Lake Lowell Goose Closure Remains In Effect

Hunters pursuing Canada geese around Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge are reminded that Lake Lowell and some lands adjacent to the lake are closed to goose hunting. "We've cited a number of folks for violating the closure this season," Fish and Game conservation officer Clay Cummins said. "I'm hopeful that a simple reminder will help with compliance through the remainder of the season." Goose season ends in Southwest Idaho on January 21, 2001. The Lake Lowell goose closure was instituted years ago according to Fish and Game wildlife biologist Neil Johnson. "It was developed to help bolster the local goose population, and it has more than served that purpose," Johnson noted. "Today, we have a healthy goose population estimated at about 15,000 birds in the Treasure Valley." Between 9,000 and 14,000 geese (including both residents and migrants) utilize Lake Lowell during the winter months. A lengthy description of the closure can be found on page 10 of the current Fish and Game waterfowl hunting regulations, while a user-friendly map of Lake Lowell - with the closure clearly delineated - can be found in the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge brochure. Copies of the brochure are available at refuge headquarters at Lake Lowell, at access points around the lake, and at the Fish and Game office in Nampa. Cummins attributes some of this year's violations to turnover in the goose hunting community. "We've got a new generation of goose hunters out here and many of them are simply unaware of the closure," Cummins said. "Others are aware but choose to ignore it." For more information regarding the goose closure, contact the Fish and Game Nampa office at 465-8465 or Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge at 467-9278.