The Pennsylvania Game Commission has released the migratory bird hunting seasons with a Canada goose reduction

Due to lower Canada geese numbers, the PGC has reduced hunting days. Contributed photo

For all you waterfowl hunters, the Pennsylvania Game Commission in conjunction with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have set Pennsylvania’s 2024-25 migratory game bird hunting seasons with one change that will affect local hunters. 

Amanda Hoyt, Pennsylvania Game Commissions Waterfowl Biologist, said the most significant change for the upcoming season is that the regular season length for Canada geese in the Atlantic Population has been decreased from 45 to 30 days, but the daily bag limit remains at three. 

The reason for this said Hoyt, “Is that the population fell below the threshold for a liberal season, hence the harvest strategy mandates a shorter hunting season for this population.”

For several years we’d see loads of Canada geese on Trexler Park, Dorney Park and Cedar Creek ponds plus Leaser and Minsi lakes. But recently the numbers there seem to be surprisingly low. So Hoyt’s call seems to be appropriate. 

During the upcoming seasons, if hunters bag banded birds be it ducks, geese, doves and woodcock, sportsmen are encouraged to report their banded harvest online at www.reportband.gov. On it you’ll be asked information on where, when and what species of migratory banded birds were taken as well as the band number. Your information helps the Fish and Wildlife Service to learn migratory bird movements, survival and harvest rates which are critical to population management and setting of hunting regulations. 

The new seasons are as follows: 

*North Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 12-26 and Nov. 19-Jan. 11. 
*South Zone: Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers, Oct. 12-19, and Nov. 19-Jan. 18. 
Total Duck Bag Limits. 6 daily, 18 in possession of any species except for the following restrictions: daily limit may not include more than 4 mallards including no more than 2 hen mallards, 2 black ducks, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 1 pintail, 4 sea ducks; including no more than 3 eiders and no more than 1 female eider, 3 long-tailed ducks, and 3 scoters. 

*Resident Population Goose Zone:

This includes all of Pennsylvania except for the Atlantic Population zone; Sept. 2-25 (8 goose daily bag limit); and Oct. 26-Nov. 29, Dec. 16-Jan. 18 and Jan. 31-Feb. 22 (5 goose limit in latter 3 segments).

*Atlantic Population Zone: 

This area is from east of SR 97 from Maryland State Line to the intersection of SR 194, east of SR 194 to the intersection of US Route 30, south of US Route 30 to SR 441, east of SR 441 to SR 743, east of SR 743 to intersection of I-81, east of I-81 to intersection of I-80, and south of I-80 to NJ state line: Sept, 2-25 (8-goose daily bag limit); and Nov. 23-29 and Dec. 23-Jan. 18 (3 goose limit in latter two segments. 
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*Light Geese (Snow Geese and Ross’ Geese) Atlantic Population Zone: Regular season; Oct. 22-Feb. 22; 25 daily, no possession limit. Conservation Order: Feb. 24-April 25; 25 daily, no possession limit. This is the longest season and highest possession limit of any waterfowl species mainly because there are too many snow geese and they are literally eating their breeding grounds out of house-and-home as the old saying goes. That, and when they do arrive here in the Lehigh/Northampton counties, they can devour an entire winter wheat crop field in short order. 



 

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