Weathering a decline - Fewer geese wintering in S. Illinois

An old, roll-your-eyes schoolyard joke asks, "Why do birds fly south for the winter?"

"Because it's too far to walk."

While perhaps not amusing after third grade, the riddle has a ring of truth to it.

Birds don't work any harder than they have to. And that includes flying south. If the weather stays warm enough for the birds to stay put, they'll do just that.

Canada goose hunters in Illinois have found that out the hard way over the last 10 years or so.

Mild weather patterns across the Mississippi Valley, especially in northern Illinois, have led to a decreasing number of Canada geese in Southern Illinois.

This year's Canada goose season opens Saturday.

Still, according to Jack Odle, the owner of a hunting club in Marion, Ill., the demand for hunting spots continues to rise. And hunting club owners like himself are working to supply the demand.

Odle said hunting club owner Tom Burns has organized an effort to hatch Canada geese in Southern Illinois with hopes that the birds will return to the area.

The decline in population has been dramatic.

"You go back 10 years ago and you had 700,000 to 800,000 birds," he said. "Now, in a good year, you'll have 80,000."

To compensate, many of the area's hunting clubs have concentrated more on playing host to duck and deer hunters.

Another hunting club owner, Dr. Richard Schaede, has for the third year in a row called some of his hunters and told them not to come just yet.

"At the present time, most of the water fowl is still up north," he said. "As a matter of fact, on Saturday, we're not going to be opening. Unless we pick up some flying geese, we're not going to have a good hunt. They'll get down here eventually, but they're not here yet."

Area goose hunters are praying for nasty, early winter weather in areas like Chicago. It's their best hope of having more birds.

"There's no point in going any farther than they have to," Odle said of the geese. "We need about 8 to 10 inches of snow and below-freezing weather up there."

Dan Wolard, a district wildlife biologist for Union and Alexander counties, said the birds have found some comfort in the suburban areas to the north, where the hunting pressure is less intense than in Southern Illinois.

"Basically, they're finding ways to meet their needs in the northerly climates in the suburban habitats," Wolard said.

The Southern Illinois district of Alexander, Union, Jackson and Williamson counties has a quota of 8,600 birds this year.

The Canada goose hunting season runs through January. Snow geese and brant seasons began Nov. 13 and will also run through January.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635