For the general duck season authorization conditions, each Flyway has four possible regulatory alternatives (closed, restrictive, moderate, and liberal), each with a different expected harvest level. The open season alternatives are specified as:
(a) Atlantic Flyway:
Authorization
conditions
| Alternative
|
|---|
| Restrictive
| Moderate
| Liberal
|
|---|
| Bracket dates | Oct. 1-Jan. 31 | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31 | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31.
|
| Season length (days) | 30 | 45 | 60.
|
| Daily bag limit | 3 | 6 | 6. |
(b) Mississippi Flyway:
Authorization
conditions
| Alternative
|
|---|
| Restrictive
| Moderate
| Liberal
|
|---|
| Bracket dates | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31 | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31 | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31.
|
| Season length (days) | 30 | 45 | 60.
|
| Daily bag limit | 3 | 6 | 6.
|
| Mallard restriction | 2 | 4 | 4.
|
| Mallard female restriction | 1 | 1 | 2. |
(c) Central Flyway:
| Authorization conditions
| Alternative
|
|---|
| Restrictive
| Moderate
| Liberal
|
|---|
| Bracket dates | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31 | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31 | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31.
|
| Season length (days) | 39 | 60 | 74.
|
| Daily bag limit | 3 | 6 | 6.
|
| Mallard restriction | 3 | 5 | 5.
|
| Mallard female restriction | 1 | 1 | 2. |
(d) Pacific Flyway, except Alaska:
Authorization
conditions
| Alternative
|
|---|
| Restrictive
| Moderate
| Liberal
|
|---|
| Bracket dates | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31 | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31 | Saturday nearest Sep. 24-Jan. 31.
|
| Season length (days) | 60 | 86 | 107.
|
| Daily bag limit | 4 | 7 | 7.
|
| Mallard restriction | 3 | 5 | 7.
|
| Mallard female restriction | 1 | 2 | 2. |
(e) Alaska:
Authorization
conditions
| Alternative
|
|---|
| Restrictive
| Moderate
| Liberal
|
|---|
| Bracket dates | Sep. 1-Jan. 26 | Sep. 1-Jan. 26 | Sep. 1-Jan. 26.
|
| Season length (days) | 107 | 107 | 107.
|
| Daily bag limit | 5, except Gulf Coast Zone is 6 and North Zone is 8 | 7, except Gulf Coast Zone is 8 and North Zone is 10 | 7, except Gulf Coast Zone is 8 and North Zone is 10. |
(f) Shooting and hawking hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset daily.
(g) In the Central Flyway High Plains Mallard Management Unit, the season length may be extended 12 additional days in the restrictive alternative and 23 additional days in the moderate and liberal alternatives; additional days must be on or after the Saturday nearest December 10.
(h) In the Pacific Flyway Columbia Basin Mallard Management Unit, the season length may be extended 7 additional days in the restrictive and moderate alternatives.
(i) Additional species-specific restrictions may be established in the authorization conditions.
(j) Duck season regulatory alternatives are fixed for a period of not less than 5 years.