HUNTING VULNERABILITY OF LOCAL AND MIGRANT CANADA GEESE IN PENNSYLVANIA

Mixing of locally breeding Canada geese (mainly Branta canadensis maxi ma) with subarctic nesting races (mainly B. c. interior) on fall stagi ng and wintering areas of the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways present s management conflicts when harvest strategies differ for each populat ion. During fall and winter 1988-90, we examined population size, surv ival, harvest, and movements of locally breeding and migrant Canada ge ese in northwestern Pennsylvania to assess their vulnerability to hunt ing. We observed geese marked with neck bands to estimate abundance, m ovements, and survival and used morphological measurements to estimate percentage of each population in the harvest. Approximately 8,500 loc al geese were in the study area in September 1988 and 1989. Migrant ge ese were present from September through February and their numbers pea ked (15,000-18,000) during the latter part of the hunting season (Dec) . More than 40% of migrant geese remained < 10 days. Harvest was not r andom (P < 0.05) for 90% of the hunting season; local geese were harve sted proportionately more than their availability in the population, w hile migrant geese were harvested proportionately less than their avai lability in the population. Differences in harvest probability of loca l and migrant geese were largest later in the hunting season. However, the number of geese in the harvest and hunting success declined (P < 0.001) as the season progressed. Regional management practices can hav e a differential effect on Canada goose populations.