Hunting Season For Canada Geese Opens In Upstate New York

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — It's open season for Canada geese in New York, and state regulators have set liberal bag limits and extended shooting hours to maximize the number of geese killed.

Hunters are part of the state's efforts to curb the overpopulation of resident Canada geese — that is, birds that don't migrate significant distances. Department of Environmental Conservation biologists believe the optimal population of resident Canada geese in the state is fewer than 85,000. The current population estimate is over 200,000 birds.

September Canada goose season runs from Sept. 1 through Sept. 25 upstate and Sept. 4-30 on central and eastern Long Island. The season opens on Oct. 13 on western Long Island.

The September season has a bag limit of 15 birds a day.