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Kentucky Afield Outdoors: Resident Canada goose season opens Sept. 6
8/29/08
Frankfort, Kentucky - The goose decoys that gathered dust all spring and summer in your garage may soon be placed in a grassy field waiting for honking Canada geese. Although temperatures still feel like summer, waterfowl season begins Sept. 6 with the opening of resident Canada goose season.
"The resident Canada goose population is stable to slightly increasing," said John Brunjes, migratory bird biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. "We are in good shape. Our target goal is 50,000 resident geese and we are right at that number."
Many waterfowl hunters in Kentucky look west for the best hunting, but resident Canada goose numbers are evenly distributed across the state. In the Bluegrass and Pennyroyal regions, agricultural lands are the best places to search for Canada geese in September.
"All the guys I know that hunt them and do well hunt them on fields just like in winter," Brunjes said. "Areas such as grasslands will hold them. Do some scouting and find where they are feeding, and go there."
Farm ponds where Canada geese roost are good spots to try in low light, cool periods of the day. "In this heat, geese move early and late," said John Akers, maintenance director for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife who waterfowl hunts as many days as possible each year. "During this time of year, the early morning and dusk are best. They stay put during the day in this heat. A pond with clover, alfalfa, or silage nearby is a great place to start. They are looking for fresh cut greenery."
Brunjes warns hunters to consult their local paper's weather section for sunrise and sunset times to judge legal shooting hours, which begin a half hour before sunrise and end at sunset. "Make sure you don't take birds coming into ponds after legal shooting hours," Brunjes said.
Big waters hold resident Canada geese in September. The huge Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley complex is a great place to hunt resident birds. "There are a lot of them around here," said Pat Brandon, wildlife regional coordinator for the Purchase region for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. "On the first couple of days of the season, you can kill some geese."
The backs of bays on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley with bulrushes emerging are hot spots for September hunting. "In the backs of the bays where the bulrushes are the thickest, that is where they are at right now," Brandon explained. "There are lots of places on Kentucky Lake and Barkley to hunt them. For the first couple of days of the season, it is almost a sure thing."
Scout for bays with bulrushes and plan out a place to hunt. "They are creatures of habit, resident geese go to the same places every day," Brandon explained. "You can almost set your clock by them."
The undeveloped Land Between the Lakes shoreline provides better places to hunt because there is little chance of conflict with landowners. Lake homes and cottages dot the shoreline on other areas of these lakes, especially on the western shore of Kentucky Lake.
Veteran goose hunters often pass on shooting at large groups of geese during the September season to prolong the season. "They only shoot the small groups to avoid educating big groups of birds," Brandon said. "That may extend their hunting for a few more days. They get smart in a hurry, however."
A few dozen decoys placed facing the wind in groups of 8 to 12 works for field and water sets. A couple of decoys placed on the shore near bulrushes or other vegetation helps draw in resident geese in a shallow bay. A few coot decoys mixed in with these may help trick birds on the last couple of days of the season. Several crow decoys set downwind and off to the side of the goose decoy spread helps fool older, smart birds in a field hunting situation.
"Hunters must remember that areas legal for dove hunting are not legal for waterfowl hunting," Brunjes said. "They cannot hunt near dove fields. You also don't want to hunt near where people are feeding livestock. Even though it is a legitimate agricultural practice, it is still baiting."
Resident goose season runs from Sept. 6-14. There is a two-bird daily bag limit. The Northeast Goose Zone, the West-Central Goose Zone and the Ballard Reporting area are all closed to waterfowl hunting during the resident Canada goose season. Consult the 2008-2009 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Dove, Wood Duck, Teal, Woodcock, Snipe and Crow for more details. The guide is available wherever hunting licenses are sold, on-line at fw.ky.gov or you may request one by calling 1-800-858-1549.
Author Lee McClellan is an award-winning associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.
-30-
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, has an economic impact to the state of $4.7 billion annually. For more information on the department, visit our web site at fw.ky.gov.
Media Contact:
Lee McClellan (800) 858-1549 ext. 4443
8/29/08
Frankfort, Kentucky - The goose decoys that gathered dust all spring and summer in your garage may soon be placed in a grassy field waiting for honking Canada geese. Although temperatures still feel like summer, waterfowl season begins Sept. 6 with the opening of resident Canada goose season.
"The resident Canada goose population is stable to slightly increasing," said John Brunjes, migratory bird biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. "We are in good shape. Our target goal is 50,000 resident geese and we are right at that number."
Many waterfowl hunters in Kentucky look west for the best hunting, but resident Canada goose numbers are evenly distributed across the state. In the Bluegrass and Pennyroyal regions, agricultural lands are the best places to search for Canada geese in September.
"All the guys I know that hunt them and do well hunt them on fields just like in winter," Brunjes said. "Areas such as grasslands will hold them. Do some scouting and find where they are feeding, and go there."
Farm ponds where Canada geese roost are good spots to try in low light, cool periods of the day. "In this heat, geese move early and late," said John Akers, maintenance director for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife who waterfowl hunts as many days as possible each year. "During this time of year, the early morning and dusk are best. They stay put during the day in this heat. A pond with clover, alfalfa, or silage nearby is a great place to start. They are looking for fresh cut greenery."
Brunjes warns hunters to consult their local paper's weather section for sunrise and sunset times to judge legal shooting hours, which begin a half hour before sunrise and end at sunset. "Make sure you don't take birds coming into ponds after legal shooting hours," Brunjes said.
Big waters hold resident Canada geese in September. The huge Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley complex is a great place to hunt resident birds. "There are a lot of them around here," said Pat Brandon, wildlife regional coordinator for the Purchase region for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. "On the first couple of days of the season, you can kill some geese."
The backs of bays on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley with bulrushes emerging are hot spots for September hunting. "In the backs of the bays where the bulrushes are the thickest, that is where they are at right now," Brandon explained. "There are lots of places on Kentucky Lake and Barkley to hunt them. For the first couple of days of the season, it is almost a sure thing."
Scout for bays with bulrushes and plan out a place to hunt. "They are creatures of habit, resident geese go to the same places every day," Brandon explained. "You can almost set your clock by them."
The undeveloped Land Between the Lakes shoreline provides better places to hunt because there is little chance of conflict with landowners. Lake homes and cottages dot the shoreline on other areas of these lakes, especially on the western shore of Kentucky Lake.
Veteran goose hunters often pass on shooting at large groups of geese during the September season to prolong the season. "They only shoot the small groups to avoid educating big groups of birds," Brandon said. "That may extend their hunting for a few more days. They get smart in a hurry, however."
A few dozen decoys placed facing the wind in groups of 8 to 12 works for field and water sets. A couple of decoys placed on the shore near bulrushes or other vegetation helps draw in resident geese in a shallow bay. A few coot decoys mixed in with these may help trick birds on the last couple of days of the season. Several crow decoys set downwind and off to the side of the goose decoy spread helps fool older, smart birds in a field hunting situation.
"Hunters must remember that areas legal for dove hunting are not legal for waterfowl hunting," Brunjes said. "They cannot hunt near dove fields. You also don't want to hunt near where people are feeding livestock. Even though it is a legitimate agricultural practice, it is still baiting."
Resident goose season runs from Sept. 6-14. There is a two-bird daily bag limit. The Northeast Goose Zone, the West-Central Goose Zone and the Ballard Reporting area are all closed to waterfowl hunting during the resident Canada goose season. Consult the 2008-2009 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Dove, Wood Duck, Teal, Woodcock, Snipe and Crow for more details. The guide is available wherever hunting licenses are sold, on-line at fw.ky.gov or you may request one by calling 1-800-858-1549.
Author Lee McClellan is an award-winning associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.
-30-
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, has an economic impact to the state of $4.7 billion annually. For more information on the department, visit our web site at fw.ky.gov.
Media Contact:
Lee McClellan (800) 858-1549 ext. 4443
