Dusky Canada goose numbers this year are the highest since 2005, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The agency’s annual status of waterfowl report says there are 13,700 dusky Canada geese on the Copper River Delta and Middleton Island.
The three-year average is 11,700.
“These increases could be due in part to four consecutive years of high production on the Copper River Delta,” the report says.
To find a copy of the complete report, go online to www.fws.gov/migratorybirds.
Goose hunting in Southwest Washington does not open until Nov. 10 in order to protect the chronically weak population of duskys.
Hunting in Clark County is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 10-15 and Dec. 5-Jan. 27. Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge has a similar season, although the hunting days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Hunters in Southwest Washington are limited to one dusky goose per year. There is a 40-dusky quota for Southwest Washington.
To download a copy of the waterfowl hunting regulations, go online to http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations.
