2/14/2007

Waterfowl season isn't over, snow goose conservation order continues until April 29

LITTLE ROCK – Duck season is over, but goose hunters have an extra three months to enjoy their sport.

Again this year, the special snow goose conservation season is open and will extend through April 29. The format is the same for all states.

Overpopulation of snow geese is destroying their breeding grounds in the far north of Canada, and their numbers need to be reduced. Hunting is the chosen method of United States and Canadian authorities.

The target is what many people call "light geese" and the term includes snow geese, blue geese and Ross's geese, Luke Naylor, waterfowl program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says. "Technically, this isn't a special hunting season, but a Conservation Order. The regulations are relaxed because it's important that hunters be allowed to harvest as many snow geese as they can," Naylor said. "There's no daily bag or possession limit on light geese during the Conservation Order, guns do not have to be plugged, electronic calls can be used and shooting hours have been extended to a half hour after sunset," he added.

The requirements for hunting are a valid hunting license, either from Arkansas or from the hunter's state of residence, and a special snow goose registration number. The hunting licenses can be either resident or non-resident. Hunters may get registration numbers, which are free, by calling the AGFC at (800) 364-4263 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Snow geese winter in Arkansas in large numbers, sometimes in flocks of several hundred or even 10,000 or more birds. Agricultural lands of east Arkansas are where most of them are found, but they may turn up in many other areas of the state, AGFC officials said.

"This is a unique situation for waterfowl hunters," Naylor said.  "For most species like mallards, Canada geese and pintails, the objective is to limit the harvest to protect the species. With snow geese, the objective is to maximize the harvest, and for exactly the same reason -- to protect the species and other species associated with Arctic tundra habitat."

Naylor said the special snow goose conservation season began several years ago and continues this year in an effort to reduce the snow goose population by half from the present levels.  Snow goose numbers have expanded more than 300 percent in the last three decades to a current population of between 4.5 and 6 million.

"Snow geese survival rates have increased in response to more favorable feeding conditions on the southern wintering grounds," Naylor explained.  "They've increased to the point that they're damaging their nesting habitat in the sub-Arctic and Arctic tundra salt marshes, posing a serious threat to the long-term health of the Arctic ecosystem and its associated wildlife communities. The Conservation Order with its relaxed harvest regulations is an attempt to reduce the population to a more healthy level by allowing hunters the opportunity to harvest more geese."