GOOSE SEASON IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS WILL CLOSE EARLY

The Southern Illinois Quota Zone Canada goose hunting season, although off to a slow start last November, will close 13 days early.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that the season will close to Canada and white-fronted geese (specklebellies) at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Hunters in the Southern Illinois Quota Zone of Alexander, Union, Jackson and William-son counties are expected to exceed the quota of 32,900 by then.

A lot of geese have been bagged during the past month, said DNR Director Brent Manning.

"The cold and snow of December and early January in areas to the north sent the geese south," said Manning. "And hunters have responded with some big kill numbers."

As of Tuesday, 31,638 Canada geese had been harvested in the quota zone.

The Rend Lake Quota Zone will remain open. Just over 1,000 geese have been killed in the Rend Lake area, where the quota exceeds 4,000.

Hunters are reminded that hunting hours during the final two days of the season -- today and Thursday -- are one-half hour before sunrise to 3 p.m.

An aerial count Tuesday revealed 251,000 geese remained in the Southern Illinois and immediate Western Kentucky area.

About 65,000 geese were counted at the Horseshoe Lake Refuge in Alexander County, and more than 45,000 were counted at the Union County Refuge. A total of 46,000 geese were spotted in the Crab Orchard Wildlife areas of Williamson and Jackson counties, and about 18,000 in the Rend Lake area. About 25,000 were in Western Kentucky's Ballard County Refuge.

A year ago at this time only 72,000 geese were counted in the same areas.

The closing of the season triggers the start of a light-geese season in the four counties. Illinois is implementing the regulations on the light-geese season as part of a federal conservation order intended to protect arctic habitat from overpopulation of light geese. The light-geese season will open Jan. 19 and continue through March 31.