Conservation Order Light Goose Season Approaching
OutdoorHub 02.09.12
After enjoying some outstanding duck hunting opportunities this fall after a very successful nesting season, waterfowlers don’t have to stop hunting yet. The Conservation Order Light Goose Season, also known as “COLGS,” opens Feb. 13 and runs through March 30.
Designed to reduce the mid-continent light goose population that has become so high as to cause severe habitat destruction, COLGS gives hunters the an opportunity to hunt snow, blue and Ross’ geese with no daily or possession limits and all the way up until a half hour after official sunset. Electronic calls are allowed as well. All other waterfowl regulations apply, including federally approved, non-toxic shot requirements.
According to Josh Richardson, migratory game bird biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, hunters who plan to hunt COLGS should try to secure hunting spots in the eastern portion of the state, such as at Webbers Falls and Ft. Gibson, where he said large concentrations of light geese can be found on public lands as they finish out the winter and begin migrating north.
Since 1999, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has cooperated with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to offer the COLGS.
“Adult snow and Ross’ geese have a low natural mortality rate and benefit from the availability of agricultural crops in the south-central United States. These geese are living longer and reproducing more, and their overpopulation continues to degrade Arctic habitat,” Richardson said. “Because snow geese feed by grubbing and pulling out plants by the roots, large numbers can literally destroy extensive areas of tundra.”
Hunters who participate in the COLGS must have all necessary licenses, waterfowl stamps and a Harvest Information Program (HIP) Permit in their possession while hunting. For complete license information, see the “2011-12 Oklahoma Waterfowl Guide” or log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
Federal law requires that the Wildlife Department estimate the harvest of light geese during the Conservation Order Light Goose Season. Hunters who plan to pursue snow, blue and Ross’ geese during COLGS need to register for the hunt on the Internet by logging on to wildlifedepartment.com or by sending their name, address and phone number to: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation; Attn: COLGS; P.O. Box 53465; Oklahoma City, OK 73152.
