Outdoor News Daily

South Dakota residents can get an early jump on fall waterfowl hunting when the August Canada Goose Management Take Season opens Aug. 14.

“The August Management Take is a tool that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved for South Dakota in an effort to control a rapidly increasing population of resident Canada geese,” said Chad Switzer, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department game program administrator. “We have what is shaping up to be an epic waterfowl hunting season, and it all kicks off with this August hunt.”

Switzer said that restoration of the giant Canada goose is a great wildlife management success story, but resident Canada geese have become a problem in some areas of eastern South Dakota by feeding on crops and causing losses for farmers. The special August season is expected to eliminate some problem geese and scare others away from crops.

Hunters may go online at the GFP website to enter their names and contact information as part of the Volunteer Hunter Program. Landowners who have wildlife depredation can check the website and contact individuals to hunt on the landowners’ property. Several hunters have already signed up for the program.

The early goose-hunting season will run from Aug. 14 through Aug. 29 in Brookings, Clark, Codington, Day, Deuel, Hamlin, Grant, Kingsbury, Lake, McCook, Marshall, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody and Roberts counties.
The daily bag limit for Canada geese will be eight, with a possession limit of 32.

Each resident hunter will be required to have either a valid Small Game or Combination License, along with the South Dakota Migratory Bird Certification. The Federal Waterfowl Stamp is not required for the Aug. 14-29 season.

Shooting hours will be one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. All other restrictions are the same as those of the regular goose-hunting seasons.

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