Canadian geese migration season, November hunting will it ever happen again?

[Coldwater Charters]

Boehr, I don't know how much the Michigan DNR has to do with the waterfowl regs But I was wondering why Michigan get the high hard one when it comes to hunting Migratory Canadian geese in late November. Now I know what they say about the atlantic flyway being down in numbers, But my problem is that Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois all have liberal seasons during peak migrations of Canadian geese. Why does michigan have to be the scape goat every year? Do you think it is political because of all the Hunt clubs down south? That is the only thing I can think of. Because if they are trying not to kill a certain migration then why is it Michigan is the only one that sacrafices it's season? And I know that the further east you get the tougher seasons they have towards the atlantic flyway flock. I don't mind doing my part as long as it is shared by all.

[boehr]

Coldwater...it's a long story and to be truthful I don't completely understand it but I'll try to give you what I do understand. This will be a very short verson. If you call up to the Plainwell District Office and talk with Mike Bailey, the District Wildlife Biologist, he can explain it much better but.... Yes, it is somewhat political but it's not really refering to politics as one would automatically assume. It has to do when the numbers of hunters hunted waterfowl in each state years ago. At that time percentages of the flock estimates were negotiated for the each of the states in the flyway. At that time Michigan did not have as many waterfowl hunters as we do now, so obviously we did not take as many with less hunters. We have some where around 60,000 waterfowl hunters nowdays. At the time Michigan was given a percentage to harvest, as other states, of the flock by the number of hunters. Since that time, other states refuse to give up any of their percentages regardless of the hunter numbers and Michigan is not allowed to raise their percentage even though hunter numbers are and have been going up. Michigan tries to get the Feds to raise ours every year but in order for the Feds to allow us to raise out percentage some other state or states would be forced to lower theirs. Other states refuse as I'm sure you would complain even more if you lived in one of those other states and it was reduced. Wildlife Division has been and continues to try to gets the Feds to raise it but it's been an uphill battle and progress is not nonexistant but very slow. Wildlife Division is also trying to show flight patterns have changed and nesting areas too like the St. James Bay flock etc., to the Feds. Also, that is another reason for the HIP number when purchasing license is important because it's used to try to get more geese but so far it hasn't helped a lot because we can't get good information and hunters and license agents don't take the HIP program seriously.

[Mtnman198]

whats the hip program boehr? never heard off it.

[boehr]

It's the questions license agents are suppose to ask a person when they purchase a small game license. Questions like did you hunt waterfowl last year, etc.

[Mtnman198]

okay,now I understand.most of the time they do ask me those questions.however,I wonder how many people actually tell the truth.It seems they lie so not to sound like an unsuccessful hunter or they lie so the dnr thinks we need to shoot more birds,deer,etc..
I know a few people who do real well with the ducks and geese but state otherwise in fear of the bag limits being changed.

[Coldwater Charters]

Go to the waterfowl forumand get involved in the political process.