The Canada goose harvest quota system as carried out during 
1960 and 1961 is a major milestone in waterfowl management. This 
is a further refinement of species management as proposed in fly- 
way management plans. It seems logical to continue this approach 
for those populations for which we have reasonably sound data on 
total population size and age composition, well-delineated breed- 
ing, migration, and wintering ranges, and procedures for obtain- 
ing reliable kill information, It is generally agreed by those 
involved that this approach must be continued until prehunting 
season populations can be increased to where there is no danger of 
overharvest. The extent to which this can be accomplished is 
dependent upon the ability of breeding habitat to accommodate this 
expansion, adequate wintering areas to support increased popula- 
tion levels, and continuation of effective methods of controlling 
the harvest. : 
MODIFICATION OF THE QUOTA SYSTEM--EASTERN PRAIRIE POPULATION 
Similar attempts have been made to regulate the kill of the 
Eastern Prairie population, particularly in the vicinity of the 
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri. The chief handicap 
in this case is the present inability to determine the total popula- 
tion size, particularly at the time of the midwinter inventory, since 
various components of this population are scattered from southern 
South Dakota to Texas. These birds mingle with Canada geese from 
other populations on the Texas wintering grounds and in many cases, 
are found in widely scattered small flocks; thus, increasing the 
problem of even locating, much less associating, given groups of 
birds there with a specific population. Much remains to be done 
in analyzing band recovery data to determine distribution, hunting 
mortality, and the annual reproductive success. Progress is being 
made on all of these aspects. During the fall of 1961 a special 
effort was made to carry out coordinated censuses of this population 
throughout the major areas frequented in the Mississippi and Central 
Flyways to determine total population size. The results so far have 
been encovraging, but not conclusive. 
In the meantime, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Missouri 
Conservation Commission mutually determine the maximum allowable 
annual harvest based largely on present knowledge of distribution 
of this population during the first week of November when the peak 
population normally occurs in the vicinity of the Swan Lake Refuge, 
which is assumed to represent a large percentage of the birds in 
the entire population. In 1961, the allowable kill was based on a 
peak population of 75,000 geese. The Missouri Conservation Commis- 
sion closed the designated zone surrounding the Swan Lake Refuge to 
goose hunting on November 25 after 25 days of hunting when the kill 
approached 15,000 birds as mutually agreed. 
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