The Allegan State Game Area encompasses over 50,000 of prime goose habitat in western Allegan County and includes the Fennville Farm Unit, Highbanks Unit, Bravo Unit and Ottawa Marsh Managed Waterfowl Unit. The area is very popular with Michigan goose hunters.

"Migration and waterfowl numbers at the Fennville Farm Unit did not cooperate with hunters in 2004," said wildlife technician Brandon Seitz. "Canada goose populations in and around the farm unit peaked just two days before the January hunt. The population plummeted from 20,035 on Dec. 29, 2004, to just 9,982 on Jan. 8, 2005."

While the Allegan County Goose Management Unit allowable harvest was dropped to 1,500 geese in 2004, the goose harvest declined significantly when compared with 2003.

"Only 662 geese were taken over the course of the 2004 season compared to 1,770 in 2003," said Seitz. "As a result, the Canada goose harvest was only 42.5 percent of the 2003 harvest during the Nov. 1-9 period. Canada geese harvested during the Jan. 1-16, 2005, period accounted for 90.4 percent of the harvest during the same period in 2004. Hunter success was 0.17 geese per hunter during the managed waterfowl hunt."

For more information on goose hunting opportunities at the Allegan Highbanks and Fennville Farm units, call (269) 673-2430. For information on lodging and amenities in the Allegan area, contact the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council at (269) 925-6301 or online at www.swmichigan.com.

Goose hunting improved at managed areas like Fish Point in 2004, but all still fell short of their quotas.

"The reported goose harvest for 2004 of 690 birds is 10 percent above the five-year average," said wildlife technician Tim Gierman. The figure is well short of the 750-bird quota for the Tuscola/Huron GMU. With a season that ran from Oct. 9 through Nov. 27 at the managed areas and a regular goose season that ran from Sept. 20 through Oct. 10 and Dec. 4-12 in areas outside the GMU, it didn't take the geese long to figure out where they could and couldn't go without getting shot at.

"I think at the areas around Saginaw Bay the geese are using the area up and then leaving the managed units for areas outside the GMU boundaries," said wildlife biologist Barb Avers. Geese just move to areas where they can and can't be hunted, depending on the season.

Torrential rains and flooding in May last year made it impossible for wildlife managers to get crops planted at Shiawassee River State Game Area last season. The lack of food and cover produced dismal goose hunting at SRSGA and in much of the GMU.

"The Saginaw County GMU harvested a total of 1,236 geese for the season," said wildlife technician Victor Weigold. "This number falls short of the 2,000-bird quota for the GMU for the sixth consecutive year. There was an overall harvest of 566 geese at the SRSGA. This is the lowest harvest number on record since 1986."

Hunters at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge south of Saginaw enjoyed similar results, according to refuge biologist Jim Dastyck.

"Last season we harvested 253 geese by 644 hunters between Oct. 9 and Oct. 31," said Dastyck.

This resulted in a 39 percent success rate. Overall, Dastyck said 2004 was a slight improvement over 2003, which was the second-worst season on record. The kill was made up of about 40 percent local giant Canadas and 60 percent migratory geese.

For more information on hunting the Shiawassee River State Game Area, call (989) 865-6211. For details on goose hunting opportunities at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, call (989) 777-5930.

What does the 2005 goose season hold for Michigan hunters? Chances are that there will be fewer local giant Canada geese passing in front of the gun as hunters have been doing their part to manage local goose populations. How many migratory geese we're likely to see is up to Mother Nature, nesting success in the wilds of Canada and how the flyway council divvies up the spoils.

But no matter what, just make sure you get out there.