The Story Behind the Light Goose Conservation Order

The Light Goose Conservation Order

The Arctic Tundra Habitat Emergency Conservation Act first came down from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 1999 and offered expanded hunting seasons, methods, hours, and bag limits for greater and lesser snow geese and Ross’s geese for states along the Central and Mississippi flyways. The act, better known as the Light Goose Conservation Order, arose out of concern that the birds’ numbers had increased to the point that they were destroying their nesting habitat on the arctic tundra. This population-control measure was originally intended to be temporary but became permanent in 2008 and was expanded to include the Atlantic Flyway. In states where they are legal, the expanded hunting seasons run in the spring when geese are migrating north to their breeding grounds.

A press release from the FWS in 2008 stated, “Historic numbers of central arctic light geese have denuded portions of their fragile tundra breeding habitat to the point many areas may take decades to recover. The geese are showing lower-than-normal body size and suffering a decrease in gosling survival due to habitat degradation. The deteriorating habitat is also having a negative impact on some local populations of other bird species.”

Despite heavy opposition from animal rights’ groups, FWS chose hunting as the best method of controlling geese numbers, opting against direct agency population control and several other alternatives. The rules allow hunting seasons for light geese to take place beyond the bounds of traditional seasons, and hunters can use electric callers, unplugged shotguns, and take advantage of no bag limits and hours that begin before sunrise and extend beyond sundown.

*This originally appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of Guidefitter Journal.