Michael Price wrote:

"Regarding the hunters who shot the Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophrys--not
the world's most inconspicuous duck--if they didn't know what they were
shooting, how come they could shoot it? Thought they had to look before they
shoot."

There is no restriction on shooting a Ringed Teal (or any other 'exotic' or extra-limital duck
species) during an open waterfowl hunting season. The Washington rules for 1997 (set in
conjunction with the Pacific Flyway folks - State and Federal managers and biologists) had
restrictions on the numbers of Mallard hens, Canvasback, Redhead and Pintails that can be shot
in any one day or held in "possession". The regulations stated: "Daily limit: 7 ducks - to include
not more than 2 hen mallards, not more than 3 pintails, not more than 2 redheads, and not more
than 1 canvasback." The field possession limit was equal to 2 daily bag limits.

Outside the above-mentioned species limits, any other duck was "fair game". Black duck.
Smew. Gooseander. Marbled Teal. Ruddy Shelduck. Torrent Duck. Don't matter.

The species restrictions are instituted to provide diminished harvest rates on species that might
be hunted while allowing increased harvest rates on the more abundant species. Extra-limitals
aren't even a blip on the screen of waterfowl managers (or hunters...). Some years, if a species'
population is low and needs protection to increase, the managers will allow no harvest of that
species.

A hunter that knows a duck isn't a female mallard, a canvasback, etc. is under no legal (or
moral) obligation to pass up a shot at an otherwise legal bird. Even if the guy *had* known that it
was a Ringed Teal, there is no stricture against his "reducing the bird to his bag".

Biologically, I would guess that the chance of the "odd duck" being shot by a hunter is pretty
small. I would be surprised if a case could be made that the small amount of hunting is making
any difference in natural dispersion of extra-limitals. Any more than falcon/eagle predation
might. Besides, the liklihood that some South American Exotic Duck is here by any natural
means seems less likely than that of having the Xantus' Hummer getting here :-)

All shooting an 'exotic' appears to do is to frustrate those who might otherwise add the species to
their non-lethal "bag" (life-list).... This is not biological "conservation", it is "allocation".

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net