Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

An enormous population of light geese is laying waste to its arctic breeding grounds.

06— You take a look along Hudson Bay – you’re seeing transitions from quality habitat to sub quality habitat.

Dave Morrison is Texas Parks and Wildlife Small Game Program Director.

06— In the arctic, it’s a very slow growing season, and it takes years upon years for something to recover.

A 1999 conservation order allows additional harvesting of geese throughout the flyway after the regular season. For reasons biologists are still trying to understand, while fewer birds come to Texas, they remain abundant to our north, and their population continues to grow.

23—Within the Central Flyway, this past year, we had the council vote to increase the daily bag limit during the regular season from 20 to 50. States north of us have the opportunity to shoot 50. Texas was certainly provided that same opportunity, but we felt it was prudent not to take that step. So, the commission maintained the option to maintain the daily bag limit at 20.

Despite best efforts, an overall increasing light goose population has biologists asking: what’s next?

09—Is there something that we need to do? Or do we just simply sit back and say, ‘These are very resilient birds, and try as we may, they’re the ones that are going to control their destiny.’

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.