMSG area and lake erie .also a lot of mallards in every retention ponds around apartment complex, subdivision, shopping centers and parking lots Lake Erie had very few divers trading. 
Then just about the time of the split it started to freeze up and the small ponds and marshes iced over . Lake Erie started to boil with geese mallards and divers . After the split we took a warm up and the small inland areas opened up and filled back up with birds even the Canard in Canada started getting ducky with roosting birds . This observation was from driving to Lake Erie metro park every morning for two weeks prior to the split . before day light till about 9/10am and evenings sitting on east river road on Grosse ile (retirement has its good points ) . So I’m a huge fan of ice being my friend . Just wish the regular season dates were 
pushed back . I’ll take cold and birds as a posed to blue Bird and monarch days with no hunt able birds . So I’m in for the 1st and 2nd or later . I’ve always said I’d rather loose days due to mother
Nature freezing me out but had great hunts just prior to the ice lock than to sit and shoot one bird at first light and then see nothing all day .


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## Canvsbk (Jan 13, 2013)

Jan 1 or later


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

CWAC approved 1/1-1/2. Thank God.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Rockydawg said:


> I have almost every digest from 2000-2014. Here are the late split dates. I'll try to look up archives to see if I can find further back.
> 
> 2001 Jan 6/7
> 2002 Jan 5/6
> ...


Yup! The split was always great in January. Then we started moving into December for some damn reason. 

just like late goose. January was always the best. Suddenly people want feb days??? Makes no sense.


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## LoBrass (Oct 16, 2007)

Kinda how I thought it would go.

Good meeting and I feel we made some quality improvements to the goose season. More spread out than previously without pulling days from September.

Good meeting.


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## grassmaster (Jan 10, 2009)

Being an outfitter in Michigan for almost 30 years, that 2 day split was one of our busiest weekends.
My 2 sons would help me out as well as some really good callers from the eastside and some local guys who really didn't need to even call, there spots were so good.
you would have to show me the rule book to convince me there was ever a 4 day.
I vividly remember dragging decoys out on toboggans with a bad hangover and absolutely crushing Canadas and ducks in the same fields. best hangover cure ever!


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## grassmaster (Jan 10, 2009)

If you want to lower the number of local giant resident geese which is what the late season was all about then the best way is shoot the nesting pairs is in February.
watch how many doubles you kill this year.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

LoBrass said:


> Kinda how I thought it would go.
> 
> Good meeting and I feel we made some quality improvements to the goose season. More spread out than previously without pulling days from September.
> 
> Good meeting.


I followed the entire Meeting. I was the one who mentioned to you guys that the middle zone needs to have the BB limits the same as the south zone now that the Saginaw Bay is in the middle zone. 

Boy, hammering out the late split for goose sure was a chore. Haha


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## Fall Flight Punisher (Aug 14, 2008)

Craig. 
Can you elaborate on some of the changes. I was unable to view the meeting. Thank you sir.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

There really isn’t any changed per say. As you know saginaw bay is now in the middle zone. Still the same ol weird BB limit. 

They were trying to cut the teal season by a few days for some stupid reason. The excuse was “pressure”. Which is pretty stupid considering that people would still be goose hunting during the time. So luckily they came to their senses and kept teal season the same 9/1-9/16. 

youth/veterans hunt is there weekend of 9/18. 

Goose season is now 5/day for 107 days. North and middle zone chose to run it straight 9/1-12/16. 

South zone after lots of back and forth settles on a goose season that will be 

9/1-9/30. 10/9-12/5. 1/1-1/9. 2/5-2/14. So yeah. Other than that nothing has changed based on what I remember.


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## LoBrass (Oct 16, 2007)

First off, CWAC just worked out our recommendations. The NRC ultimately decides the seasons and they also take into consideration the DNR Waterfowl Workgroups recommendations which, BTW, are different this year because we strayed from their original recommendations. 
Usually CWAC sends a recommendation mirroring the Waterfowl Workgroup's recommendation. The DNR Waterfowl Workgroup can alter their final recommendation to meet CWAC's and I believe they will do that as our recommendation for goose was pretty good by most accounts. The important thing was we didn't pull days out of September for our goose recommendation. 
Late goose will basically be split if it flies, start Jan. 1 and run till Jan. 9th then I believe it was Feb. 5-13 (don't quote me).


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

LoBrass said:


> First off, CWAC just worked out our recommendations. The NRC ultimately decides the seasons and they also take into consideration the DNR Waterfowl Workgroups recommendations which, BTW, are different this year because we strayed from their original recommendations.
> Usually CWAC sends a recommendation mirroring the Waterfowl Workgroup's recommendation. The DNR Waterfowl Workgroup can alter their final recommendation to meet CWAC's and I believe they will do that as our recommendation for goose was pretty good by most accounts. The important thing was we didn't pull days out of September for our goose recommendation.
> Late goose will basically be split if it flies, start Jan. 1 and run till Jan. 9th then I believe it was Feb. 5-13 (don't quote me).


It seems like what’s agreed on at CWAC almost always ends up being so.


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## Fall Flight Punisher (Aug 14, 2008)

Again thanks LOBRASS and CRAIG. appreciate the rundown.


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## Rockydawg (Dec 8, 2019)

LoBrass said:


> First off, CWAC just worked out our recommendations. The NRC ultimately decides the seasons and they also take into consideration the DNR Waterfowl Workgroups recommendations which, BTW, are different this year because we strayed from their original recommendations.
> Usually CWAC sends a recommendation mirroring the Waterfowl Workgroup's recommendation. The DNR Waterfowl Workgroup can alter their final recommendation to meet CWAC's and I believe they will do that as our recommendation for goose was pretty good by most accounts. The important thing was we didn't pull days out of September for our goose recommendation.
> Late goose will basically be split if it flies, start Jan. 1 and run till Jan. 9th then I believe it was Feb. 5-13 (don't quote me).


I wish we could get more info from the waterfowl work group on some of these decisions. There was a good suggestion on the table to make the South zone split like the North and Middle zone. 2 week break and then a 2 day split. In order to vote on that, it would be nice to know how many guys would use Dec 18/19 dates as opposed to Jan 1/2. You hear a lot on the waterfowl sites (like this one) about later days, but it can be assumed that these pages represent die hard enthusiasts. What do the "regular" waterfowlers want? I spent time at boat launches on Fremont lake, Big Whitefish lake, Hardy pond and Croton pond during the split afternoons. The hunters there, basically to a man, told me they normally have no place to go as the boat launches are frozen over, but this year with warm fall weather and a delayed freeze, they got out and did well.

Same for geese. What I hear in my area is that guys are confused as to why the split isn't all January days. The geese leave this area of the state by late January. The SE and far South CWAC reps hear that the hunters want February dates. What was agreed on yesterday was a great compromise, that now sorta gives an extra opening day for late season. Dates in January for the Northern and western parts of the zone, and February dates for the SE and South guys. Same number of weekend days if I'm not mistaken. At some point, it would be nice to know if the majority of hunters are happy with this change? Did that change result in increased participation?


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## duckbuster2 (Aug 14, 2008)

craigrh13 said:


> youth/veterans hunt is there weekend of 9/18.


WHY are they still keeping these together this is just wrong!


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

duckbuster2 said:


> WHY are they still keeping these together this is just wrong!


What do you propose instead? I seen no issues with it last year. There’s restrictions on when it can be.


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## styme315 (Dec 11, 2011)

LoBrass said:


> The Zone 3 split date is in question this year.
> 
> Which option do you like?
> 
> ...


January 1-2


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

styme315 said:


> January 1-2


That’s what was agreed upon at CWAC.


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## Fishfighter (Dec 20, 2009)

duckbuster2 said:


> WHY are they still keeping these together this is just wrong!


I do not see a problem keeping these together. Would you rather split it into even more special hunt weekends before regular season?


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## Urriah (Jul 26, 2013)

duckbuster2 said:


> WHY are they still keeping these together this is just wrong!


Also bear in mind that they're both federally mandated. If you don't like one or the other you can't make it go away entirely.


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## duckbuster2 (Aug 14, 2008)

Fishfighter said:


> I do not see a problem keeping these together. Would you rather split it into even more special hunt weekends before regular season?


No I would rather see NO special seasons of any kind, add all the special seasons to the regular season for everyone.


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## duckbuster2 (Aug 14, 2008)

craigrh13 said:


> What do you propose instead? I seen no issues with it last year. There’s restrictions on when it can be.


I bet you didn't


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Im not sure who CWAC is but I believe I attended one of their meetings in Gaylord, fall 2019. There were DNR reps and about 25 big time MI duck hunters. They talked about the various seasons and what worked, what didnt, what should be tried and when they voted to agree DNR said OK. Sounded like those agreements would be good for at least 2 duck seasons, fall 2020 and 2021.

Pizza/salad was excellent.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

duckbuster2 said:


> No I would rather see NO special seasons of any kind, add all the special seasons to the regular season for everyone.


Aren’t you a real peach. How is this hurting you in anyway other than jealousy?


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## cruiseplanner1 (Aug 6, 2012)

craigrh13 said:


> I followed the entire Meeting. I was the one who mentioned to you guys that the middle zone needs to have the BB limits the same as the south zone now that the Saginaw Bay is in the middle zone.
> 
> Boy, hammering out the late split for goose sure was a chore. Haha


Oh t


craigrh13 said:


> I followed the entire Meeting. I was the one who mentioned to you guys that the middle zone needs to have the BB limits the same as the south zone now that the Saginaw Bay is in the middle zone.
> 
> Boy, hammering out the late split for goose sure was a chore. Haha


Craig, Thank you for your input yesterday during the meeting. I think that was a good change and it did not seem to bother Northern MI hunters in the middle zone. And the south goose zone change should please both east and west hunters. It better it was they who proposed it!


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## cruiseplanner1 (Aug 6, 2012)

22 Chuck said:


> Im not sure who CWAC is but I believe I attended one of their meetings in Gaylord, fall 2019. There were DNR reps and about 25 big time MI duck hunters. They talked about the various seasons and what worked, what didnt, what should be tried and when they voted to agree DNR said OK. Sounded like those agreements would be good for at least 2 duck seasons, fall 2020 and 2021.
> 
> Pizza/salad was excellent.


Chuck, the CWAC stands for Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee. We are a group of citizens that is chosen to represent either an area or organization helping the MI DNR set waterfowl regulations. Each member is to solicit ideas and preferences from their region or organization and represent them at this meeting. After we present our recommendations to the DNR at that meeting that information is then forwarded to the NRC for their final approval. I have attached a link here with more information on the group and our contact list. If any of you are interested you can also fill out an application for your area in the future and become a member. 
DNR - Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee (michigan.gov)


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## Urriah (Jul 26, 2013)

cruiseplanner1 said:


> Chuck, the CWAC stands for Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee. We are a group of citizens that is chosen to represent either an area or organization helping the MI DNR set waterfowl regulations. Each member is to solicit ideas and preferences from their region or organization and represent them at this meeting. After we present our recommendations to the DNR at that meeting that information is then forwarded to the NRC for their final approval. I have attached a link here with more information on the group and our contact list. If any of you are interested you can also fill out an application for your area in the future and become a member.
> DNR - Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee (michigan.gov)


To follow up on this, there sometimes are not many applicants for the 'at large' positions. So if you're interested and willing to commit to some pretty minor time commitments and accountability, you've got a decent shot at being selected.


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## cruiseplanner1 (Aug 6, 2012)

Urriah said:


> To follow up on this, there sometimes are not many applicants for the 'at large' positions. So if you're interested and willing to commit to some pretty minor time commitments and accountability, you've got a decent shot at being selected.


Yes and if you go to the link I posted earlier it shows each zone and the person who is currently representing it. There are [ ] tabs behind their name. The date in it is when their term ends. If there is no date they have no term limit. However the DNR can reappoint them if they wish.


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## duckbuster2 (Aug 14, 2008)

craigrh13 said:


> Aren’t you a real peach. How is this hurting you in anyway other than jealousy?


Jeaslousy you're so funny because it is ridiculous why are veterans so special they are adults just like cops and firefighters do they need a special season too.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

duckbuster2 said:


> Jeaslousy you're so funny because it is ridiculous why are veterans so special they are adults just like cops and firefighters do they need a special season too.


Why are they so special? Yup. Just what I thought.


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