Season Bag Limits and Registration System: There has been 
considerable discussion during recent years regarding the practi- 
cality of establishing a season bag limit on Canada geese accompanied 
by some registration or tag system so as to make it enforceable. The 
strongest argument for such an approach is that many individuals now 
killing 25 to 50 geese annwally in the vicinity of major concentration 
areas would be limited to the established season bag. In addition, 
the accompanying tag or registration feature would permit more accurate 
determination of the total number of Canada geese killed any given 
year. Opponents of this proposal believe that the season bag limit 
may not necessarily reduce the total kill but would result in the 
distribution of kill among more hunters. There are others who claim 
this would discriminate against the more exclusive clubs which are 
presently paying dearly for the sport of goose hunting. Considerable 
attention will undoubtedly be given to implementing a season bag 
limit and an accompanying registration feature in the vicinity of 
major goose concentration areas in this Region in future years. 
An experimental season bag limit using tags was initiated in 
Wyoming during 1960 to maintain further control over the kill of a 
segment of the Great Basin Canada goose flock in that State and to 
discourage further leasing of prime goose hunting locations in the 
vicinity of major concentration areas throughout the State. They 
established a season bag limit of six birds, based on a statistical 
interpretation that this would result in a 35 percent reduction in 
kill, so as to maintain a season harvest nearly equal to that ex- 
perienced in 1959. Ten thousand tags were printed at a cost of $62. 
These tags were distributed to bona fide holders of bird hunting 
licenses and Federal duck stamps at no charge to the hunter. Regula- 
tions required that the tag holder sign his name and affix the tag 
to the goose as soon as the bird was killed. Of the 10,000 tags 
printed, 3,700 were issued throughout the State. Wrakestraw (1961) 
indicated that the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission was well satisfied 
with this initial attempt at spreading out the goose kill among more 
hunters, and they intend to carry on with the six-bird season limit 
and use of tags for at least another year in order to evaluate the 
effect on kill and distribution of hunting opportunity. 
It is interesting to note some of the comments reported by 
Wrakestraw. Many hunters said “six geese should be enough for any- 
one." Others remarked that it was the best thing that ever happened. 
Several old-time goose hunters declared a six-bird limitation would 
not make any difference to them because they would take out relatives 
and friends and kill just as many geese as ever. 
Managed Hunting Areas: Managed hunting areas on, or in close 
proximity to, major concentration areas have played an important role 
in accomplishing greater distribution of hunting opportunity and har- 
vest. While there are many problems concerned with management of 
these areas and the benefits derived by the relatively small percent- 
age of the hunters that are accommodated, these programs have received 
wide public acceptance. 
