quality of hunting, include a closed season on Canada geese through- 
out the Mississippi Flyway in 1946, special closed zones, licensing 
of hunting clubs, mandatory reporting of kill by clubs, spacing of 
blinds, hunting of geese from pits and blinds only, establishment of 
special delayed opening zones and shooting hours, reduction in daily 
bag and possession limits in the vicinity of concentration areas, 
establishment of managed public hunting areas, and initiation of a 
harvest quota system. These individual practices will be discussed 
in further detail with special emphasis on procedures followed in 
setting up the harvest quota system. 
Closed Season and Zones: Following the decline in the Missis- 
sippi Flyway Canada goose population in 1943-45, the entire flyway 
was closed to hunting of this species in 1946 under Federal regula- 
tion. 

Because the majority of the Mississippi Flyway Canada goose 
population wes associated with the Horseshoe Lake Refuge in southern 
Illinois and the high kill which occurred in the vicinity of the 
refuge, a 20,000-acre area surrounding the refuge was closed to 
hunting in 1947 by proclamation by the President of the United States 
and the Governor of Illinois. This zone remained in effect until 
1953, when it was reduced to 9,000 acres, and it was eliminated in 
1954 when it was apparent the goose population was showing a steady 
annual increase (Davis, 1954). During this interval, the Illinois 
Department of Conservation enlarged the Horseshoe Lake Refuge and 
established the Union County Refuge, and the Fish and Wildlife 
Service established the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, to 
aid in dispersal of the geese in southern Illinois. Intensive 
agricultural programs were also activated on the three areas con- 
cerned to provide adequate fall and winter food supplies. Special 
regulations on length of season and closure provisions now apply 
to a 4-county area in southern Illinois which surrounds the above 
three areas as shown in figure 5. 
In Wisconsin the radius of influence has been determined for 
the goose flocks using the Horicon and Necedah National Wildlife 
Refuges. Area closure regulations were established in 1960 based 
on the 2-county area, Dodge and Fond du Lac, surrounding the 
Horicon Refuge, and portions of three counties surrounding the 
Necedah Refuge. State and Federal regulations pertaining to goose 
harvest are presently based on this delineation as show in figure 4. 
In Missouri the radius of influence has been determined for the 
Canada goose flock using the Swan Lake Netional Wildlife Refuge and 
adjacent State management areas, and special closure regulations per- 
taining to portions of a 4-county area surrounding Swan Lake have 
been effectéd by the State when the kill reaches designated proportions. 
