Canada geese hunters will ? or should ? have reason to celebrate as a result of a proposed easing of hunting regulations on Canada geese this fall.
The regulation changes for the early season hunting only would allow for unplugged guns and hunting one-half hour longer (one-half hour after sunset), according to Larry Hindman, waterfowl project leader for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Allowed-for federal possibilities but nixed by Maryland would allow a limit of up to 15 birds daily instead of 8 (as currently in effect) and the use of electronic calls.
Hindman feels that few hunters approach taking eight birds per day, thus an increase to 15 would have little effect on reducing bird numbers. In this Chesapeake Bay land of tradition, electronic calls were opposed by hunters attending public meetings on the proposed regulations.
The changes are a result of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service?s realization that resident geese are an increasing problem for habitat, the environment and human issues.
“There are a number of things being considered,” said Hindman, in talking about the hunting regulations along with an easing of goose depredation orders/permits allowed for agriculture, park/golf course areas and airports. Geese in these areas cause crop damage to farmers, nuisance and economic losses for parks and are human safety issue for airports.
The Maryland shooting regulations affect only the early hunting, which this coming season is from Sept. 1-15 in the eastern hunting zone and Sept. 1-25 in the western zone.
The feds are allowing exceptions to past regulations only for the season through Sept. 15, leaving Hindman with the task of getting federal approval for the changes for the western zone season that continues through September 25. Federal approval is expected.
Since these regulations are for early season goose hunting, the changes only affect resident geese. Hindman notes that most of the Atlantic Flyway geese come into our area about Sept. 19 and have never been found prior to Sept. 10.
An article on the subject in the January 2007 Peterson?s Hunting reports that that there are 4.7 million resident geese in the US in habitat areas that can support only 2.4 million birds. In Maryland, DNR surveys by Hindman show that we have about 75,000 resident Canada geese.
“The goal is to cut it down to around 30,000,” says Hindman, noting at the same time that the new regulations will not achieve that.
The problem with any of these hunting solutions is that many resident geese have happily taken up housekeeping in busy suburban, commercial and business areas or along roads ? areas where hunting is not allowed.
Hindman notes that the rural resident goose population will take the brunt of the hit once ? or if ? the new liberal regulations are approved.
The next step? Future considerations include an extended early season from Aug. 1-31, but the earliest that can be enacted would be 2008.
C. Boyd Pfeiffer is an internationally-known sportsman and award-winning writer on fishing, hunting, and the outdoors, and is currently working on his 25th book. He can be reached at [email protected].
