February Nuisance Goose Season in Indiana

The DNR sent out an email assuring Indiana waterfowl hunters of the 2013 late Indiana nuisance goose season.  The season lasts for 15 days starting on February 1st, and closing on February 15th. The season is only for the following Indiana counties.  Hendricks, Marion, Parke, Vigo, Clay, Morgan, Johnson, Hancock, Boone, Hamilton, Steuben, LaGrange, Elkhart, St. Joseph, La Porte, Starke, Marshall, Kosciusko, Noble, DeKalb, Allen, Whitley, Huntington, Wells, Adams, Madison, Shelby, Vermillion, Sullivan and Greene. 

The late nuisance goose season was granted to Indiana as a 3-Year experiment by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The USF&W requirement was that 80% of the birds killed during the late season needed to be giant Canada geese. The late nuisance goose season goal was to help control the population and breeding of giant Canada geese in urban areas. Homeowners and neighborhood residents with HOA ponds know all too well that the Canada geese can be quite a nuisance.  Among other nuisance activities, the male Canada geese are quite aggressive when eggs are on the nest, which can become quite the problem with kids. Many residents are also tired of spraying off the soles of their shoes after walking through goose excrement in their yards. Since 2008 Indiana has offered this late nuisance season in hopes of reducing the total amount of local geese.

According to the IDNR E-Newsletter, Last years nuisance late goose season was a success with 8,076 Canada geese being harvested during the late season. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service stated that 2012 had almost 1,600 more harvests than 2011. In the total 5 years that Indiana has offered the late season it is estimated that around 33,500 geese have been harvested.  In 2012 Indiana DNR permitted 4,362 hunters to head out during the late season. They're expecting similar numbers this year.

In years past you had to require a special permit to be able to participate in this season.  However, this year they've changed it to where hunters are only required to have their normal Indiana hunting license, Indiana Waterfowl Stamp, HIP (Harvest Information Program) and a signed Federal Duck Stamp.  Again no special permit is required. As well Indiana hunters are NO LONGER required to check in the geese they've harvested during the late seasons. 

This special late season may be closed in the future if the population of Canada geese is well reduced and under control. When the 2014 season comes around, we'll let you know if there is going to be another late nuisance goose season.  -Joey W. Buttram (Willowpine Outdoors)


Information and statistics gathered from the IDNR Wild Bulletin E-Newsletter. 

IDNR February Goose Season Article (Click Here)