~ Interesting as I just counted ( from the water) over a hundred whitewings
in the vicinity of Penn Cove/ Saratoga passage just last week. Just a
note... A grand total of 410 whitewing scoters were harvested from 11
counties including Island, during the 2004/ 2005 waterfowl season in state
last season. Compare this with an East coast harvest of over 25,00 birds (
from a smaller overall population ) and it is obvious that our state's
harvest of these birds is incidental. Mr Ellis... Perhaps you should spend
more time getting educated in the current studies and data on these birds
( USFW waterfowl " hunting" stamp funded studies I might add ) before
loosing credibility here and WDFW meetings with your obviously biased and
unfounded comments.

... and yes, myself and others enjoy hunting and eating mallards and scoters
alike. It is apparent that you have never had the pleasure of either.

Capt. Dave


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Ellis" <sellis at coup.wednet.edu>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 5:08 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] re White-winged Scoters


> Well, Good Captain,I never claimed hunting was responsible for the
> incredible drop in White-winged Scoters. I sure get weary of people
> putting
> words into my postings. Anyway, hunting them when there populations are
> low
> sure can't help. Okay: hunt them everywhere but Penn Cove where their
> numbers are down 95% over the last 10 years. There, that ought to satisfy
> everyone! There are plenty of nice eatable Mallards out there. Who wants
> to
> eat a clam with feathers anyway?????
> Steve Ellis
> sellis at coup.wednet.
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> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
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>