Long season ahead for waterfowl hunt

Utah goose and swan hunters will have another long hunting season and a new hunting zone.

According to Tom Aldrich, migratory bird manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah hunters might see fewer Canada geese at the start of the season, but goose numbers should pick up as the season moves along.

Most of the geese hunters see during the first part of the season are raised in Utah. The wet spring and rising waters destroyed nests and eggs, which has reduced the number of Utah-raised birds.

And, while the number of geese raised locally is down, the number of migrating birds is up. Hunters should see good numbers of geese coming through Utah as the season progresses.

According to Aldrich, the number of tundra swan continues to increase.

There were 2,000 permits issued this year, and those hunters with permits should see more birds.

More information about this year's waterfowl hunting season is available in the 2006-07 Utah Waterfowl Hunting Guide. The guide is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/proclamations and from hunting and fishing license agents and DWR offices.

The goose hunt will run for 107 days. The season kicks off Sept. 30 when Utah holds its annual Youth Hunting Day for hunters 15 and younger.

Utah's general goose hunting season begins Oct. 7, along with the duck season, but ends on a different day depending on the area of the region where hunting.

In the new north goose zone, the season runs from Oct. 7 to Jan. 20. The zone includes all of Cache and Rich counties, and the northeast portion of Box Elder County.

The goose hunting season across the remainder of Utah is a split season, which will be a bit different from what it was last year.

The first part of the season runs Oct. 7-19. The season will then close for eight days, and reopen on Oct. 28 and run until Jan. 28.

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.