[tmorrie]

Found this on the Grand Forks Herald site.

In other news from the Game and Fish Department's Advisory Board meeting Wednesday night in Cavalier, N.D.:

• North Dakota's early Canada goose season, which begins Sept. 1, will last only two weeks this year, instead of three as in previous years. The agency is eliminating the final week to reduce the harvest of migratory Canada geese. Federal law requires shortening the season if the migratory take exceeds 10 percent of the total early season harvest.

• Game and Fish is proposing all-day hunting for Canada geese on Wednesdays and Saturdays beginning the first day of waterfowl season. Current regulations allow all-day Wednesday and Saturday goose hunting only after the second weekend of waterfowl season.

 

[Qwack]

are they really going to open it on a Monday? Maybe that is Labor Day?

 

[gandergrinder]

Oh man that really stinks. Oh well they know what is best for the resource so I will back them up on this.

 

[gandergrinder]

What do you think Qwack. Do we skip school and have the world to ourselves :lol:

 

[duxnbux]

September 1 is Labor Day so that'll make things a little bit better, taking the 2nd off of work/school would definitely be worth it too especially with the shorter season. Can't wait for the big boys to be cupped and committed again!

 

[KEN W]

Mike Johnson told me they don't have any choice about how early to open.The rules say Sept 1 is the earliest it can open.

 

[GooseBuster3]

I can uunderstand why they are only going to let use hunt for 2 weeks. Last fall on the last day of early goose our limit consisted of ALL migratory birds, I think we shot 8 lessors that day. And the rest were the 9-10 lb canadas, not the giants.

 

[nodakoutdoors.com]

Who was shooting at the lessors? :splat:

 

[GooseBuster3]

ME>>> LOL ...i couldnt help myself, they were at 15 feet!!

 

[nodakoutdoors.com]

Geez, would ya knock it off! :wink:

In 2000 I came across a lessor feed that I couldn't resist, and we whacked em during the early season. We did some serious educating on the Lake Audobon birds that day...but I did get a 7 year old band.

I find it pretty interesting actually at the amount of lessors we're seeing in September these days....especially on the eastern side of the state. I can see their concern for the extra week.

 

[Matt Jones]

Well, that kinda sucks. :roll:

Then again, does this mean the G&F will tack that week from the early season onto the end of the season? We're allotted the same amount of days so if we don't use a week of them during the early season then we might as well use them at the end of the season.

...it'd be even more nice if they made the last two weeks of the season all day hunting. :wink:

 

[tsodak]

If you will remember, last year the FWS was having public input meetings around the country talking about ways to deal with resident canadas. Some of them included I believe opening the season August 1, electronic calls, and several other goofy things. The opportunity could be there for an earlier opening. The only week used that could be moved to the end of the season was the resident only week the last week of October. If there is no early opener, that could move back to the last week. Tom

 

[tsodak]

found it. Here is some text from the Draft EIS that was completed. I will also try and place the link.Question. What impact will the proposed alternative have on existing sport-hunting
opportunities?

Answer. Regular hunting seasons would be largely unaffected under the "State
Empowerment" alternative. Most goose population reductions would occur in areas
already closed to hunting or with limited hunting.

Alternatively, special hunting opportunities for resident Canada geese and potential
harvest would be significantly increased. States could opt to increase and expand
special hunting opportunities for resident Canada geese through newly-available
hunting methods and an expansion of the special seasons. The proposed alternative
would authorize the use of additional hunting methods, such as electronic calls,
unplugged shotguns, and expanded shooting hours (one-half hour after sunset).
During existing, operational, special September Canada goose seasons (i.e.,
September 1-15), these additional hunting methods would be available for use on
an operational basis. Utilization of these additional hunting methods during any new
special seasons or other existing, operational special seasons (i.e., September
15-30) could be approved as experimental and would require demonstration of a
minimal impact to migrant Canada goose populations. All of these expanded
hunting methods and opportunities would be in accordance with the existing
Migratory Bird Treaty frameworks for sport hunting seasons (i.e, 107 day limit
from September 1 to March 10) and would be conducted outside of any other
open waterfowl season (i.e., when all other waterfowl and crane seasons were
closed).

Additionally, States would be able to offer special expanded harvest opportunities
during either the Treaty closed period (August 1-31) or the open period
(September 1-15) of the Treaty. We would establish a Conservation Order under
the authority of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, with the intent to reduce and/or
stabilize resident Canada goose population levels. The Conservation Order would
authorize each State in eligible areas to initiate aggressive resident Canada goose
harvest strategies, with the intent to reduce the populations. The Order will enable
States to use hunters to harvest resident Canada geese, during a period when all
other waterfowl and crane hunting seasons, excluding falconry, are closed, inside or
outside the migratory bird hunting season frameworks. The Order would also
authorize the use of additional methods of take to

harvest resident Canada geese during that period. Finally, the Conservation Order
would authorize the use of electronic calls and unplugged shotguns, liberalize daily
bag limits on resident Canada geese, and allow shooting hours to continue until
one-half hour after sunset.

http://news.fws.gov/NewsReleases/R9/10F ... 85164.html

also interesting

http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/ca ... oping.html

 

[Matt Jones]

Since they moved the duck opener back a week and since they hacked a week off the early season did you guys realize we're going to have a two week break in September with no duck or goose hunting!!!!

Man, that's hard to swallow after how last year the early season ran into the regular season.

 

[bioman]

Matt:

You need to start hunting crane. I haven't been able to find a better hunting experience and they actually taste better than a goose.