Be sure to check the 2008 waterfowling regulations from the DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be fully updated on season dates, shooting hours, bag limits and any changes from last year.

EARLY-SEASON REVIEW
The early-season Canada goose hunt, held each September, has grown in popularity over the years, and last year's harvest totaled 94,314 birds.

Those numbers were much higher than expected. Original estimates were that it would be a lackluster year due to an April freeze, but hunters did their job. Results aren't yet in from the 2008 early-season goose hunt, but in all likelihood, it was a fantastic season once again. The high production rates from the spring meant many young birds in the state. This year's early-season goose hunt ran Sept. 6 to 22. Hunters who have not tried this hunt should definitely consider it in 2009. More than 37,000 hunters participated in last year's event making for an average of two to three birds per hunter.

"It's a great refresher for the upcoming waterfowling season and almost feels like the pre-season," Sawyer said. "Geese have had the spring and summer to forget some of their tricks for avoiding hunters and all the young birds are very susceptible to hunters."

Harvest limits are also typically higher for the September hunt than any other time of the year. The 2007 daily bag limit for early-season geese was five birds throughout the state except for the southeast corner where the limit was two. During the regular season, goose limits are two no matter where you hunt.

Even with opportunities for uneducated birds and high bag limits, the number of hunters in the 2007 hunt declined slightly from 2006. That's good news for hunters because it means less competition from other hunters. Still, the early season is a great opportunity for introducing new waterfowlers and kids to the sport.

"The weather is usually pretty warm, sometimes even bordering on hot, and even when it gets cold, it's not so bad," Sawyer said. "The early season is great for introducing new people to the sport, but it's also great for those of us who are seasoned waterfowlers. Hunting the early season lets you get your calling back in order with real birds in a hunting scenario and lets you find some of the chinks in your armor so that when the full-bore waterfowling season begins, you hopefully have all your major mistakes figured out."

The first two weeks of the early season are typically the best because the birds are becoming accustomed to being hunted again.

"After awhile the birds become conditioned to decoy placement, so they get good at spotting blinds and they start to ignore bad calling or over-calling," Peterson said.

On a more cautionary note, Sawyer said that hunters have to be careful when hunting early-season geese because they can easily educate the young birds.