Hunting: What’s Next for Light Geese?

January 16th, 2014

Destruction of habitat caused by snow geese. Image from USFWS.

Destruction of habitat caused by snow geese. Image from USFWS.



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.

Hunting: Impact of Conservation Order

January 15th, 2014

Geese at Bonham State Park

Geese at Bonham State Park



This is Passport to Texas

By 1999 it was clear: an overpopulation of light geese was ravaging its arctic nesting grounds. Without intervention, scientists believed this unique ecosystem would collapse.

05— So, in an effort to try to stem that tide, the light goose conservation order began.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Small Game Program Director, Dave Morrison, says Texas was prepared to do its part.

08— When we started the conservation order, Texas’ harvest during the conservation order was a little over a hundred thousand birds. So, when it started, we knew what to do.

For the past 14 years, this annual management action has occurred primarily in the country’s three eastern flyways; engaging hunters from Canada to Texas.

10—Since that time, you’ve seen a decline in total harvest in Texas from about 100-thousand to about 12-thousand in the last hunting season; there are fewer geese being seen on the coastal zone of Texas.

There are fewer light geese coming to Texas, but their overall population continues to grow. Changes in agricultural practices in the flyway’s midsection may put more food on the ground, and that may keep birds from coming this far south.

12—There are still increased numbers of white geese out there, to such an extent that we had the council vote to increase the daily bag limit during the regular season from 20 to 50.

What that will mean for Texas, tomorrow. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Hunting: Goose Conservation Order

January 14th, 2014

Geese at Bonham State Park

Geese at Bonham State Park



This is Passport to Texas

In 1999 the US Fish and Wildlife Service, on the recommendation of scientists, implemented a light goose conservation order.

05— With intent to try to reduce the rate of growth of white geese.

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

15—We were seeing problems in the arctic ecosystems whereby the numbers of light geese that were showing up were starting to do habitat degradation. So, in an effort to try to stem that tide, light goose conservation order began.

The conservation order—generally in effect after the end of the migratory bird hunting season—is not, itself, a hunting season.

33—It’s a management action, so it doesn’t fall under the same type of guidelines that our hunting seasons do. For example, the Light Goose Conservation Order –when it started – we increased the daily bag limit to no bag limit. You were able to hunt 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset; you were able to use electronic calls; there’s all sorts of things that came along with this conservation order as an effort to try to reduce the numbers of birds in the nests, and try to turn that population around to get it – instead of increasing to see a declining trend.

It’s been fourteen years since the order was enacted. Has it worked? We’ll find out tomorrow.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series… and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel…For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Hunting: Goose Hunting in Texas

January 13th, 2014

Goose hunting in Texas.

Goose hunting in Texas.



This is Passport to Texas

Texas has a great reputation when it comes to goose hunting.

04— Texas has long been known as the snow goose hunting capital of the world.

Dave Morrison is Small Game Program Director at Texas Parks and Wildlife. To hunt geese in Texas you’ll need a hunting license, a migratory game bird stamp, a federal migratory bird stamp and HIP certification. You wouldn’t necessarily hunt geese as you would ducks.

12—A lot of times you’re hunting ducks over water, and in water. A lot of times you’re hunting geese in dry conditions – dry fields. To goose hunt, you need lots of decoys, and you’ve got to have someone who really knows what they’re doing on a call.

Historically, hunters harvest Canada geese in the panhandle, although snow geese are starting to appear on the landscape. The coast, meantime, offers a higher concentration of snow geese.

13—But understand that the snow geese that show up in the high plains are different than the snow geese that show up along the coast. Snow geese that show up on the coast are from the mid-continent flock, whereas that those that show up in the high plains are the western arctic group.

They’re still the same animal, the just come from different subsets of the population. Visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife website for hunting seasons and all regulations.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series… and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel…For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Game Wardens: Operation Game Thief

January 10th, 2014

Operation game Thief

Operation game Thief



This is Passport to Texas

Since 1981, Operation Game Thief has been protecting Texas’ natural resources with the help of the public that calls in with tips.

13—When our game wardens respond, and they can catch the individual, and make the arrest by citation—or physically take them to jail—upon their conviction, that individual can be eligible for a reward payment of us to one thousand dollars.

Eric Howard, Operation Game Thief program coordinator, says most people who call the Crime Stoppers-like hotline aren’t interested in a reward.

17—It’s more just pride—love of Texas’ natural resources. When a person calls in, they’re asked, do they want a reward. About 60-65% will say no, they’re just calling ion because they see something that they know isn’t right and they just want it stopped.

Warden Howard tells us about an incident in which a man captured two hawks in Laredo and transported them to North Carolina.

21—Someone contacted the Operation Game Thief hotline number, and a Game Warden responded through a very lengthy investigation—not only through Texas Parks and Wildlife—but the USFWS, and NC Fish and game Service. It was determined that the person did not have a license, was not permitted to have the hawks and was not any kind of falconer.

And that made the trapping and transport illegal. Learn more about Operation Game Thief, and find the hotline number on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show…Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram…

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