Indiana’s breeding Canada goose population was at 125,000 last spring, 45,000 over our goal. We have begun a three-year experimental February season to try to reduce the population. It remains to be seen how effective this late season will be, but after the first week, I feel confident that we can use this season to bring down the population at least somewhat, if not all the way to the goal. The SJBP and MVP populations of Canada geese that migrate through Indiana are also at very healthy levels.

G&F: Were the sales of waterfowl stamps about normal for 2007?

Phelps: “Normal” is hard to define. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not have the 2006 numbers available yet, but 2005 was a bad year for duck stamp sales in Indiana, down nearly 9,000 from 2004.

However, the good news is that the 2001-2005 average was higher than any other five-year average, all the way back to 1961-65. This may be due to collectors and other conservation-minded individuals other than hunters stepping up and buying stamps. I hope to see this upward trend return when the 2006 and 2007 numbers are published.

* * *

There you have it, a look at what hunters can expect this year in the Hoosier State. You may be fishing right now, but there’s little doubt that the first hunting seasons will soon be just around the corner.