02-06-2004, 12:40 AM
More hunters were in the field, but with a shorter season fewer birds were taken during last fall's early Canada goose management season, according to Mike Johnson, waterfowl biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
An estimated 6,870 hunters harvested 20,500 Canada geese during the 2003 season, compared to 6,490 hunters and a harvest of 25,600 birds in 2002.
Early goose season regulations in 2000-2002 allowed for an experimental extra week after Sept. 15, but that extra week was not available in 2003 due to high harvest of migrant Canada geese in previous years, Johnson said. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guidelines allowed for hunting beyond Sept. 15 if a state could demonstrate that migrant Canadas did not comprise more than 10 percent of the harvest, Johnson added, but North Dakota's take exceeded that level.
Surveys for the Sept. 1-15 season showed hunters spent 2.48 days afield, averaging 2.99 birds each. Geese were harvested in 45 counties, with the highest number of birds bagged in Stutsman County. Other top counties were Nelson, Barnes, Benson and Sargent.
Last year was the fifth year North Dakota has had an early Canada goose management season. The 1999 experimental season was open only in Richland and Sargent counties, while in 2000 it was open statewide. Since the first management season in 1999 more than 122,000 Canada geese have been harvested.
The purpose of the management season is to maintain or reduce resident Canada goose numbers. By holding the season in early September, the harvest consists of primarily local Canada geese, as migrants have not yet started to arrive in significant numbers.
[signature]
An estimated 6,870 hunters harvested 20,500 Canada geese during the 2003 season, compared to 6,490 hunters and a harvest of 25,600 birds in 2002.
Early goose season regulations in 2000-2002 allowed for an experimental extra week after Sept. 15, but that extra week was not available in 2003 due to high harvest of migrant Canada geese in previous years, Johnson said. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guidelines allowed for hunting beyond Sept. 15 if a state could demonstrate that migrant Canadas did not comprise more than 10 percent of the harvest, Johnson added, but North Dakota's take exceeded that level.
Surveys for the Sept. 1-15 season showed hunters spent 2.48 days afield, averaging 2.99 birds each. Geese were harvested in 45 counties, with the highest number of birds bagged in Stutsman County. Other top counties were Nelson, Barnes, Benson and Sargent.
Last year was the fifth year North Dakota has had an early Canada goose management season. The 1999 experimental season was open only in Richland and Sargent counties, while in 2000 it was open statewide. Since the first management season in 1999 more than 122,000 Canada geese have been harvested.
The purpose of the management season is to maintain or reduce resident Canada goose numbers. By holding the season in early September, the harvest consists of primarily local Canada geese, as migrants have not yet started to arrive in significant numbers.
[signature]