Birders--
        The Ohio Division of Wildlife is quite unlikely to engage in this
conversation, but I draw birders' attention to the law in
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/1531 , where Ohio hunters may take "duck" of
any species in legal seasons in permitted ways. We may deplore shooting
of the rarer ducks we enjoy observing, but as far as I can tell an Ohio
hunter may kill any unusual species beyond the few Federally-protected
ones they are very unlikely to find in Ohio. I don't think Ohio protects
any duck species beyond those the Feds prohibit. A few of the rarer
ducks shot on Lake Erie recently may have been publicly reported by
birders and become targets as a result. But it's a big lake, and by
definition such sightings are rare, though that doesn't make them
negligible. Maybe birders who are concerned about the legal collection
of rare duck species should keep sightings to themselves, but should
also document their sightings by sending details later to record-keepers
such as the Ohio Cardinal. The cost of protecting unusual ducks could be
deferring the news of their occurrence. So if you see a Labrador Duck,
take a *lot* of photos and write it up extensively, but keep it to
yourself until after it's gone!
Bill Whan
Columbus

On 12/3/2015 5:35 PM, jen brumfield wrote:
> Greetings. Kathy's statement is, unfortunately, spot on. ***While the
> vast majority of lakefront duck hunters are stand-up and respectful
> and avid nature enthusiasts***, there are several very concerning
> folks that are shockingly poor peas in the pod. Repeatedly, over the
> years, unfortunate "takes" have occurred, several of which have been
> illegal or within the realms of very, very poor form. The Ohio birds
> listserve has, unfortunately, been THE informational route to at
> least four "trophy" takes of exceptionally rare species (Harlequin
> Duck in two instances, often referred to as "blue duck"), and an
> informational route that enabled a legal but very excessive take of
> birds in a known staging area. While those situations are infuriating
> and nearly impossible to solely solve, you can play a part by
> reporting any questionable or illegal behavior witnessed in the
> field. Or, in this case, by calling for a moratorium on posting
> exceptionally rare duck sightings, to this list, during Lake Erie
> hunting season.
>
> JB CLE, OH
>
>
> On Dec 3, 2015, at 1:30 PM, "Kathi Hutton" <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> It might be well to remember that hunters monitor this list for
>> trophy ducks. I believe it was a Harlequin Duck that was shot and
>> killed some years ago by a hunter who discovered it via a post
>> here.
>>
>> I'm wondering - perhaps those sorts of sightings shouldn't posted
>> on an open forum.
>>
>> Just a thought, Kathi Hutton
>>
>> Sent from iVan II, my iPhone
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