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#06-229 August 28, 2006

Early Canada goose season set to open September 1

The S.C. Natural Resources Board set the early 2006-2007 hunting seasons for migratory game birds at its July 21 meeting in Charleston. This included a September 1-30 special season on resident Canada Geese. This is a statewide season, and the daily bag limit for Canada Geese during this early season has been increased to 15 birds. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. The seasons were approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and will be published in the Federal Register.
           
In recent years, numbers of Canada geese that nest and/or reside predominantly within the United States (resident Canada geese), including S.C., have undergone dramatic growth to levels that are increasingly coming into conflict with people and causing personal and public property damage. To give states the needed flexibility to address the problems caused by resident Canada geese, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently issued a rule that establishes new regulations for control of these birds. One of the components of the new regulations allows the states to provide expanded hunting methods during the September season, such as use of electronic calls, unplugged shotguns, and expanded shooting hours. These expanded methods have not been evaluated by DNR staff, nor considered by the DNR Board, and WILL NOT be in place this year.  Therefore the following regulations are applicable to the hunting of any migratory birds, including resident Canada geese:

• Shotguns must be plugged so as to hold no more than three shells.
  
  
• Baiting is strictly prohibited.
  
  
• It is illegal to hunt, catch, take, kill or attempt to do so any game bird with the aid of recorded calls or sounds or recorded or electronically amplified imitations of calls or sounds.         

For more information, write to Early-Season Migratory Birds, DNR, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202, or call (803) 734-3886 in Columbia. Find out more about hunting season and regulations at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/regulations.html.

South Carolina migratory bird hunters age 16 and older must have a state hunting license and a free migratory bird permit, and if hunting Canada geese or other waterfowl must also have both State and Federal Waterfowl Stamps. Completion of an approved hunter education course is mandatory for resident and nonresident South Carolina hunters born after June 30, 1979, to purchase a license, and voluntary for older and younger hunters.

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