08-26-2008, 08:14 PM
Bout time!! We are well on our way to a spring snow goose hunt in UT. Check it out. I am very excited!
Last modified: Monday, August 04, 2008
![[Image: wildlifenewshead.gif]](http://wildlife.utah.gov/news/i/wildlifenewshead.gif)
DWR proposes spring light goose hunt
DWR proposal would let you hunt light geese this spring.
Get ready, Utah goose hunters. Utah's first-ever spring light goose hunt would provide hunters with a unique opportunity. It would also help light goose populations (snow, blue and Ross' geese) and reduce damage to grain and alfalfa crops in Utah.
The DWR and Utah's Regional Advisory Councils would like to know your thoughts about the proposal.
Learn more, share your ideas
All of the DWR's waterfowl hunting proposals are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings. Once you've read the proposals, you can share your thoughts and ideas one of two ways:
RAC meetings
Five Regional Advisory Council meetings will be held across Utah. Citizens representing the RACs will take the input received at the meetings to the Utah Wildlife Board. Board members will use the input to set rules for Utah's 2008 - 2009 waterfowl hunting season.
You can participate and provide your input at any of the following meetings:
[ul][li]Southern Region
Aug. 12, 7 p.m.
Millard High School
200 W. Eagle Ave., Fillmore[/li][li]Southeastern Region
Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St., Green River[/li][li]Northeastern Region
Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m.
Uintah Interagency Fire Center
355 N. Vernal Ave., Vernal[/li][li]Central Region
Aug. 19, 6:30 p.m.
Springville Junior High Schoolbr> 165 S. 700 E., Springville[/li][li]Northern Region
Aug. 20, 6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W., Brigham City[/li][/ul]
E-mail
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail addresses for your RAC members are available at [url "http://wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/"]wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings[/url].
The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person's e-mail address. You should direct your e-mail to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.
Season dates
If approved by the Utah Wildlife Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the light goose hunt would run from Oct. 16 to Jan. 17, and from March 2 to March 10, across most of Utah.
One exception would be the North Goose Zone. In the zone, the hunt would run from Oct. 25 to Jan. 17, and Feb. 18 to March 10.
50,000 geese
"We don't see many light geese in the fall, but in the spring, more than 50,000 light geese — most of them snow and Ross' geese — stop over in Utah," says Tom Aldrich, migratory game bird coordinator for the DWR.
"In addition to providing hunters with a unique opportunity, hunting light geese in the spring would reduce the agricultural damage the geese are doing," he says. "Most of the damage is happening in Box Elder and Millard counties, where the geese are eating grain and alfalfa that's just starting to grow."
In addition to allowing light goose hunting in the early spring, the DWR is proposing an increase in the light goose bag and possession limits. Hunters could take up to 10 light geese a day. The number of light geese you could have in your possession at home would be limited to 20.
Currently, you can't take more than four light geese a day. And you can't have more than eight light geese in your possession.
Mostly private land
Very few light geese use state waterfowl management areas or federal refuges in Utah. Some light geese do visit the Salt Creek, Public Shooting Grounds and Clear Lake waterfowl management areas in the spring, and those areas would be open to light goose hunting in February and March.
The remaining waterfowl management areas in Utah — Brown's Park, Desert Lake, Farmington Bay, Harold Crane, Howard Slough, Locomotive Springs and Ogden Bay — would be closed to light goose hunting in February and March.
It's likely that the three federal refuges in Utah — Bear River, Fish Springs and Ouray — would also be closed to light goose hunting in February and March.
"Most of the light geese are on the private land where the agricultural damage is occurring," Aldrich says. "That's where they feed and rest.
"We have a Walk-In Access program in northern Utah that provides hunters access to private land. We'll continue to work with landowners in Box Elder County to see if we can get more of them enrolled in the program. If we can, that will allow hunters access to their lands," Aldrich says.
Helping the geese
In addition to helping Utah's farmers, the light goose hunt would also help the geese.
In the central part of North America, light goose populations have gotten so large that they're damaging the areas in Canada where they nest and raise their young.
"The population in the western part of North America hasn't become overabundant yet, but it's growing," Aldrich says. "In December 2007, for example, the population exceeded 1 million birds.
"We want to help stabilize the population before it becomes overabundant. Once the geese become overabundant, it's hard to bring them back."
Wouldn't affect Canada goose season
Aldrich says the dark goose season in Utah would not be affected by the light goose season extensions. "The dark goose season dates would remain the same," he says.
For more information about the meetings, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.
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Last modified: Monday, August 04, 2008
DWR proposes spring light goose hunt
DWR proposal would let you hunt light geese this spring.
Get ready, Utah goose hunters. Utah's first-ever spring light goose hunt would provide hunters with a unique opportunity. It would also help light goose populations (snow, blue and Ross' geese) and reduce damage to grain and alfalfa crops in Utah.
The DWR and Utah's Regional Advisory Councils would like to know your thoughts about the proposal.
Learn more, share your ideas
All of the DWR's waterfowl hunting proposals are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings. Once you've read the proposals, you can share your thoughts and ideas one of two ways:
RAC meetings
Five Regional Advisory Council meetings will be held across Utah. Citizens representing the RACs will take the input received at the meetings to the Utah Wildlife Board. Board members will use the input to set rules for Utah's 2008 - 2009 waterfowl hunting season.
You can participate and provide your input at any of the following meetings:
[ul][li]Southern Region
Aug. 12, 7 p.m.
Millard High School
200 W. Eagle Ave., Fillmore[/li][li]Southeastern Region
Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St., Green River[/li][li]Northeastern Region
Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m.
Uintah Interagency Fire Center
355 N. Vernal Ave., Vernal[/li][li]Central Region
Aug. 19, 6:30 p.m.
Springville Junior High Schoolbr> 165 S. 700 E., Springville[/li][li]Northern Region
Aug. 20, 6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W., Brigham City[/li][/ul]
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail addresses for your RAC members are available at [url "http://wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/"]wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings[/url].
The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person's e-mail address. You should direct your e-mail to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.
Season dates
If approved by the Utah Wildlife Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the light goose hunt would run from Oct. 16 to Jan. 17, and from March 2 to March 10, across most of Utah.
One exception would be the North Goose Zone. In the zone, the hunt would run from Oct. 25 to Jan. 17, and Feb. 18 to March 10.
50,000 geese
"We don't see many light geese in the fall, but in the spring, more than 50,000 light geese — most of them snow and Ross' geese — stop over in Utah," says Tom Aldrich, migratory game bird coordinator for the DWR.
"In addition to providing hunters with a unique opportunity, hunting light geese in the spring would reduce the agricultural damage the geese are doing," he says. "Most of the damage is happening in Box Elder and Millard counties, where the geese are eating grain and alfalfa that's just starting to grow."
In addition to allowing light goose hunting in the early spring, the DWR is proposing an increase in the light goose bag and possession limits. Hunters could take up to 10 light geese a day. The number of light geese you could have in your possession at home would be limited to 20.
Currently, you can't take more than four light geese a day. And you can't have more than eight light geese in your possession.
Mostly private land
Very few light geese use state waterfowl management areas or federal refuges in Utah. Some light geese do visit the Salt Creek, Public Shooting Grounds and Clear Lake waterfowl management areas in the spring, and those areas would be open to light goose hunting in February and March.
The remaining waterfowl management areas in Utah — Brown's Park, Desert Lake, Farmington Bay, Harold Crane, Howard Slough, Locomotive Springs and Ogden Bay — would be closed to light goose hunting in February and March.
It's likely that the three federal refuges in Utah — Bear River, Fish Springs and Ouray — would also be closed to light goose hunting in February and March.
"Most of the light geese are on the private land where the agricultural damage is occurring," Aldrich says. "That's where they feed and rest.
"We have a Walk-In Access program in northern Utah that provides hunters access to private land. We'll continue to work with landowners in Box Elder County to see if we can get more of them enrolled in the program. If we can, that will allow hunters access to their lands," Aldrich says.
Helping the geese
In addition to helping Utah's farmers, the light goose hunt would also help the geese.
In the central part of North America, light goose populations have gotten so large that they're damaging the areas in Canada where they nest and raise their young.
"The population in the western part of North America hasn't become overabundant yet, but it's growing," Aldrich says. "In December 2007, for example, the population exceeded 1 million birds.
"We want to help stabilize the population before it becomes overabundant. Once the geese become overabundant, it's hard to bring them back."
Wouldn't affect Canada goose season
Aldrich says the dark goose season in Utah would not be affected by the light goose season extensions. "The dark goose season dates would remain the same," he says.
For more information about the meetings, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.
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