For the City-Times

With Wisconsin’s first ever early teal season complete, waterfowl hunters are reminded that Wisconsin’s regular Canada goose seasons and youth waterfowl hunt will begin soon.

Regular season Canada goose hunting in the Exterior and Horicon zones opens Monday, Sept. 16, followed by a statewide two-day youth waterfowl hunt on Sept 20 and 21.

Youth Waterfowl Hunt

The youth waterfowl hunt provides boys and girls age 12-15 (or those 10 or over hunting under the mentored hunting law) with an opportunity to learn valuable hunting skills from an adult without the pressure encountered during the regular season.

During the youth waterfowl hunt, normal season bag limits apply. All license and stamp requirements are waived, although participants still need to be HIP registered (free of charge). If youth hunters would like to hunt geese during the youth hunt, they will need to possess a goose permit for the zone in which they are hunting. Licensed adults may also hunt geese, since the regular goose seasons are open during these dates.

“While many youth enjoy this special hunt alongside a parent or relative, each year many are able to participate solely because a family friend, neighbor, or volunteer mentor was generous enough to take the time to teach them safe and ethical hunting,” said Kent Van Horn, DNR migratory game bird ecologist.

While mentoring is a great way to learn more about waterfowl hunting, the department’s Learn to Hunt waterfowl clinic provides another opportunity to learn more about the sport.

Regular Goose season

In 2014, resident Canada goose breeding numbers are similar to recent years. With the addition of improved production from Ontario breeders, hunters should have ample opportunities this year, and will again enjoy a full 92 days of hunting in the Exterior zone with a two bird daily bag limit.

“When combined with the 15-day early Canada goose season, this puts Wisconsin at 107 days of Canada goose hunting,” said Van Horn. “Wisconsin takes great pride in being fortunate enough to allow the maximum season length allowed by international treaty and provide a number of quality hunting opportunities.”

Van Horn reminds Exterior and Horicon zone hunters that opening day shooting hours for ducks (9 a.m.) also applies to goose hunters during the regular season duck opener in each respective zone.

Exterior Zone Canada goose seasons

The Exterior Zone Canada goose season is as follows:

• Northern Zone – Sept. 16 to Dec. 16;
• Southern Zone – Sept. 16 to Oct. 12 and Oct. 18 to Dec. 21; and
• Mississippi River Subzone – Sept. 27 to Oct. 5 and Oct. 18 to Jan. 8.

It is important to note that the goose season is closed during the duck season split in both the South Zone (closed Oct. 13-17) and Mississippi Subzone (closed Oct. 6-17).

Horicon Canada goose season

The Horicon zone Canada goose season has two time periods:

• Horicon Period 1 – Sept. 16 to Nov. 2; and
• Horicon Period 2 – Nov. 3 to Dec. 16.

The daily bag limit for Canada geese in the Horicon Zone remains at two, but in 2014 the season harvest limit has been increased to 12 total Canada geese.

New in 2014, the Horicon Zone boundary has changed.  Areas west of Hwy 73 and north of Hwy 23 are no longer part of the Horicon Zone, and are included within the Exterior Zone.  Also new for the Horicon Zone, hunters who harvest a goose must punch/slit the permit for the date of kill with the total not to exceed the season limit.

Hunters are required to report each goose harvested in the Horicon Zone within 48 hours, by calling 1-800-99-GOOSE (1-800-994-6673). This system is similar to reporting in the Exterior Zone and the Early Canada goose seasons.

For information on-the-go using your mobile device, check out the official DNR hunting and fishing application to gain access to useful fishing, hunting and wildlife watching information. Users are able to easily locate great places to enjoy the outdoors and view on-the-spot species profiles, rules, regulations, and permit and license details. For more information, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “mobile apps.”

First-time waterfowl hunters and those who have not hunted in the last ten years are reminded to purchase a discounted first-time buyer license. For more information, search keyword “license.”

Waterfowl hunters are reminded to carefully identify all birds before shooting during early Canada goose and teal seasons. Both wild swans and whooping cranes are protected species in Wisconsin and illegal to shoot. Young trumpeter and tundra swans (or cygnets) are grayish and may be easily mistaken for a Canada goose or snow goose.

The best way to distinguish each species is through call identification. Observers have described the trumpeter’s call as resonant, deep, loud, and trumpet-like. The snow goose has a high-pitched, quavering call. More tips and photos to help identify swans are available through Identifying Swans [PDF].

For more information regarding youth waterfowl and Canada goose hunting in Wisconsin, search keywords “youth hunt” and “waterfowl” respectively.