August Canada Goose Hunt
Season Dates: August 8-23, 2015
Open Area: Intensive Harvest Zone: (see map)
Junction of US 2 and the North Dakota border, US 2 east to MN 32 N, MN 32 N to MN 92 S, MN 92 S to MN 200 E, MN 200 E to US 71 S, US 71 S to US 10 E, US 10 E to MN 101 S, MN 101 S to Interstate 94 E, Interstate 94 East to US 494 S, US 494 S to US 212 W, US 212 W to MN 23 S, MN 23 S to US 14 W, US 14 W to the South Dakota border, South Dakota Border north to the North Dakota border, North Dakota border north to US 2 E.
Daily Bag Limit: 10 Canada Geese Possession Limit: None
License Requirements:
Small game license
State waterfowl stamp ($7.50; ages 18-64)
Special fall Canada goose permit ($4, ages 18-64)
Non-residents must possess all of the above.
No Federal Duck stamp or HIP-certification is required during August but both are required beginning on September 1.
Shooting Hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset
All other restrictions are the same as for the regular goose season, including nontoxic shot requirements, electronic calls, refuges, plugged shotguns, baiting, etc. Consult the 2015 Waterfowl Hunting regulations for further information.
Hunters can hunt Canada geese in west-central Minnesota from Saturday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 23, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Individual hunters are allowed to shoot up to 10 Canada geese per day, but there is no limit to the number of Canada geese a hunter can possess.
“The state’s Canada goose population remains high, and the August management action is one way to control goose numbers,” said Steve Cordts, waterfowl specialist for the DNR. “This harvest helps limit the amount of damage the birds cause to crops in the western portion of the state.”
The August goose harvest will open only in the intensive harvest zone in west-central Minnesota, with shooting hours from a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. A small game hunting license, special goose permit and state waterfowl stamp are required. A federal waterfowl stamp is not needed; however, it is required to hunt geese and other waterfowl beginning in September.
This is the third year the DNR has held an August goose management action.
“Last August, about 5,500 hunters harvested about 21,000 Canada geese, compared to 24,000 in 2013,” Cordts said. “Factors like weather and progress of small grain harvest tends to affect hunter success.”
The DNR in August will announce details of fall waterfowl seasons, including the September Canada goose season that runs from Saturday, Sept. 5, through Tuesday, Sept. 22, and the regular Canada goose seasons that tentatively begin Saturday, Sept. 26. Season dates and more information on goose hunting can be found online. 