Hunters can harvest Can geese in August

[Lee Borgersen]

  can harvest Canada geese in August

  (Released July 27, 2015)
 

Hunters can hunt Canada geese in west-central Minnesota from Saturday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 23, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

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Fish and WildlifeIndividual hunters are allowed to shoot up to 10 Canada geese per day, but there is no limit to the number of Canada geese a hunter can possess.

“The state’s Canada goose population remains high, and the August management action is one way to control goose numbers,” said Steve Cordts, waterfowl specialist for the DNR. “This harvest helps limit the amount of damage the birds cause to crops in the western portion of the state.”

The August goose harvest will open only in the intensive harvest zone in west-central Minnesota, with shooting hours from a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. A small game hunting license, special goose permit and state waterfowl stamp are required. A federal waterfowl stamp is not needed; however, it is required to hunt geese and other waterfowl beginning in September.

This is the third year the DNR has held an August goose management action.

“Last August, about 5,500 hunters harvested about 21,000 Canada geese, compared to 24,000 in 2013,” Cordts said. “Factors like weather and progress of small grain harvest tends to affect hunter success.”

The DNR in August will announce details of fall waterfowl seasons, including the September Canada goose season that runs from Saturday, Sept. 5, through Tuesday, Sept. 22, and the regular Canada goose seasons that tentatively begin Saturday, Sept. 26. Season dates and more information on goose hunting can be found online.