Snow Goose Production Up, Strong Fall Flight Expected;

Delta Waterfowl to Goose Hunters: ‘Get Ready’

WINNIPEG, Manitoba—Could a bumper crop of snow geese be in the offing for waterfowl hunters this year?

It was a huge production year for snow geese in the arctic

Dr. Robert “Rocky” Rockwell, a biology professor at City University of New York and one of North America’s leading authorities on snow geese, thinks so. Rockwell says the summer nesting season in the subarctic region of La Perouse Bay in northern Manitoba was “spectacular.”

“This is a huge production year,” says Rockwell, who was concerned about nesting success after last year’s dismal production. “This was the most bizarrely wet year I’ve ever seen up there. The birds nested 9 or 10 days earlier than normal, and as a result nest success was very high.”

Translation: Goose hunters are staring down the barrel of what could be a banner fall flight. “Predicting hunting can be a fool’s errand, and I never like to do it, but the upcoming season appears to be shaping up awfully well,” says Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson. “My message to goose hunters is this: get ready. The migration could be packed with young-of-the-year birds.”

Rockwell agrees. He says high nest success means lots of juveniles will be making the flight south. “We’re talking about juvenile to adult ratios of 1.5 to 1,” says Rockwell, “which means those puppies are going to be sucked right into decoy spreads. Harvest always goes up when you have a high juvenile-to-adult ratio, so I think there’s good opportunity and I think it’s going to be early, because geese are already moving south.”

Rockwell says snow and Ross’ geese are foraging heavily on berries inland from the Hudson Bay coast.  Thousands are currently south of the normal La Perouse Bay breeding range near the Broad River and are staging all the way to the Ontario/Manitoba border.

The eastern arctic is also looking good, says Dr. Jim Leafloor, a research scientist for Environment Canada who just returned from a banding program on Baffin Island.  “We’re expecting good production on Baffin, for all species, not just snows,” says Leafloor. “On South Hamption Island it’s the same deal, so the eastern arctic seems to be doing well this year.”

It’s a slightly different story in the central arctic. The migratory bird sanctuary at Karrak Lake south of Queen Maud Gulf is the breeding ground for 10 to 15 percent of the mid-continent snow goose population.

“Production of young at Karrak Lake has declined in the last four years,” says Dr. Ray Alisauskas, a research scientist with Environment Canada who’s been studying the colony since 1991. “There was later-than-average nesting due to delayed snow melt and delays in nutrient storage, stemming from reduced food availability because of very high densities of geese on subarctic feeding areas.”

It could be a banner year for snow goose hunters

While nesting productivity is down, Alisauskas says overall populations of both snow and Ross’ geese remain very high. The number of nesting geese at Karrak Lake has grown from 400,000 to more than a million in less than 10 years. A recent assessment found survival rates have not declined since 1989, even with concerted efforts to reduce the population through liberalized hunting regulations and a special spring conservation hunt.

“This harvest is showing that it’s sustainable,” says Alisauskas. “These birds are so resilient. You see video in the spring and you say, ‘Wow these birds are getting pounded quite hard,’ but when you look at the estimates of survival, they haven’t changed in the last 20 years.”

Olson says their sublime taste hasn’t changed in 20 years, either. Delta’s president isn’t a preacher, but he has become an evangelist for snow geese, which he says are among the most underrated waterfowl species for the pot. In fact, he insists they’re among the best.

“I don’t know where the propaganda started, but the myth that snow geese are inedible is just that—a myth,” he said. “I think they’re absolutely delicious—certainly not winged liver, as some have suggested— and I challenge hunters this year to prepare these succulent birds for their friends and family. They won’t be disappointed.”

For Rob Olson’s snow goose recipes, see
www.deltawaterfowl.org/hunting/recipes/archive/024-goose.php

2010/11 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Seasons

Shooting Hours: Deer and small game (except migratory birds, wild turkey, raccoon, opossum & frogs) ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset. Raccoons, opossums, and frogs may be hunted at night. The shooting hours for migratory game birds and waterfowl are ½ hour before sunrise to sunset.All content printed in RED are proposed dates and/or regulations. Hunters should continue to monitor this webpage sometime after mid-June to determine if the seasons and/or proposed changes were formally adopted.

2010/11 Small Game, Turkey, Furbearer,

^{1Season hours are ½ before sunrise until 1:00 PM. More Information for Small Game and Turkey Hunters} 

2From January 1 – April 31, 2011, fox hunting by chase during deer hunting season shall be permissible on private lands only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday if the owner of the private land has authorized such hunting to occur thereon except no chase is permitted during the October, November and December deer seasons. 

3Red foxes may be harvested with the following: longbow; crossbow; shotgun; rimfire rifle or centerfire rifle up to .25 caliber; or a muzzle-loading rifle. However during any deer firearms season, it shall be unlawful to hunt red fox with any firearm that is not also legal for deer hunting. 

4Season reopens ½ hour after sunset 

5Minimum length is 8 inches on the curvature of the top of the shell.

2010-11 Waterfowl Seasons

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset in all hunting zones

Non-toxic Shot: Required

Season Zones: Most waterfowl seasons are set based on five waterfowl hunting zones that have been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

NOTE: (1) The following hunting season dates will not be finalized until federal regulations have been adopted in late September. Be sure to check the final regulations before going hunting; and (2) You must register with HIP to hunt any of these species.

^a Youth Days are additional days for Junior Hunters only. Young hunters, 12 to 15 years of age, possessing a junior hunting license may hunt ducks, coots, mergansers, Canada geese, and brant on 2 special days in each zone. Daily bag limits for ducks are the maximum allowed during the regular duck season, and 2 per day for Canada geese. Young hunters must be accompanied by a licensed (including current HIP registration and duck stamp) adult hunter, but the adult may not shoot any birds unless the respective regular season is open. Note: A 2009-10 hunting license is needed to hunt on any Youth Day in September 2010.
^b In the special sea duck area only.

2010-11 Waterfowl Bag Limits

The daily bag limit is the maximum number of birds of each species that any person may take or possess in the field during any one day. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for all waterfowl species except snow geese. The possession limit is the maximum number of birds that any person may possess in total in the field, at home, in transit or in storage.

* The daily limit of 6 ducks includes all species of mergansers, and may include no harlequin ducks and no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be hens), 1 black duck, 3 wood ducks, 2 pintail, 2 redheads, 2 scaup, 1 canvasback, 4 scoters or 2 hooded mergansers.

** The daily limit of 7 sea ducks (scoters, eiders and long-tailed ducks – formerly called oldsquaw) is in addition to the regular duck bag in coastal waters of the Long Island Zone only. No more than 4 scoters may be included in the daily bag of sea ducks. In all other areas, sea ducks are part of the regular duck bag limit.

# Cackling geese and white-fronted geese may be taken as part of the Canada goose daily and possession limits. Snow geese and Ross’ geese may be taken as part of the snow goose limits.

2010-11 Canada Goose Seasons

Goose Hunting Area Boundary Descriptions

Shooting Hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag Limits: The daily bag limit is the maximum number of birds that any person may take or possess in the field during any one day. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit for all waterfowl species except snow geese. The possession limit is the maximum number of birds that any person may possess in total in the field, at home, in transit, or in storage. See table below for specific bag limits for each Goose Hunting Area.

Non-toxic shot: Required

Other: You must register with HIP to hunt geese.

^a These season dates will not be finalized until federal regulations have been adopted in late summer. Be sure to check the final regulations before going hunting.
^b See map (above) and boundary descriptions (below) before going afield.
^c September season in Western Long Island will be closed to allow extension of the regular season in this area only.
^d The Special Late Season is open only in a small portion (north shore) of the Central Long Island Area (see description below).
^e Cackling geese and white-fronted geese may be taken as part of the Canada goose daily and possession limits.

Special Late Canada Goose Season

DEC offers a special Late Canada Goose Hunting Season. The Late Canada Goose Hunting Area is that area of the Central Long Island Goose Hunting Area (see Regular Goose Season map) lying north of State Route 25A and west of a continuous line extending northward from State Route 25A along Randall Road (near Shoreham) to North Country Road, then east to Sound Road, then north to Long Island Sound, and then due north to the New York-Connecticut boundary.

Season Dates: February 10 – February 15

Bag Limit: 5 geese per day, 10 in possession.

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Non-toxic Shot: Required

Other: All migratory bird hunters must register with HIP.

New York State Goose Hunting Area Descriptions

For descriptions of these areas based on road boundaries, rather than Wildlife Management Units, see Road Boundary Descriptions of New York State Goose Hunting Areas

1. The Lake Champlain Goose Hunting Area is the same as the Lake Champlain Zone.
2. The Northeast Goose Hunting Area is the same as the Northeastern Waterfowl Hunting Zone. (That area north of a continuous line extending from Lake Ontario east along the north shore of the Salmon River to Interstate 81, south along Interstate Route 81 to Route 31, east along Route 31 to Route 13, north along Route 13 to Route 49, east along Route 49 to Route 365, east along Route 365 to Route 28, east along Route 28 to Route 29, east along Route 29 to Interstate Route 87, north along Interstate Route 87 to Route 9 (at Exit 20), north along Route 9 to Route 149, east along Route 149 to Route 4 north along Route 4 to the New York-Vermont boundary, exclusive of the Lake Champlain Zone.)
3. The East Central Goose Hunting Area consists of the following WMUs: 4A, 4F, 6P, 6R, 6S, 7M, and 7P. The East Central Goose Hunting Area also includes those parts of WMUs 7F and 7J lying south of Route 31 and east of Route 81.
4. The South Goose Hunting Area consists of the following WMUs: 3A, 3C, 3H, 3K, 3N, 3P, 3R, 4G, 4H, 4O, 4P, 4R, 4W, 7R, 7S, 8M, 8N, 8P, 8T, 8W, 8X, 8Y, 9A, 9C, 9F, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M, 9N, 9P, 9R, 9S, 9T, 9W, 9X, and 9Y. The South Goose Hunting Area also includes: that part of WMU 8G lying south and west of a continuous line extending along the New York State Thruway from Crittenden-Murrays Corners Road (near the Erie-Genesee County line) to Exit 48 in Batavia, then south along State Route 98 to State Route 20; that part of WMU 3G lying in Putnam County; and that part of WMU 3S lying north of Interstate Route 95.
5. The West Central Goose Hunting Area consists of the following WMUs: 7A, 7H, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8H, 8J, 8R, and 8S. The West Central Goose Hunting Area also includes: that part of WMU 6K lying west of a continuous line extending along the north shore of the Salmon River from US Route 11 to Interstate Route 81, then south along Route 81 to Route 49; those parts of WMUs 7F and 7J lying west of Interstate Route 81; and that part of WMU 8G lying north and east of a continuous line extending along the New York State Thruway from Crittenden-Murrays Corners Road (near the Erie-Genesee County line) to Exit 48 in Batavia, then south along Route 98 to Route 20.
6. The Hudson Valley Goose Hunting Area consists of the following WMUs: 3F, 3J, 3M, 4B, 4C, 4J, 4K, 4L, 4S, 4T, 4U, 4Y, 4Z, 5R, 5S, and 5T (excluding that area that is within the Lake Champlain Zone); that part of WMU 5J lying east of a continuous line extending along Interstate Route 87 from Route 29 at Saratoga Springs north to Route 9 (at Exit 20), then north along Route 9 to Route 149; and that part of WMU 3G lying in Dutchess County.
7. The Western Long Island Goose Hunting Area is that area of Westchester County and its tidal waters southeast of Interstate Route 95 and that area of Nassau and Suffolk Counties lying west of a line extending from the New York-Connecticut boundary due south to the northernmost end of the Sunken Meadow State Parkway, south along the Sunken Meadow State Parkway, the Sagtikos State Parkway, and the Robert Moses State Parkway to its southernmost end, then due south to international waters.
8. The Central Long Island Goose Hunting Area is that area of Suffolk County lying between the Western and Eastern Long Island Goose Hunting Areas, as defined above and below.
9. The Eastern Long Island Goose Hunting Area is that area of Suffolk County lying east of a continuous line extending due south from the New York-Connecticut boundary to the northernmost end of Roanoke Avenue in the Town of Riverhead, south on Roanoke Avenue (which becomes County Route 73) to State Route 25, west on Route 25 to Peconic Avenue, south on Peconic Avenue to County Route (CR) 104 (Riverleigh Avenue), south on CR 104 to CR 31 (Old Riverhead Road), south on CR 31 to Oak Street, south on Oak Street to Potunk Lane, then west on Stevens Lane, then south on Jessup Avenue (in Westhampton Beach) to Dune Road (CR 89), then due south to international waters.
10. The Special Late Canada Goose Hunting Area is that portion of the Central Long Island Goose Hunting Area lying north of State Route 25A and west of a continuous line extending northward from State Route 25A along Randall Road (near Shoreham) to North Country Road, then east to Sound Road, then north to Long Island Sound, and then due north to the New York-Connecticut boundary.

Snow Goose Season

Special Snow Goose Harvest Opportunity

Areas open: Western, Northeastern, Lake Champlain and Southeastern Waterfowl Zones
 Areas closed: Long Island Zone
Season dates: March 11 – April 15, 2011
Shooting hours: ½ hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag limits: 25 snow geese per day, no possession limit
Special measures allowed: electronic calls, unplugged shotguns (more than 3 shells)
Non-toxic shot: required
Requirements to participate: current small game hunting privileges, federal duck stamp and registration in New York’s Harvest Information Program (HIP). NO special permit is required but participants must provide harvest information if requested by DEC.

Background

Waterfowl hunters in New York will have a special opportunity to harvest snow geese in most areas of the state during spring 2011. In 2009, DEC implemented a “Conservation Order” for snow geese. A Conservation Order is a special management action authorized by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act to control certain wildlife populations when traditional management programs are unsuccessful in preventing overabundance. Federal and state regulations were amended in fall 2008 to allow this additional harvest of snow geese in response to concerns about their growing numbers across North America (see “Offsite Links” in the right-hand column).

Populations of snow geese, also referred to as “light geese” because of their white plumage, have grown to historic highs. The overabundance of light geese, which nest in far northern regions of North America, is harming their fragile arctic breeding habitat. The damage to the habitat is, in turn, harming the health of the light geese and other bird species that depend on the tundra habitat. Returning the light goose population to sustainable levels is necessary to protect this delicate habitat, and every species dependent on it. Large numbers of snow geese feeding on natural vegetation can also destroy large areas of coastal marshland during migration and winter. Serious damage to agricultural crops, such as hay, winter wheat, barley and rye, occurs on migration and wintering areas as well.

Snow Goose Population and Harvest Trends

The Atlantic Flyway population of light geese, composed mostly of “greater” snow geese, increased from approximately 50,000 birds in the mid 1960s to more than one million birds in recent years. Population estimates in May 2009 reached a record high of 1.4 million birds. Most of these birds pass through New York during spring and fall migrations and spend the winter in New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Managers concerned about the impacts of too many snow geese have recommended a population goal of 500,000 – 750,000 in the Atlantic Flyway. The only practical way to reduce the population to that level is to increase hunter harvest, which in recent years has averaged between 30,000 – 40,000 birds in the flyway, including about 5,000-10,000 in New York.

New York has had a long hunting season for snow geese for many years, but until recently, federal regulations did not allow the season to be open after March 10, when large numbers of snow geese begin migrating north from their wintering areas. From mid March to mid April, more than 100,000 snow geese may spend time in New York, fueling up for their return to the arctic breeding grounds in May. Even larger numbers of snow geese congregate along the St. Lawrence River in southern Quebec, where annual surveys have documented the dramatic growth of this population (see chart below).

Why have snow goose populations increased so dramatically? First, the availability of waste grains on agricultural fields provided a vast new food supply for these birds. Second, continuation of restrictive hunting regulations during the 1970s and 1980s allowed the population to grow while hunter harvest rates declined. These two factors resulted in a higher reproductive rate, a higher adult survival rate, and offspring that were in much better condition to survive.

International Concern

Concern about the overabundance of snow geese has been growing for years. An international “Arctic Goose Habitat Working Group” concluded in 1998 that action was needed to limit the greater snow goose population. A goal of 500,000 birds has since been established for the Atlantic Flyway. However, it took more than a decade to fully implement the recommendations of this group.

In November 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized rules establishing a Conservation Order and allowing the use of special hunting methods to increase the harvest of light geese across the country. Similar regulations have been in place in many Midwestern states and Canadian Provinces, including Quebec, since 1999. Harvest of light geese has more than doubled in those areas and the population growth rate has been reduced. Now, New York waterfowl hunters will be able to participate in this conservation effort.

Regulations for 2010

Under the new regulations, any person who has migratory game bird hunting privileges in New York, including a valid Harvest Information Program (“HIP”) confirmation number, may take snow geese and Ross’ geese (a smaller but nearly identical species) in the Western, Northeastern, Southeastern, and Lake Champlain Waterfowl Hunting Zones from March 11 through April 15, in addition to the regular snow goose hunting seasons in each zone. Areas where large numbers of snow geese occur at this time of year include the Finger Lakes region, the St. Lawrence Valley, and the upper Hudson and Champlain Valley regions. A special season was not implemented on Long Island, because relatively few snow geese occur in huntable areas there during the spring.

All migratory game bird hunting regulations and requirements apply to the taking of snow geese during this spring harvest period, except that use of recorded or electrically amplified calls or sounds is allowed and use of shotguns capable of holding more than three shells is allowed.

Hunting Snow Geese

Snow goose hunting can be one of the most challenging and rewarding types of waterfowl hunting. To help increase your chances for success, you can view or download the brochure developed by the Atlantic Flyway Council called “Successful Hunting Tactics for Greater Snow Geese” (pdf, 535 KB). We hope this is helpful and encourage you to share your hunting tips with others.

Permit and Reporting Requirements

Unlike some other states, no special permit is needed to participate in New York’s special snow goose harvest program. Harvest reporting is not mandatory, but any person who participates must provide accurate and timely information on their activity and harvest if requested by the Department. DEC plans to survey a sample of program participants to estimate hunter activity and harvest, and the extent to which the special measures helped hunters take more birds. This is necessary for continuation of the program in future years.

Results of the 2009 Spring Snow Goose Harvest Program

New York’s first year in the special snow goose harvest program was a success. We estimated that approximately 1,450 hunters participated in New York’s 2009 spring snow goose harvest program. Participants reported hunting in at least 20 counties across upstate New York, and they harvested nearly 7,700 birds (5.3/hunter). This harvest was in addition to the estimated statewide harvest of 6,800 snow geese during the 2008-09 regular season. Approximately 20% of the reported harvest was taken with the aid of electronic calls, and 10% was reported taken with the 4th, 5th or 6th shell in a gun. Although some of this harvest may have occurred without these special measures, the combined effects may have increased overall harvest by 10-20%.

Substantially higher harvests of snow geese during the spring season in New York are possible in the future. Many hunters said they were unaware that the special season was open, and many of those who did not hunt said they may next year. In addition, it seemed that snow geese migrated through New York earlier this year than they normally do. We believe this was more likely due to weather conditions than to effects of hunting pressure. If large numbers of snow geese remain in the state into April, as they often do, spring harvests may increase to several times greater than occurred in 2009. New York plans to continue to participate in and promote this special snow goose management program.