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By Louie Stout

Goose Season Prospects Look Good; Ducks are DownGoose Season Prospects Look Good; Ducks are Down

Michiana waterfowlers can expect to enjoy some pretty good goose hunting this fall while duck numbers may be a little down from last year.

The early goose season opened Sept. 1 in Michigan and Saturday in Indiana. Michigan’s southern zone early goose season runs until Sept. 30 while Indiana’s lasts until Sept. 16.

Both states will also enjoy an early teal season. Indiana’s teal season runs Sept. 8-23 while Michigan’s runs Sept. 1-16. The bag limit on teal is six birds in both states.

Indiana and Michigan also offers a youth season. Michigan’s will run Sept. 15-16 while Indiana’s is Oct. 13-14. Accompany adults may not hunt. Check respective hunting guides for more details.

Indiana waterfowl biologist Adam Phelps said most of his state experienced excellent goose nesting last spring and that he’s seen more goslings this summer than he’s seen in a long time.

“Duck production remains questionable,” Phelps said. “Duck production in Canada’s prairies was down from last year due to drought conditions and it was pretty dry in Indiana during the prime duck nesting seasons.”

Geese nest earlier that most ducks.

Phelps also said that other states north of here had poorer goose nesting results so the migratory geese numbers may be down.

“As long as we don’t get an early cold blast with snow that pushes our birds out, Indiana hunters should have plenty of local birds to hunt,” Phelps said.

Indiana’s goose season reopens Nov. 3-Nov. 25 and again Dec. 1 through Feb. 10. Michigan’s reopens Oct. 13 through Dec. 9 and again Dec. 29-30 and Jan. 26-Feb. 11.

This year, both states’ early season goose bag limit (five) can include Canada, white-fronted and brant geese. During the rest of the season, the limit is five dark geese, only three of which can be Canada geese.

Indiana’s duck bag limits (six) may include no more than four mallards (two of which may be hens), 3 wood ducks, 3 scaup, 2 canvasbacks, 2 pintails, 2 redheads, 2 black ducks and 1 mottled duck. The daily bag on mergansers is 5 which may include no more than 2 hooded mergansers.

Michigan’s bag limit is the same except a molted duck wasn’t included in the bag limit.

Phelps said that poor pintail production in the prairies this year will mean a reduction in that bag limit to one bird in 2019, but remains 2 for this year.