Season on geese ends on cold note in Illinois

Hunting during the Canada goose season that ends in Southern Illinois on Saturday improved over the previous year, with recent cold temperatures bringing more geese in, officials say.

But the 8,542 Canada geese taken in the Southern Illinois quota zone as of Jan. 25 were still far below the zone's assigned quota of 28,600 geese. Wildlife officials say recent mild winters have changed migration routes and have reduced the number of birds that winter at the Crab Orchard, Union County and Horseshoe Lake refuges.

The 61-day Canada goose season in Southern Illinois was scheduled from Nov. 20 to 23 and from Dec. 6 to Saturday. The Canada goose season in southern Missouri began Dec. 27 and ended Sunday.

In Illinois, the statewide quota is 126,400 Canada geese, up 64,100 from last season. The huge increase is based on the status of the goose population from Canada and on the large proportion of giant Canada geese in the harvest.

According to Jim Schweizer, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Southern Illinois had a good season even though it has not met its quota. Northern Illinois has.

"Hunters in Southern Illinois believe the cold weather over the past two weeks has brought the geese in, resulting in increased hunting," he said.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources keeps track of the quota through harvest totals phoned in daily by hunters. Each hunter is allowed a daily limit of two birds.

The long-standing system of commercial club reporting still appears to be the best and most economical method of estimating harvest in the Southern Illinois zone, officials said.