Regular season Canada goose hunt opens Sept.16

REGULAR SEASON CANADA GOOSE HUNT OPENS SEPT.16

September 6, 2011

Early Canada goose season closes Sept. 15; youth waterfowl hunt Sept. 17-18

MADISON - Wisconsin's regular Canada goose hunting season in the Exterior and Horicon zones opens Friday Sept. 16. That weekend also includes the two-day youth waterfowl hunt on Sept 17 and 18. The regular Canada goose season targets migratory geese that move through Wisconsin. An early Canada goose season that targets locally breeding giant Canada geese closes on Sept. 15.

This is the final year of a 5 year trial period in which the Exterior Canada goose zone will have a stable season length of 85 days and a two bird daily bag limit. Hunters should also note that the former Collins zone has been eliminated as a result of shifts in Canada goose migration and hunting pressure and is now part of the Exterior Zone.

Exterior Zone Canada goose seasons

The northern zone season runs from Sept. 16-23 and Sept. 24 at 9 a.m. through Dec. 9.

The southern zone season runs Sept. 16-30 and Oct. 1 through 9 a.m. Oct. 9 and Oct. 15 through Dec. 14.

In the Mississippi River Subzone Sept. 24 at 9am- Oct. 2 and Oct. 15- Dec. 29

The goose season is closed during the duck season split in the south zone (Oct. 10-14) and Mississippi River subzone (Oct 3- 14).

Horicon zone Canada goose seasons

The Horicon zone Canada goose season has two time periods.

H1 runs from Sept. 16- Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at 9am- Oct. 30;

H2 goes from Oct. 31- Dec. 16.

Hunters who applied for the Horicon zone will receive 6 harvest tags. The daily bag limit is two Canada geese.

Youth waterfowl hunt

This year's Youth Waterfowl hunt will be held Sept. 17-18. Regular season bag limits and hunting hours apply. This special hunt offers youth age 12-15 (or those 10 or over hunting under the new mentored hunting law) the opportunity to learn skills from an adult without the pressure encountered during the regular season.

Participants are reminded that they need to be HIP registered (free of charge) and that for hunting geese they must possess a goose tag for the zone in which they wish to hunt. In Wisconsin, 82 percent of waterfowl hunters have introduced someone new to the sport and are encouraged to continue mentoring with this great opportunity to introduce a son, daughter, relative, or neighbor to the tradition of waterfowl hunting.

Additional information on waterfowl in Wisconsin, special youth hunts and mentored hunting is available on the DNR website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: James Christopoulos, Assistant Migratory Game Bird Ecologist (608) 261-6458 or go to

Last Revised: Tuesday, September 06, 2011