The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Commission has set the 2010-2011 waterfowl hunting season dates and bag limits, giving coastal hunters a big boost.

    As part of a six-bird limit, hunters will be able to take two pintail daily along with no more than five mallards of which only 2 may be hens; three wood ducks; two scaup; two redheads; two pintails; one canvasback; and one “dusky” duck. 

   Dusky ducks include: mottled ducks, Mexican-like duck, black duck and their hybrids.

 “With a 9 percent jump in pintail breeding population estimates this year comes an increase in the daily bag limit to two, which should be a welcome addition for coastal waterfowlers that have been hunting under more restrictive measures for more than a decade,” TPWD reported.

    Pintail are one of the most common ducks in local marshes and prairies particularly in the last half of the season and are also one of the most sought after birds.

    The following are the approved season dates.

    Ducks

   North Zone

    All species other than “dusky ducks”:  Oct. 30 – Nov. 28, 2010 and Dec. 11, 2010 — Jan. 23, 2011; “Dusky ducks”: Nov. 4 – 28, 2010 and Dec. 11, 2010 – Jan. 23, 2011; Youth-only Season: Oct. 23-24, 2010

    South Zone

    All species other than “dusky ducks”: Oct. 30 – Nov. 28, 2010 and Dec. 11, 2010 — Jan. 23, 2011; “Dusky ducks”: Nov. 4, 2010 – Nov. 28 — Dec. 11, 2010 – Jan. 23, 2011; Youth-only Season: Oct. 23-24, 2010

    High Plains Mallard Management Unit

    All species other than “dusky ducks”: Oct. 23-24, 2010 and Oct. 29, 2010 – Jan. 23, 2011; “Dusky ducks”: Nov. 1, 2010 – Jan. 23, 2011; Youth-only Season: Oct. 16-17, 2010

     Geese

    Western Zone

    Light geese: Nov. 6, 2010 – Feb. 6, 2011, daily bag limit is 20 and no possession limit.

Dark geese: Nov. 6, 2010 – Feb. 6, 2011, daily bag limit is five in the aggregate to include no more than one white-fronted goose

    Eastern Zone

   Light geese: Oct. 30, 2010 – Jan. 23, 2011, the daily bag limit for light geese is 20 and no possession limit.

Dark geese: white-fronted geese: Oct. 30, 2010 – Jan. 9, 2011, daily bag limit is two;

    Canada geese: Oct. 30, 2010 – Jan. 23, 2011, daily bag limit is three.

    Light Goose Conservation Order

   Eastern Zone

    Jan. 24 — Mar. 27, 2011, no bag or possession limits.

   Western Zone

   Feb. 7 — Mar. 27, 2011, no bag or possession limits.