Snow Goose Hunt

[Downeaster]

Are there declines in the white goose population??

Yes Rod. Beyond impact of HPAI, the population had been in a serious slide for a number of years. Poor reproduction and high harvest has the population back to 1980's levels. Biologically, there really isn't justification for Conservation order any more. Remember, it wasn't a hunting season but instead a special measure to help control a population that was feared would could cause serious environmental impacts (destruction of native tundra). A number of years of late cold resulted in low/no reproduction and harvest >1 million geese annually has them declining. This year, a banding crew in the central artic which typically bands thousands of white geese searched for 37 hours of helicopter time without finding a bird to band. I would not be surprised for some states to move to remove conservation order seasons and if the decline continues surely the USFWS will have to reconsider the season.

 

[Rod S.]

Yea, there is a lot of debate on that.

 

[Bowfinger]

Yes Rod. Beyond impact of HPAI, the population had been in a serious slide for a number of years. Poor reproduction and high harvest has the population back to 1980's levels. Biologically, there really isn't justification for Conservation order any more. Remember, it wasn't a hunting season but instead a special measure to help control a population that was feared would could cause serious environmental impacts (destruction of native tundra). A number of years of late cold resulted in low/no reproduction and harvest >1 million geese annually has them declining. This year, a banding crew in the central artic which typically bands thousands of white geese searched for 37 hours of helicopter time without finding a bird to band. I would not be surprised for some states to move to remove conservation order seasons and if the decline continues surely the USFWS will have to reconsider the season.

Money is attached to it now. Little will change.

 

[Rod S.]

Yes Rod. Beyond impact of HPAI, the population had been in a serious slide for a number of years. Poor reproduction and high harvest has the population back to 1980's levels. Biologically, there really isn't justification for Conservation order any more. Remember, it wasn't a hunting season but instead a special measure to help control a population that was feared would could cause serious environmental impacts (destruction of native tundra). A number of years of late cold resulted in low/no reproduction and harvest >1 million geese annually has them declining. This year, a banding crew in the central artic which typically bands thousands of white geese searched for 37 hours of helicopter time without finding a bird to band. I would not be surprised for some states to move to remove conservation order seasons and if the decline continues surely the USFWS will have to reconsider the season.

Thanks for the info!!