# Lots O Canadas



## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

Man !!! Did I see lots of Canadas NE of DL this past weekend - they were paired off & everywhere. & really making a racket Honking like crazy - There will be a ton of them this fall - I'm going to start hunting them more.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Since we don't get to hunt snows much anymore, they've been a heck of a substitute the last 6 years. I'm starting to wonder if I endjoy honkers more than snows??? Instead of putting out hundreds of decoys, you only need to put out a few dozen and get just as much action...usually more.


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## Doug Panchot (Mar 1, 2002)

Amen to that!!


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## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

The feds may now liberalize the early Canada goose hunting like they did with Spring Snow goose hunting. Regulations not approved or finalized yet.

Proposal on the books to let states have an August Canada goose season. High limits, no plugs, e-callers, etc... may all be allowed.

In my opinion, this is going way to far. September season with traditional hunting methods - fine. August Canada goose extermination season - too much.


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

If they legalize the same things for canadas as they use for snows, the sh*t is just going to hit the fan, and the feds are going to regret it. We dont need all of this stuff to shot canadas they are dumb enough the way it is!

_________________
"If it fly's it dies"

[ This Message was edited by: GooseBuster3 on 2002-04-21 19:51 ]


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## Doug Panchot (Mar 1, 2002)

I have to agree with GB3. There is no need for those types of regs on canadas. Who really has that difficult of a time hunting early season canadas. I don't think that this would ever be something that ND would look at. I wonder what the feds were thinking when they proposed this?


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## bioman (Mar 1, 2002)

Doug:

The following is from USFWS on the proposed changes to the Canada goose season:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing the creation of a new
regulation to allow State wildlife management agencies to actively
manage populations of resident Canada geese that cause personal and
public property damage and, in some cases, pose a threat to public
health and safety.

Under the proposed alternative identified in the draft Environmental
Impact Statement released today, the Service would grant the States the
authority to undertake approved population control strategies, such as
nest and egg destruction, trapping and culling programs, and expanded
hunting opportunities.

"The Service believes that the problems caused by resident Canada geese
can be best addressed at the State level," said Service Director Steve
Williams. "To that end, we are committed to providing State wildlife
management agencies with as much flexibility as possible to address the
issue."

The draft EIS evaluates a range of alternatives in relation to their
ability to reduce and stabilize resident Canada goose populations,
reduce conflicts with humans and minimize impacts to property and human
health and safety. Aside from the proposed alternative, the EIS analyzes
other alternatives, including continuing current management practices
unchanged; implementing non-lethal methods such as harassment and
habitat management designed to make areas less attractive to geese;
expanded hunting opportunities; and creating various depredation orders
allowing expanded lethal take of resident geese. A 90-day public comment
period on the draft EIS will remain open until May 30, 2002.

Most Canada goose populations are migratory, wintering in the United
States and migrating north to summer breeding grounds in the Canadian
arctic. But a large availability of habitat, especially in urban and
suburban areas where there are park-like open spaces with short grass
adjacent to small bodies of water, has resulted in growing numbers of
locally-breeding geese that live year round in the lower 48 states.

In temperate climates across the United States, these places provide
geese with relatively stable breeding habitat and low numbers of
predators. In addition, hunting is usually not allowed in urban and
suburban areas, restricting the ability of state and local authorities
to control populations using traditional methods. Those resident
populations that do migrate often fly only short distances compared to
their migratory relatives that breed in Canada. For these reasons,
resident Canada goose populations enjoy consistently high reproduction
and survival rates.

The Service estimates that there are 3.5 million resident Canada geese
in the United States. Resident Canada goose populations in both the
Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways now exceed 1 million birds each and
have increased an average of 14 and 6 percent per year, respectively,
over the last 10 years. Indices of resident Canada geese in the Central
Flyway are now approaching 1 million birds and populations in the
western portions of the country have shown similar growth rates over the
past 10 years.

Resident Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
and can only be legally taken during a hunting season, unless a special
federal permit is obtained from the Service. The Service is in the
process of drafting proposed regulations that would authorize the States
to implement the proposed alternative and undertake a number of
population control and management actions without having to go through
the permit process.

Large flocks of resident Canada geese can denude grassy areas, including
parks, pastures, golf courses, lawns, and other landscaped areas where
there are ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water nearby. At airports,
resident Canada geese have become a significant safety threat, resulting
in dangerous takeoff and landing conditions and costly repairs to
aircraft. Excessive goose droppings are also a health concern, and have
contributed to the temporary closure of public beaches by local health
departments in several States. In addition, agricultural and natural
resource damage, including depredation of grain crops, overgrazed
pastures, and degraded water quality have increased as resident Canada
goose populations have grown.

The release of the draft environmental impact statement was announced in
the March 1, 2002, Federal Register. The document is the result of a
process that began in August 1999. Public input on the alternatives to
be considered by the draft environmental impact statement was solicited
through Federal Register notices on August 19 and December 30, 1999 and
at a series of public meetings held in February and March 2000 across
the country.

Written comments concerning the draft EIS should be addressed to the
Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Department of the Interior, ms 634 ARLSQ, 1849 C St., NW,
Washington, D.C., 20240. Copies of the draft EIS are available at the
same address or by calling the Service at 703-358-1714. The Service will
schedule public meetings later this year, and the dates and locations
will be announced in the Federal Register in March.


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## Doug Panchot (Mar 1, 2002)

Bio thanks for the article. I don't think that this type of action is needed to thin out the resident population in ND. The metro areas I also think it won't have an impact. I have a couple friends that hunt in the cities and they do extremely well the early season and when the birds get shot up the move into the areas that they can not hunt. With a situation like this something else is needed to be done.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Every season is getting a little out of control in my opinion. The spring regs I didn't mind, as I felt that the snow #'s had to be reduced. But now letting ecallers in Canada and considering it for Canadas for the late summer???

It's got the pro's and con's. I think it's great that the USFWS is letting hunters contol the population, since we're partially responsible for establishing the high numbers. But I hate to keep stressing it....but the ethics is going to go to $hit. Too many people are going to be raised in the KILL KILL KILL mode of hunting, which is NOT what hunting is all about.

Man, I wish hunting would just stick to traditions.


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## Dr. Bob (Mar 3, 2002)

Bravo Chris,

:beer:

Dr. Bob


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## Dean Nelson (Mar 3, 2002)

Well saw my first little geese of the year should be a good year. As far as the new Regs go I wouldn't mind higher limits or an earler opening but ecalls and unpluged guns is going to far.


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## crazyhorse (Mar 5, 2002)

when will they know for sure if & when the new regs will take effect :sniper:


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