Issue 64
April 12, 2006

Weather Trivia

 You Asked Us

Environment Canada's knowledgeable specialists answer questions about wildlife, air pollution, water, weather, climate change and other aspects of the environment.

  Print Version            E-mail this page            More Questions

When does the Greater Snow Goose hunting season begin? What kind of permit do I need?

As in previous years, the 2006 Snow Goose Spring Conservation Harvest operates between April and June. In southern Québec, the season started on April 1 and will continue until May 31. In northern Québec, it will take place between May 1 and June 30.

Hunters who plan to harvest geese must hold both a migratory bird hunting permit for 2005-2006 and a Québec small game hunting permit for 2006-2007. Those who did not obtain a migratory bird permit in the fall can still apply for one at most Canada Post offices or at Canadian Wildlife Service offices. The permit is the same for residents and non-residents of the province of Québec.

Harvesting is authorized only on farmland in the south – excluding those areas where large numbers of people customarily congregate to watch the geese, such as around Lac St-Pierre and Montmagny – and everywhere but in protected areas in the north. The daily bag limit is 20 and possession 60.

For more information on the hunting regulations, call 1 800 463-4311 or visit Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service.

Why hunt the Greater Snow Goose?

The number of geese migrating through Québec was estimated at 814 600 in the spring of 2005, a little less than in 2004. However, a few years ago, this population was estimated to grow by 9 per cent annually, doubling every eight years.

Too many geese destroy a lot of the farmer's crops, deteriorate the vegetation, degrade the marshlands of the Atlantic coast and the shores of the St Lawrence, and threaten the long-term integrity of the Arctic ecosystem.

In 1999, the Canadian Wildlife Services initiated measures to help solve the problem by doubling the number of hunter takes. Last year alone, hunters took some 34 600 geese.

Historically, hunters have always participated in the management of this important wildlife resource.

Related Link:

Migratory Birds Conservation