Regular Canada Goose Hunting Season Begins
Youth waterfowl hunt Sept. 19-20 2009
MADISON WI –-(AmmoLand.com)- Regular season Canada goose hunting in the Horicon and Collins zones will begin on Sept. 16. Similar to last year, the 2009 regular season in the Exterior zone will not open until Saturday, Sept. 19, which also marks the start of the two-day Youth Waterfowl hunt.
Goose Hunting
The Exterior zone hunt runs from Sept. 19 through Dec. 12 in the north; Sept. 19 through Oct. 11 and Oct. 17 through Dec. 17 in the south; the Mississippi River subzone runs Oct. 3 through Oct. 11 and Oct. 17 through Dec. 31.
This is the third year of a five-year trial period in which the Exterior Canada goose zone will have a stable season length of 85 days and a two bird daily bag limit. Hunters are reminded that the early goose season ends Sept. 15, so there is no goose hunting from Sept. 16 through 18 in the Exterior zone.
The Horicon zone Canada goose season for 2009 will again have two time periods, which also provides more hunting days; Horicon 1 (H1) runs from Sept. 16 through Nov. 1 and Horicon 2 (H2) goes from Nov. 2 through Dec. 16. Hunters who applied for the Horicon zone will receive six harvest tags. The daily bag limit is two Canada geese.
The three time periods in the Collins zone are: Collins 1: Sept. 16 through Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. through Oct. 4; Collins 2: Oct. 5 through Oct. 25; Collins 3: Oct. 26 through Nov. 20. Hunters who applied for the Collins zone will receive six harvest tags. The daily bag limit is two Canada geese.
Youth Waterfowl
The 2009 Youth Waterfowl hunt will be held on Sept. 19 and 20. Regular season bag limits and hunting hours apply. This special hunt offers youth age 10 through 15 the opportunity to learn skills without the pressure encountered during the regular season.
All hunters must be accompanied by an adult chaperone age 18 years or older. The adult may not accompany more than one youth hunter, except that an adult may accompany two youth hunters if at least one of the hunters is 12 to 15 and has completed hunter education. The adult may not hunt ducks, but may hunt geese if they possess the appropriate Canada goose permit. Ten- and 11-year-olds or other “mentored” hunters who have not yet completed hunter education must follow additional guidelines or check page 3 of the 2009 Migratory Bird regulations pamphlet for details on this new opportunity.
Participants are reminded that they need free Harvest Information Program registration and that for hunting geese they must possess a $3 goose permit for the zone in which they wish to hunt. No other license or stamp is required for eligible youth during this special hunt. In Wisconsin, 79 percent of waterfowl hunters have introduced someone new to the sport and are encouraged to continue mentoring with this great opportunity to introduce a son, daughter, relative, or neighbor to the tradition of waterfowl hunting.
More information is available on the Waterfowl pages of the DNR Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn, DNR Migratory Game Bird Ecologist – (608) 266-884; James Christopoulos, Assistant Migratory Ecologist – (608) 261-6458 or Bob Manwell – (608) 264-9248
About:
The Department of Natural Resources is dedicated to the preservation, protection, effective management, and maintenance of Wisconsin’s natural resources. It is responsible for implementing the laws of the state and, where applicable, the laws of the federal government that protect and enhance the natural resources of our state. It is the one agency charged with full responsibility for coordinating the many disciplines and programs necessary to provide a clean environment and a full range of outdoor recreational opportunities for Wisconsin citizens and visitors.