illinois goose quota

[alex ryan]

i'm looking at going goose hunting in NE illinois...does anyone know if the season is closing earlier than January 8 because the quota has been met? Also, if anyone has any updates on the geese around chicago or the hunting give me a heads up.
Thanks
Alex

[Ryan Graves]

you had better hurry up if your gonna go. Season will shut down early on the 29th

[Tony Vandemore]

Alex, season is set to close this Wednesday for both the north and central zones. I am up here in IL right now and it has been good, but where I hunt there aren't near the geese there have been in years past. Looks to me like all the snow and cold they have had have pushed them on further south this year. Could have to do with how dry it has been in the areas I hunt too.

[s.i.goosekiller]

north zone closes on the 29th of dec., and the cental will close on the 28th. the south zone isn't supposed to close until jan. 31st hopefully we reach our quota this year or we'll lose more birds next year to the other quota zones.

[Michael Weiss]

A good friend of mine is a regional biologist for IDNR and he told me of the early close back in the middle of Dec. He said there were parts reporting over 800+ geese killed a day!! And you know that is a minimal number. Looks like I am off to Carlyle in the morning.

Michael Weiss
Avery Pro-Staff

[Rich Good]

From What I hear those Birds are in the South Zone Between Rend and Crab Orchard, I'll be heading south this week.

[GooseFlocker]

Goose season closes today at sunset in the North and Northern Illinois quota zone :mad: There are abundant numbers of geese 50 miles west of Chicago right now :eek: Michael Weiss can you suggest to your IDNR friend to delay the opening of goose season, i.e. a few weeks later then the opening of duck season. Late November, December and January are when it really turns-on here!!

[Michael Weiss]

Gooseflocker, you dont know how much we all have tried to get some type of new system developed to help out every one. We suggested at one time to break up the quota. Example, central has say 35,000 bird quota, give the quota zone X amount and the non-quota X amount. We have guys 150-200 miles away dictating our season! So, yes we have done as much as we could this year and will do everything next year. Also, we should be in the Southern zone. Maybe with a little luck in the next year or so they will come to understand the issue. But it is SO POLITICAL it is not funny. Hope everyone in Illinois had as good of a year as I did (except without camera problems), and look forward to meeting people this up coming show season.

Michael Weiss
Avery Pro-Staff

[GooseFlocker]

Michael, I believe this topic is very important to Northern and Central Illinois goose hunters. The early season start for waterfowl season has nothing to do with goose hunting. I believe it is some connection with duck hunting, (for profit) that set these dates. As a matter of fact the migratory ducks didn’t even arrive in Northern Illinois until the end of November!! I and all of my peers would be willing to participate in correcting this obvious problem!!

[GooseFlocker]

For all of you Illinois guys, check out this IDNR press release...:eek:

The Mississippi Flyway Council and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations committees will consider the proposal at meetings scheduled for this summer. If approved, Illinois will implement the new experimental harvest approach for the upcoming Canada goose season. Illinois and other states would adopt the new harvest management strategy for a five-year trial period beginning in the 2007-08 waterfowl season.
http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=435010

[Michael Weiss]

I have been reading and talking with the Regional Biologist here in town. From what I have gathered, does not seem all that bad.....so far.