Sea Duck Zone vs Offshore Zone

[DenaBoy]

maybe i'm missin something... whats the difference other than what you are allowed to shoot?

sea duck map: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/grzmap.pdf

Offshore Waterfowl map: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/grzmap.pdf

they both clearly state you must be 800 yards from the shoreline...

[Bay Bob]

maybe i'm missin something... whats the difference other than what you are allowed to shoot?

sea duck map: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/grzmap.pdf

Offshore Waterfowl map: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/grzmap.pdf

they both clearly state you must be 800 yards from the shoreline...

They are generally the same area the difference is when and what you can shoot.

You can shoot sea ducks in this area for an extended period, but you can only shoot other ducks there so long as you comply with the shorter season and bag limits.

Let me google a bit - - -

[Bay Bob]

SEA DUCKS (Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, and Eiders)

Season Dates and
Daily Bag Limit
in Sea Duck Zone
Oct. 4 - Jan. 31
5
(no more than 4 scoters)
per day


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DUCKS, COOTS, and MERGANSERS
Season Dates:
Oct. 18 - Oct. 25
Nov. 8 - Nov. 28
Dec. 16 - Jan. 24

Black Duck
Nov. 8 - Nov. 28
Dec. 16 - Jan. 24
Duck Daily Bag and Possession Limits: 6 ducks (including mergansers) per day which may include no more than: 5 long-tailed ducks, 4 scoters, 4 mallards (max. 2 hen mallards), 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 hooded mergansers, 1 pintail, 1 fulvous tree duck, 1 mottled duck, 1 black duck (during black duck season), 1 scaup per day during Oct. 18 - Oct. 25, Nov. 8 - Nov. 28, and Dec. 16 - Jan. 1; and 2 scaup per day during Jan. 2 - Jan. 24. In addition to the duck bag limit, hunters may take 15 coots per day.

No open season for canvasback and harlequin ducks.

[mikehn]

First of all, both maps you have posted are the offshore zone. Go back and look again, there is a difference between the two maps. You will notice the seaduck zone extends way back into some rivers. Of course they overlap in the main stem of the bay. Obviously, if you are in the overlap portion, you can shoot whatever happens to be legal that day. If you are set up in the seaduck zone, where it does not overlap the offshore, you are in essence in the seaduck only zone, so if a goose comes in, too bad.

[Bay Bob]

First of all, both maps you have posted are the offshore zone. Go back and look again, there is a difference between the two maps. You will notice the seaduck zone extends way back into some rivers. Of course they overlap in the main stem of the bay. Obviously, if you are in the overlap portion, you can shoot whatever happens to be legal that day. If you are set up in the seaduck zone, where it does not overlap the offshore, you are in essence in the seaduck only zone, so if a goose comes in, too bad.

That is not how I understand it, but I will check with NRP and get back to you.

BB

[Bay Bob]

O.K. here it is straight from the DNR guy- - -

"I don't see that you got an answer to your question: "im with ya ungava now what if your in a seaduck zone and a bluebill comes sailin in to the rig during open season for both seaducks and all other ducks? "

If you are in the offshore waterfowl hunting zone and the "regular" duck season is open, fire away.

The only situation where you could not do this: 1) you are in the part of the sea duck zone that does not overlap with the offshore zone; 2) the regular duck season is closed; 3) you had already filled your regular duck bag limit ... say hunting inland in the am.


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So if you are in the "offshore zone" it appears you can shoot any duck that is legal in that time frame. There are some areas that are seperate ( between offshore and sea duck) , and they should be noted.

BB