OUTDOOR CORNER: REGULATIONS LOOSENED AGAIN FOR SNOW GEESE

Bird still over-populated, damaging its nesting grounds.

Beginning February 1, Missouri hunters will have the opportunity to do something to help preserve arctic waterfowl habitat. The state is one of 24 targeted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for participation in special measures to reduce North America's snow goose population.

Snow geese have grown so numerous in recent years that they are damaging their arctic nesting habitat. Since the 1970's, the mid-continent population of lesser snow geese has increased by about 5 percent per year to a population of more than five million.

The birds, which pull up plant roots when above-ground vegetation is exhausted, literally are eating away arctic tundra habitat. A third of the area is so heavily overgrazed that biologists believe it is unlikely to recover in our lifetime. Wildlife biologists say a 50 percent reduction in the snow goose population is needed to prevent the birds from destroying all of the nesting area.

They say the best way to accomplish this is through hunting.

During spring 1999, special provisions were implemented to allow the use of electronic calls and unplugged shotguns during the light-goose only portion of the regular waterfowl season. In addition, a conservation order was established to allow the taking of light geese after the end of the regular waterfowl season.

A record 82,400 light geese were harvested in Missouri during the 1998-1999 regular waterfowl season. Of this total 10,800 were harvested by hunters using electronic calls or unplugged shotguns between February 16 and March 10. In addition, about 17,300 light geese were harvested during the Conservation Order for a total of nearly 100,000 light geese harvested in Missouri during the 1998-1999 season, and during the spring of 1999.

That number is about twice the previous state record for snow goose harvest. Hunters in the Mississippi and Central flyways took advantage of the relaxed regulations to harvest an estimated 1.07 million snow geese last year.

To give states a better opportunity to increase snow goose harvests, Congress recently approved legislation to enact a "conservation order" allowing hunters to take snow geese beyond the regular hunting season. State wildlife agencies in the Central and Mississippi flyways also are being allowed to use methods normally prohibited.

In support of the conservation order the Missouri Conservation Commission recently approved the following regulations for hunting snow geese, blue geese and Ross' geese, collectively known as "light geese," from Feb. 1 through April 30, 2000: use of electronic calling devices, use of unplugged shotguns capable of holding more than three shells, shooting hours from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, and unlimited daily and possession limits.

A valid Missouri migratory bird hunting permit will be the only license requirement.

Other regulations will remain in effect during the period covered by the conservation order.

Snow geese season dates, bag limits, shooting hours and other regulations published in the 1999- 2000 Migratory Bird Hunting Digest still apply prior to Feb.1.

Gene Myers is a Missouri Department of Conservation agent in Cape Girardeau County.