Fall signals the start of another season

A couple of different activities are happening which provide a clear demarcation between the summer and fall seasons, besides the weather and the state fair.

The first involves the arrival of the fall season — today is opening day of the Alaska waterfowl season.

Waterfowl hunters here in the valley tend to congregate in two or three main areas with some limited hunting activity in a couple of other, harder to reach, locations. The Palmer Hay Flats and Goose Bay State Wildlife Refuges are the two most popular locations for waterfowlers. These two locations also tend to receive the greatest enforcement efforts by both state and federal enforcement officials.

Yes, I said federal enforcement officials. If you didn’t know, all waterfowl species (ducks, geese, brant, cranes, swans, and others) are protected under international treaties with Canada and Mexico. That gives the feds jurisdiction and the last word in waterfowl hunting oversight. Each year, the feds establish a framework within which the states are allowed to set their own season lengths, daily bag and possession limits, and the species which can be hunted. Alaska has one of the earlier season openings nationwide.

A few other spots which receive some hunting pressure are the Susitna Flats State Game Refuge, the Susitna Flats area between the mouths of the Little Susitna and Susitna Rivers, and over in the Jim Creek/Jim Lake area. The “secret” spots a few lucky duck hunters have discovered which provide good shooting and little hunting pressure will likely be taken to their grave. However, to be honest, there really aren’t very many truly secret hunting spots anymore. The hunting pressure is just too great. Somebody else looking to escape the crowds will eventually find that hideaway location.

Access to both Palmer Hay Flats and Goose Bay is no more complicated than driving to the site and walking out into the open hunting areas. Access into the Flats requires either a boat or plane. A boat is necessary to access the areas within the Su Flats Refuge where the ducks frequent. I’ve never hunted over in the Jim Creek area, but my understanding is that the better areas require a canoe or some other method of crossing water to get to the preferred locations.

If you go waterfowl hunting, here are a few things to remember to avoid a citation. In addition to your hunting license, you’ll need both a state and a federal waterfowl stamp. Both stamps must be signed across their face with your name, in ink, or you can be cited.

Lead shot is prohibited for any waterfowl hunting. Merely having a lead shotshell left over from your last ptarmigan hunt in your possession can earn you a ticket.

It’s also a good idea to be able to identify the various species of ducks and geese because some species are restricted to only one or two birds per day, even though the full bag limit might be seven or eight birds per day. Get a current copy of the waterfowl regulations, which are a separate publication from the general hunting regulations, and read them before you go.

The other activity marks the end of another summer fishing season. Winterizing your boat can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. Outboard-powered boats will require a different type of winterization than an inboard-powered unit. There are different procedures for a four-stroke outboard verses a two-stroke engine. You should consult your owner’s manual, ask a knowledgeable friend, or take the boat to a professional marine service facility and let them do the work.

Several years ago, I wrote some columns about what to do for a two-stroke outboard, because that was what I had on my riverboat. Since then, I have upgraded to a larger inboard-powered riverboat. My friend, Ron, a professional marine service dealer, showed me how to winterize this inboard engine and I have done my own work for the past three years.

Basically, all that is involved is flushing the sand and silt out of the manifolds, draining and cleaning the sand trap, opening up the heat exchanger, filling the manifolds with RV antifreeze, and draining all the water out of the unit. Ron usually changes the oil and filter and fuel filter at the beginning of the season, rather than the end. Some grease to the main bearing on the drive unit and pulling the batteries, if you want, and that’s about it.

If you want to be more thorough, now would be a good time to clean/replace your air filter, clean the bilge and the whole boat for that matter, and perhaps have the engine tuned up. Don’t forget to add some fuel stabilizer to the gas tank and give the trailer a once-over too. Check tire pressures, grease wheel bearings, tighten loose nuts, check the lighting, and make sure your tags are up to date for your first trip out next spring.

Putting you boat away in good shape will make for an easier start next fishing season. You will save money over time by having a boat that is well maintained too!

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by e-mailing sports@frontiersman.com.