Waterfowl season is drawing to a close two weeks earlier than usual in Southeast Alaska. Units 1-4 will close on December 16th.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game updated the waterfowl season this year. This season opened on September 1st. The early start worked out for Haines hunter Robert Chadwell. He worked on the Chilkat weir this summer, but wasn’t involved in the decision and isn’t speaking for the department.

“I was able to go out on opening day and get a couple mallards. And it was nice because it was two weeks before moose season, so I was able to successfully get a moose this year as well,” he said.

So Chadwell has a full freezer and his pantry is full of duck stock. He says he hunted the usual species: teal, mallard, and skates. But also more goose than he usually sees.

I didn’t get any, but maybe others did,” he confessed with a chuckle.

The season will move back again next year. Odd years, like 2019, will start September 1st and end December 16th. Even years will start September 16th and run through December 31st.

When ADF&G introduced the change, Juneau-based Management Biologist Carl Koch says the alternating seasons are a compromise. Odd years will likely be better for Northern Southeast Alaska and even years likely better for Southern Southeast Alaska.

“The folks up in Haines have been asking for an earlier season for a few years and the folks down in Ketchikan would prefer a later season. Some of that has to do with the species they want to target,” Koch said.

The idea was to open up access to early migration birds like pintail and teal in Northern zones like Haines and Skagway. Next year’s later season will allow Southern hunters to target late-migrating sea ducks.

International agreements managed by the Pacific Flyway Council limit the number of hunting days and hunting regions in each state. So the Department of Fish and Game can’t break the Southeast region up to satisfy both zones.

Back in his fully stocked kitchen, Chadwell says he’s grateful for the early open.

“Being up in the North where it freezes up early and we aren’t able to hunt anyway, it’s nice to have that extra two weeks,” he said.

Next year will be less convenient, but he says he’ll still be out hunting.