2008 Spring Light Goose Conservation Order

• Conservation Order Facts

• Spring Migration Info

• Spring Light Goose Hunting Handbook

• SD Hunting Atlas

• Purchase a License Online

• Recipes

• Back to General Waterfowl Information

**The federal waterfowl stamp is not required for this event!

Light geese generally begin arriving into the eastern 1/3 of South Dakota in late February to early March.    

Call the Snow Goose Hotline -- (605) 885-6401, which is a recording administered by Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

South Dakota residents will need an annual small game, 1-day small game, youth small game, combination, or junior combination license and Migratory Bird Certification stamp to hunt light geese. Residents who are at least 12 years old may buy licenses and hunt light geese. Hunters ages 12 through 15 will need a Hunter Safety Card.

Nonresident light goose licenses can be purchased online with a credit card or over the counter at LICENSE AGENTS throughout South Dakota. The adult license costs $45 and is valid for the entire conservation order.  Youth licenses (ages 12-15) cost $25.  No other license or stamp is required.

Shotgun Shell Capacity: Shotguns with a shell capacity of more than 3 shells are allowed.

Electronic calls:  Use of tapes of migratory bird calls or sounds, or electrically-amplified imitations of bird calls is allowed.

Federal Refuges: Some federal refuges may allow light goose hunting in a portion of the refuge. Check with the specific refuge.

LIGHT GEESE -- Includes snows, blues and Ross’ geese.

DATES --  February 10 through May 8, statewide.

DAILY LIMIT --  20

POSSESSION LIMIT -- Unlimited

SHOOTING HOURS -- One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset

SPRING LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER FACTS

2. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was amended to authorize the establishment of the Light Goose Conservation Order which allows the taking of this population of light geese after March 10. The Conservation Order also allows the use of electronic calls, unplugged shotguns, and provided for extended shooting hours ( half hour after sunset). The first Conservation Order was in spring of 1999.

3. Mid-continent light goose population objective set by a Flyway Management Plan is 1.0 - 1.5 million birds, as measured on the winter waterfowl survey in early January.

4, Recent 3-year averages for the winter waterfowl survey are: 1995-97 - 2.65 million; 1996-98 - 2.74 million; 1997-99 - 2.80 million; 1998-00 - 2.65 million; 1999-01 - 2.43 million; 2000-02 - 2.47 million; 2001-03 - 2.49 million; 2002 - 04 - 2.43 million; 2003 - 05 2.31 million; 2004-06 - 2.24 million. The number of light geese is still way above population objective but declining somewhat.

5. Conservation Order harvest in South Dakota: Average Conservation Order harvest in South Dakota for the past 8 years (1999-2006) is 89,617. The spring conservation order harvest is much larger than the harvest during the regular fall season. Estimated light goose harvest during the regular fall season for the six-year period of 1999 - 2004 was only 18,355. States that harvest the most light geese during the Conservation Order in the Central Flyway are Texas, South Dakota, and Nebraska, and in the Mississippi Flyway it's Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri.

6. Harvest for the United States and Canada combined, for both the Conservation Order and regular fall season are: 1998 - 1999 - 1.27 million; 1999 - 2000 - 1.46 million;  2000 - 2001 - 1.15 million; 2001 - 2002 - 1.48 million; 2002 - 2003 - 1.13 million; 2003 - 2004 - 1.22 million; and 2004-2005 - 1.17 million. Progress is being made to reduce the population but more harvest is needed. Hunters are encouraged to harvest, in an ethical, respectful manner, as many light geese as the law allows.