All hunters, regardless of age, must have a valid hunting license ($20-$62.50), a Habitat Management and Access Validation ($4), a Habitat Improvement Stamp ($5), a Migratory Bird Permit (HIP) Number ($1), Waterfowl hunters 16 years or older need a federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp $15) and free Bernardo and La Joya Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Permit (available only at Department offices or online at www.wildlife.state.nm.us/.)

Nontoxic shot is required for hunting any species with a shotgun on all open Wildlife Management Areas and State Game Commission lands. Nontoxic shot includes steel, bismuth-tin, tungsten-matrix, tungsten bronze, tungsten-iron (2 types), tungsten-nickel-iron, tungsten-iron-copper-nickel, iron-tungsten-nickel, tungsten-bronze, tungsten-tin-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-tin-bismuth, tungsten-tin-iron-nickel shot.

The daily bag limit is 6 ducks, no more than than 5 mallard (only 2 may be female, Mexican-like ducks are part of the mallard bag limit), 2 redhead, 2 wood duck, 2 scaup, 2 hooded merganser and 15 American coot. Pintail and Canvasback may not be taken until Dec. 18, 2008 – Jan. 25, 2009. The Light Goose daily bag limit is 20 and includes snow, blue-phase snow and Ross’s goose. Canada goose season opens Jan. 3-25, 2009 may only be hunted by free special goose permit only, available only at

Department offices or online at www.wildlife.state.nm.us/.

For more information contact Lance Cherry, 505-620-6883 or by email, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org.

C4C DUCK HUNT ___________________________________________

The following information is provided for Belen, Valencia County, New Mexico (longitude W106.8, latitude N34.7):

SUNRISE: 6:53 am   SUNSET: 4:57 pm 

LEGAL SHOOTING HOURS: 6:23 am – 1:00 pm

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;” - Job 12:7

The key to calling ducks is practice, practice, practice. Good callers learn to master the techniques used to make quacking sounds on a call, but great callers study real ducks in their natural environment and learn to mimic the quack. Volume, tone, rhythm and technique are critical to your success. Before you blow your first note on a call, take a field trip to the local duck pond and spend some time listening.

After you begin to identify the vast variety of sounds ducks make, you are ready to learn the basic calling techniques.

The Basic Quack ___________________________________ 

Hut, Hit, Whit, Dwit, Kwit
The basic quack, a single note, is the foundation for every other sound you will make on a duck call. There are several mental words callers use to mimic a duck quack. Hut, hit, whit, dwit, or kwit are among the most successful used.

To begin, hold the duck call in one hand and place your mouth on the call like you are drinking out of a coke bottle. Reach deep into you diaphragm and push the air through the call while saying one of the keywords. Try the various sounds until you strike the sound that most mimics what you heard on the pond.

For several weeks do nothing other than practice the single note until you have mastered the sound and have developed control over the volume and tone.

The Lonesome Hen ___________________________________
Hut, Hit, Whit, Dwit, Kwit

The lonesome hen is simple, slow three note call and is often the most effective sound in your calling arsenal. Imagine you are blowing six notes, skipping every other note. Picture yourself as the hottie hen of the duck world, seducing the big, bold drake. Each note should be slightly drawn out and have a gravel tone, but still remain crisp and clean.

This is often one of the most effective sounds a caller can make, often drawing in call-shy ducks even at a distance.

Practice.
The Greeting Call ___________________________________
Hut, Hit, Whit, Dwit, Kwit

The greeting call is a series of 5-7 clean, crisp notes in a descending, steady rhythm used when ducks are still at a distance. Never use the greeting call when you can see wing tips or tail feathers. You will likely scare the birds away and miss your opportunity for a good shot.

World Champion Caller, Buck Gardner of Buck Gardner Calls describes the rhythm as a mimic of the old nursery rhyme, “Three Blind Mice,” with a couple notes following to finish it up.

Again, practice until you have mastered the cadence and once again sound like a duck. Learn to control your volume and tone while focusing on the rhythm.

The Comeback ___________________________________
Hut, Hit, Whit, Dwit, Kwit

The comeback is basically a greeting with a sense of urgency and speed. Again focus on 5-7 notes and keep it simple. The comeback is used when the ducks simply will not respond to your greeting. I prefer to save this call for tail feathers and imagine that I am yelling, “Hey you! Over here! Comeback, comeback, comeback!” Often you will see the birds begin to turn back for a second glance. Don’t get over zealous and learn to control your excitement at this point.

Again practice. Combine your greeting practice with your comeback practice and learn to control the rhythm between and intensity between the two calls.

The Hail or Highball ___________________________________
Hut, Hit, Whit, Dwit, Kwit

The hail or highball is the screamer of the calling techniques. It should be loud and bold. It is the sound made most famous at competitions and can easily be over used. Most experts would agree that you should never use this call when ducks are within 100-200 yards.

To produce a proper hail, blow between 15-30 notes beginning with a long, loud note and tapering off in volume at the end. Make sure to keep each note crisp and clean cutting off air between each note.

Practice, practice, practice. The most common error callers make is to lose control out of the blocks and squawk the first note on the call.

The Plea ___________________________________
Hut, Hit, Whit, Dwit, Kwit

The plea is a short version of the hail, between 5-7 notes and is used to get the attention of high flying ducks. The first note is drawn out followed by shorter, crisp notes. It is a plea to draw ducks out of the sky and into your decoy spread.

Practice this call with your hail call until you master they volume, tone and rhythm.

The Feed Call  ___________________________________
kitty, kitty, kitty or chucka, chucka or ticka, ticka, ticka, or dugga, dugga, dugga

A good hunting scenario feed call can and should be simple. Remember the exercise at the pond and the tone and pace you heard live ducks make as they fed at the pond. A simple and broken up “ticka, ticka, tocka, tocka, ticka,” was realistically what you heard. Learn to mimic the pace and control your rhythm. Try the various keywords as you learn what works best for you.

If you struggle with its mastery continue to practice, but save it for another day. A feed call or lack thereof should not keep you from enjoying the hunt and enjoying the thrill of calling birds into your spread.

The Rolling Feed Call ___________________________________ 

The rolling feed call is the Cadillac of the calling techniques. It is most often heard at competitions by pros who spent countless hours into developing and working on their technique. The rolling feed call is among the most difficult to produce. It takes a ton of practice and with intention, why I left it for the end.

Much like the regular feed call, you put together the kitty, kitty, kitty or chucka, chucka or ticka, ticka, ticka, or dugga, dugga, dugga to produce the sound. The difference here is speed. With practice you will be able to produce the sounds in a machine gun fashion, creating the illusion that your sound is rolling. Make sure to not allow your tongue to roll like you are pronouncing an “r” in Spanish. Listen to the pros and stick with it. In time you will be capable of producing the sound at will.

Lastly, leave your rolling feed call technique at home when you hunt and save it for the competition.  On the stage is great for adding variety and showing your mastery of your call, but on the pond the only response you are likely to get is from other hunters who will view you as a showoff rather than a sportsman.

WAV SOUND FILES ________________________________________________________________

Sound files are copyright Ducks Unlimited – All rights reserved
 

Hail Call l Greeting Call l Feed Call l Comeback Call l Lonesome Hen

Pleading Call l Basic Quack

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;”  - Job 12:7

_______________________________________________________

Lance Cherry is a Field Staff Pro for Buck Gardner Calls. A native of New Mexico, Lance has worked several years in the outdoor industry, with New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the New Mexico State Parks Division. Lance is a founder of Crosshairs for Christ, a Christian ministry with a desire to connect and change lives by spreading Christ’s message to sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts through activity-based fellowship. For more information contact Lance Cherry, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org.

You are hunkered down in the duck blind as the sun begins to break over the horizon. A flock of birds lingers on the skyline as you begin to scream for their attention. “Hail” call, “Hail” call, “Hail” call and the flock turns in your direction. As the flock jets in your direction you welcome them with the “Greeting” call. Hello!, Hello!, you shout and follow with the chattering or “Feed” call declaring this pond scum tastes great. Suddenly, without notice the flock averts the landing and begins to peel away. “Comeback,” “Comeback” rings your call and you drop back to your “Feed” call as you bring them in for the landing. You offer a warm “Greeting” and finish them off with the “Lonesome Hen.”

These calls should be completed in this order and wrapped up as close to the 90-second time limit without going over. Judges are waterfowl experts and are placed out-of-sight in order to listen to only the sound and quality of the routine. They identify callers only by number with no knowledge of who the participant actually is. Judges will score the routine based on the richness of the tone, volume and your ability to create the illusion of a real hunt.

Learn More: www.callingducks.com

WAV SOUND FILES ________________________________________________________________

Sound files are copyright  Ducks Unlimited – All rights reserved

 Hail Call   l   Greeting Call  l   Feed Call  l   Comeback Call  l   Lonesome Hen 

Pleading Call   l   Basic Quack

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;”  - Job 12:7

_______________________________________________________

Lance Cherry, is a Buck Gardner Calls, Field Staffer. A native of New Mexico, Lance has worked several years in the outdoor industry, with New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the New Mexico State Parks Division. Lance is a founder of Crosshairs for Christ, a Christian ministry with a desire to connect and change lives by spreading Christ’s message to sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts through activity-based fellowship. For more information contact Lance Cherry, lance@crosshairsforchrist.org.

Q&A Distributed By David E. Sharp

Central Flyway Representative

Division of Migratory Bird Management

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Do we have avian flu in New Mexico?

We do not have any avian flu in New Mexico.

Do we have avian flu in the United States?

We do not have any avian flu in the United States.

How would avian flu get here?

The United States might be exposed to avian flu through migratory birds that travel over Alaska into the continental US or through infected poultry that is smuggled into the country.

What’s being done to monitor?

US Customs and US Fish and Wildlife patrol for efforts to smuggle poultry into the country. Migratory birds are already being tested in Alaska. Starting this fall, hunters who kill certain migratory birds in NM will be required to have the birds tested at hunter check stations.

What if I find a dead or sick bird?

Avian Flu will likely sicken or kill large numbers of birds, not just one or two. However, if you are concerned, please call the following numbers:

For wild birds:

NM Department of Game and Fish, www.wildlife.state.nm.us, 505-476-8000

USDA Wildlife Services, www.aphis.usda.gov/ws, 1-866-4-USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297)

For domestic birds:

NM Livestock Board, www.newmexicolivestockboard.com, 505-841-6161

USDA Veterinary Services, www.aphis.usda.gov/vs, 1-866-536-7593

What are the potential routes for a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza to arrive in North America?

Migratory birds usually travel thousands of miles over the same routes in their annual migrations. In the Northern Hemisphere, birds begin moving south during August and September of each year. North American migratory birds that spend the winter in Asia may come into contact with potentially infected domestic or wild birds during the winter months.

In spring, migratory birds will migrate north to their breeding grounds in eastern Russia, Alaska, and Canada. Migratory birds infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 returning from Asia could potentially interact with other North American wild birds as they commingle on the breeding grounds.

Has the HPAI H5N1 virus been detected in the United States?

The HPAI H5N1 virus has not yet been detected in the United States in either wild or domestic birds. Should the HPAI H5N1 virus be detected in the United States, it does not mean the start of a human pandemic.

What is the Service’s role in granting permits for research and control activities and in sampling for the virus?

The Service supports state surveillance efforts by ensuring that state wildlife agencies have authority under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to collect and sample any species of migratory bird.

The Service will be issuing to each state and territorial fish and wildlife agency director a scientific collection permit that will give them the authority to collect and sample wild migratory birds for avian influenza virus.

What if a wild bird infected with HPAI is found on a National Wildlife Refuge?

How we respond will be determined by the facts of the particular situation. Should it be necessary, refuge managers have the authority to close all or part of a refuge when public health and safety is at risk. As with any disease affecting wild birds, the Service and State Fish and Wildlife Agencies will closely monitor the situation with other partners such as the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the agricultural health community and the public health community.

Should wild birds be culled if they are infected with HPAI?

Neither the World Health Organization, the OIE (international animal health organization) nor wildlife professionals recommend killing wild birds as a viable strategy to stamp out or contain the spread of HPAI. Attempts to shoot or trap wild birds may disperse flocks and spread the virus to new areas.

Who has the responsibility to close migratory bird hunting seasons?

The Fish and Wildlife Service and State fish and wildlife agencies have the legal authority to close the migratory bird hunting season to protect public health in their jurisdictions. Based on what we currently know about the disease, we do not anticipate closing the upcoming waterfowl season.

Should hunters be concerned about avian influenza?

There are no confirmed cases of wild birds transmitting avian influenza to people.

There is currently no indication that waterfowl or other wild birds hunted in the United States carry HPAI H5N1.

While experts believe the risk to hunters is currently low, scientists cannot guarantee that there is no risk. It is always wise to practice good hygiene when handling or cleaning any wild game.

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center, www.nwhc.usgs.gov/publications/wildlife_health_bulletins/WHB_05_03.jsp,  has issued guidance to follow routine precautions when handling wild birds The Center recommends that people handling wild birds:

Do not handle birds that are obviously sick or birds found dead.

• Wear rubber or disposable latex gloves while handling and cleaning game, wash hands with soap and water (or with alcohol-based hand products if the hands are not visibly soiled), and thoroughly clean knives, equipment and surfaces that come in contact with game.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling or cleaning birds.
• Cook all game meat thoroughly (155 to 165 degrees) to kill disease organisms and parasites.

Is it safe to feed and/or observe wild birds?

At this time there is no reason to believe that backyard birds are a threat to public health. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has not been detected in North America.

As with handling wild birds, the risk of humans contracting avian influenza from feeding wild birds or visiting wetlands is very low. As a general rule, people should observe wildlife, including wild birds, from a distance. This protects people from possible exposure to diseases and minimizes disturbance to the animal.

As always, common-sense safety and hygiene practices are a good idea when bird watching or handling wild bird feeders or equipment.

As a general rule, the public should observe wildlife—including wild birds—from a distance. This protects you from possible exposure to viruses and minimizes disturbance to the animal.

Avoid touching wildlife. If there is contact with wildlife do not rub eyes, eat, drink, or smoke before washing hands with soap and water.

Use disposable or washable gloves when cleaning or handling backyard feeders, bird baths or other equipment. Wash hands thoroughly after handling.

Contact your state, county, tribal or local natural resource agency if a sick or dead animal is found.

To dispose of a dead bird, pick up the bird with an inverted bag or disposable glove, place the bird in another bag, and dispose of it in the trash. Wash hands with soap and water. Trash receptacles should be secured so that children, pets, wild animals do not have access to them.

Thoroughly washing hands with soap and water (or with alcohol-based hand products if the hands are not visibly soiled) is an effective method for inactivating influenza viruses, including HPAI.

Flu viruses are also inactivated with many common disinfectants such as detergents, 10 percent household bleach, alcohol or other commercial disinfectants. While the virus is more difficult to inactivate in organic material such as feces or soil, exposure to heat, direct sunlight and drying kill many types of bird diseases.

Stay informed of the changing status of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza and the risk it poses to people. If the disease is detected in North America stay informed of geographic areas where it has been detected and public health recommendations available at pandemicflu.gov.

For additional information on avian influenza pathology, safety guidelines, and efforts to monitor wild birds, visit the following Web sites:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC),

Avian Influenza Site, www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/avian_influenza/index.jsp

Homeland Security Council’s National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi.pdf

USDA APHIS Avian Influenza Site: Biosecurity for the Birds, www.usda.gov/birdflu

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