Paddling during Duck and Goose Hunting Season on South Platte River?

Thu - November 16, 2006

Paddling during Duck and Goose Hunting Season on South Platte River?

CLC Patuxent 19.5 kayak at Mitani-Tokuyasu SWA
on South Platte River, January 2001

I have been paddling South Platte River in winter and spring since January 2001. I have covered almost the entire river between Platteville and Fort Morgan including lower sections of St Vrain and Cache la Poudre.

Unfortunately, my South Platte paddling overlaps with the duck and goose hunting season. According to information from Colorado Division of Wildlife the waterfowl hunting season along the South Platte River covers the entire winter: November 3rd to February 18th.

There are some significant changes in the duck hunting seasons for this fall. In the Central Flyway or east of the Continental Divide not only are there only two splits as compared to three in recent years, but also the flyway has been divided into two zones.
The Eastern Plains Zone (east of Interstate 25) season picks up on November 3rd and ends on January 28th. The Mountain and Foothills Zone (west of I-25 to continental divide) has an initial split of September 30th to November 26th and a second season of December 22nd through January 28th. In the Pacific Flyway (west of the Continental Divide) ducks can be hunted from November 1st to January 28th.
The goose seasons in the Central Flyway run from November 25th to February 18th for dark geese, and November 4th to February 18th for light geese. In the Pacific Flyway geese can be hunted from November 1st to January 28th. There are however, a number of different goose seasons for various areas of the state.

South Platte
November'02

I have never experienced any problems with hunters during my paddling. There are numerous blinds along the South Platte. However, I see hunters mostly around State Wilderness Areas providing public access to the river. The Mitani-Tokuyasu SWA at the confluence of South Platte and the Poudre is perhaps the most popular. Picture on left shows plastic goose decoys just in that spot.

One of my very first video clip was just shot during paddling this river stretch.

I had three incidents during last five years somewhat related to waterfowl and hunting. A game warden at the Mitani-Tokuyasu SWA felt once obliged to give me a lecture on no trespassing on the river. He also had some doubts whether I had a right to launch my kayak there.

During another trip further east a farmer didn't allow me to launch a kayak on "his" river section to protect nesting of ducks and geese. Finally, one of my South Platte River pictures was published by Ducks Unlimited in the article Mile-High Geese - A Colorado goose hunting odyssey in the shadow of the Front Range. There was no single goose in my picture, just a nice foggy winter sunset on the river.

So, I am going to enjoy my winter paddling season on the South Platte. I have already started with exploration of the river above confluence with St Vrain. However, some of my fellow Colorado paddlers refuse to paddle the South Platte during the hunting season. Are their concerns justified? Am I underestimating a risk?

If you are a paddler, have you ever been shot or threaten by a waterfowl hunter?

If you are a hunter, have you ever shot or wanted to shoot a kayaker?