GUNNING FOR GEESE: SEASON LUCRATIVE FOR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

The majestic "V" of Canada geese flying south is a trusted sign of autumn.

Every September, somewhere in Southern Illinois, flocks of geese form their familiar "V" while hunting for a corn, sorghum or soybean field, a lake or farm pound, in the first migration from the north.

"That's the start," said Dan Willard, an Illinois Department of Natural Resources waterfowl biologist at Union County Wildlife Refuge.

Flights will continue through the winter, and by the time the northern visitors start their trek back next year, as many as a million geese will have visited the Southern Illinois area.

That is why it is known as the "Goose Hunting Capital of the World."

Goose hunters could start firing a half-hour before sunrise today, as the 1997 season opened in the four counties of Alexander, Union, Williamson and Jackson.

But few if any shots will be heard.

"It's not time yet," say spokesmen from hunting clubs. "The geese are not here."

During the most recent Canada goose count, less than 4,000 geese were counted in the quota zone area -- 1,500 at the Horseshoe Lake Wildlife Refuge in Alexander County, 1,000 in the Crab Orchard Lake Wildlife Refuge area in Williamson and Jackson counties, and about 800 at Union County Wildlife Refuge near Ware.

"The geese are still up north," said Willard. "But a few days like this and they'll be coming down in big numbers."

A number of the 90 hunting clubs in the quota zone did not open today because of small goose numbers. Some indicated they did not book any reservations until the first of December.

State shooting grounds and a few clubs in the three refuge areas did open.

Although the 1997 season may be off to a slow start, wildlife biologists expect a "pretty good season."

The Mississippi valley fall forecast for Canada geese is 1.02 million, down from the 1.06 million of last year.

For that reason, goose allocations have been lowered. Statewide, the harvest quota is 74,600, down from the 94,900 of last year. A year ago, the statewide harvest was 80,208 birds.

The proposed regular Canada goose regulations in the Southern Illinois Quota Zone limits the harvest quota to 26,400, down from the 36,000 quota of a year ago. Another 5,700 birds may be harvested in the Rend Lake Quota Zone.

The season in the four-county quota zone will be from today through Jan. 31, or until the quota of 26,400 is reached.

The annual expected goose count varies from year to year in the quota zone.

On a cold winter's day in January 1991, more than 850,000 Canada geese were counted in the four-county area of Southern Illinois. That count didn't include all the geese that crowd into farm ponds and other smaller ponds throughout the area; that easily shoved the count up to the million mark.

Four years later, in 1995, the peak count was probably under the 500,000 mark, due largely to warmer winters.

More geese were staying upstate in 1995, said Willard.

At 1.02 million, the estimated fall flight of Canada geese is just slightly lower than last year. But spring breeding population surveys put the Mississippi valley population of Canadas at 735,000, up from a year ago but still short of a management plan objective of 900,000.

As a result, the harvest quotas were lowered.

Hunters in the Southern Illinois and Rend Lake quota zones harvested a combined total of more than 34,000 geese last year. But the lion's share of the kill came late -- in January.

"Actually, hunters had only 10 or 12 days of great shooting last year," say conservation biologists.

By Jan. 15, only about 135,000 geese were being counted in the entire Southern Illinois area. A week later, on Jan. 31, the number had grown to 310,000.

The trend toward the later-arriving geese the past three years is a significant change from recent years when geese could be expected to arrive before mid-December.

The 20-year harvest average for the quota zone is 27,000.

Some 90 hunting clubs in Alexander County and neighboring Union, Jackson and Williamson counties provide hunters with goose-hunting facilities that range from primitive (a bench) to plush (heated pits with telephones and guides).

Goose hunting is big business in Southern Illinois.

A day in the pit can cost from $50 to $100 and up, plus guide costs. Hunters, however, spend more than that. According to various surveys, the average goose hunter spends $150 to $160 a day while in Southern Illinois.

The big honkers are worth their weight in gold, say goose economists.

Every goose you see flying in the quota zone is worth $10 to the economy, said the director of the Williamson County Tourism Bureau, which keeps tabs on the economics of goose hunting in the four-county area.

A survey shows that goose hunters bring more money into an area than any other type of hunter. The Williamson County Tourism Bureau survey utilizes a hunter-day system. During a recent year, the survey found that more than 80,800 hunters sought out the Canada geese.

And more than 75 percent of the hunters are "visitor" hunters. This tabulates into almost 9.4 million annually. Add in the expenses of the 25 percent of local hunters and the total exceeds $10 million in the four counties.