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The Arctic Tundra Habitat Emergency Conservation Act was recently passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton on Nov. 24, the latest in a series of moves aimed at controlling the rapidly increasing mid-continent population of light geese.
But what does that mean to Nebraska hunters?
Mark Vrtiska, the Game and Parks Commission^s Waterfowl Program Manager, says it may mean hunters will be able to use electronic calls and unplugged shotguns during the spring light goose season Feb. 3 - Mar. 10, 2000. He will recommend that those changes be adopted by the Game and Parks Board of Commissioners at their meeting in Lincoln Jan. 14.
Vrtiska says he will also recommend the Commission establish a "conservation season" from Mar. 11 - Apr. 2. "During that conservation season participants will be required to be registered with the Harvest Information Program (HIP), have a valid Nebraska small game permit, a Federal waterfowl stamp and a current Nebraska Habitat Stamp," he said. "There will be no daily bag or possession limit on light geese during the conservation season. Participants will be allowed to use electronic calls and unplugged shotguns. Shooting hours will be 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The zones and closed areas will be the same as during the regular hunting season."
"The North American Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits the hunting of any migratory bird after March 10. We are not lengthening or establishing a hunting season, we are creating a conservation season as other states did during spring of this year," Vrtiska said. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, those seasons resulted in a 46 percent more light geese killed than the previous year. Last year Nebraska hunters killed an estimated 109,000 snow geese.
"The purpose of the conservation season is to kill light geese," Vrtiska said. ‘We need to have it. Our objective is to reduce the mid-continent population of light geese."
Uploaded: 12/4/1999
Uploaded: 12/4/1999