Conservation Corner: March 1, 1999

What Are We Going To Do About The Goose Dilemma?
by James L. Cummins

The snow goose is an ever increasing species of goose in Mississippi. "Snows", as they are commonly called, are highly sought after birds in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, but the increasing occurrence of populations wintering in Mississippi still hasn't generated a high demand by Magnolia waterfowlers.

According to waterfowl researchers throughout North America, the population of snow geese has tripled since the 1960s to a current population of 6 million birds. They are to a point that they are destroying their Arctic breeding grounds.

Snow geese found in Mississippi nest in colonies in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of North America from Baffin Island to Wrangel Island in Siberia. They nest on low, grassy tundra plains. Nests consist of scrapes on the ground and are made of vegetation. Snow geese winter across the south central and western United States with the largest concentrations found in the central valley of California and the Gulf Coasts of Texas and Louisiana. In response to favorable habitat conditions, larger concentrations are now wintering in Mississippi. The birds usually arrive in the Magnolia State in early December with the majority arriving in January. They remain throughout winter and begin flying back to the breeding grounds the first warm days of February.

Wildlife Mississippi, the National Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation have voiced support for ways to help reduce the snow geese population before their breeding habitat is permanently destroyed and the population crashes.

The proposed regulations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would allow hunters to harvest more snow geese utilizing extended seasons, electronic calls and other methods.

The scientific community recognizes that this is a very serious problem. Without these new liberalized regulations, and a subsequent reduction in the snow goose population, we could very easily witness a catastrophic loss of habitat in the Arctic - not just habitat for snow geese, but habitat for many species.

Jamie Clark, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, states, "Too many light geese are descending each year on nesting areas that simply cannot support them at all. If we do not take steps now, these fragile ecosystems will continue to deteriorate to the point that they can no longer support light geese or the many other species of wildlife that share the Arctic habitat."

According to harvest records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, approximately 800,000 snow geese are harvested each year. According to wildlife managers a harvest of two to three times as many will be necessary to control the population.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.