North Country hunters are invited to submit recommendations to the Northeastern Zone Waterfowl Hunter Task Force for the dates of the fall 2017 duck hunting seasons.

DEC says comments are due by Feb. 19. DEC will evaluate the task force recommendations in setting waterfowl seasons, which must comply with federal rules.

Task force members in St. Lawrence County are Tom Humberstone, 2766 CR 6, Hammond, NY 13676, phone number 315-715-1217, and Nick McNamara, 1125 Co. Rt. 14, Rensselaer Falls, NY 13680, telephone 315-276-5704, email basswoodhunting4@yahoo.com.

DEC appointed task forces are soliciting recommendations for the fall 2017 hunting seasons, including opening and closing dates, split seasons, and a special hunting weekend for junior hunters (hunters ages 12-15).

Each task force includes representatives from the New York State Conservation Council, established waterfowl hunting organizations, and individual waterfowl hunters.

The recommended season dates must be within federal guidelines established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). For fall 2017, DEC expects the USFWS to allow a 60-day duck season, split into no more than two segments per zone, opening no earlier than Sept. 23, 2017, and closing no later than Jan. 28, 2018.

In an effort to encourage input from the public, DEC developed an on-line input tool for hunters to provide opinions on waterfowl seasons. The feedback received will be summarized and shared with the task forces at their annual meetings in March. The task force uses this feedback, as well as feedback received from other sources to develop season date recommendations.

There are three ways for interested hunters to provide their opinions on future waterfowl seasons: via DEC's on-line hunter input tool, directly contacting one of the Task Force members in the hunter's zone, or send an e-mail to seasonwaterfowl@dec.ny.gov. Suggestions sent to this mailbox will be forwarded to all of the task force members in the zone.

Descriptions of New York State's waterfowl hunting zones can be found on the DEC website and are listed in the annual New York Hunting and Trapping Guide. Final waterfowl hunting season dates will be posted on DEC's website and announced in mid-summer.