Due to increasing numbers of Canada geese, hunters will have the opportunity to head out into the field for an early hunting season. This year, the early Canada goose season will last from Sept. 1-30.
Canada geese have increased to numbers where they have become nuisances, according to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). The geese have overwhelmed areas near the Arkansas River, golf courses, soccer fields and other open areas. In addition, they can damage crops when near farmland.
“Hunting is one of the best tools we have to manage these populations,” Luke Naylor, waterfowl program coordinator for the AGFC, said in a statement. “Fortunately, Arkansas has a mostly stable Canada goose population and few nuisance goose issues compared to many other states. Even so, these early hunts can help keep numbers of birds in check in some locations while letting hunters enjoy an early chance to break out their boats and waders.”
One of the primary locations for Canada geese is the Arkansas River Valley. Hunters will be able to hunt geese easily from sandbars along the Arkansas River. However, hunters must ensure that they are hunting on public ground, not privately owned land.
Early Canada goose season has a bag limit of five geese per hunter per day. This is a significant increase over the regular season’s limit of two per day. When hunting geese, steel shot or federally approved nontoxic shot must be used. Hunters must have plugged shotguns, with no more than three rounds.
To hunt, individuals must have a valid Arkansas hunting license, and federal and state waterfowl hunting stamps must be purchased and carried. Hunters must also have Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration.
READ MORE: Hunting Private Land in the Natural State