Light Goose Season Opens Saturday

While most hunting seasons are now closed, the spring "light goose" season is poised to open in southeast Idaho. Beginning Saturday, February 15, the season on blue, Ross's and snow geese opens and runs through March 10 in Area 2. The season in Area 3 is currently open and continues through March 10. The bag limit is 20 per day and 60 in possession. Area 2 includes Bingham County west of the west bank of the Snake River and the American Falls Reservoir bluff; Power County north of Interstate 86 and west of the west bank of the Snake River and the American Falls Reservoir bluff. The Area 2 map on Page 13 of the Waterfowl Seasons and Rules brochure omits a small section of Power County open to hunting. For a corrected map that shows the entire open area, see Fish and Game's website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/hunt/rules/?getPage=66. Area 3 includes Ada, Boise, Canyon, Cassia, Elmore, Gem, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Owyhee, Payette, Twin Falls and Washington counties. Goose hunters are reminded that Fort Boise and Payette River wildlife management areas and that part of Roswell Marsh Wildlife Habitat Area south of State Highway 18, and the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, including the 101 refuge islands on the Snake River from the Canyon-Ada County line to Oregon, are closed during the spring light goose season from February 1 through March 10. For maps of the refuge and Snake River islands, see http://www.fws.gov/deerflat/map.html. In addition, hunters are reminded that electronic calls and unplugged shotguns are allowed only for hunting light geese when no other seasons are open. These hunting methods are allowed for the light goose seasons that occur in Area 2 from February 15 through March 10 and Area 3 from February 24 to March 10. For additional information, see the 2013 Waterfowl Seasons and Rules brochure available at all license vendors, Fish and Game offices and online at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/hunt/rules/?getPage=66. Hunters need a 2014 hunting license and a state migratory bird permit. Last year's federal duck stamp is still valid through June 30, 2014.