2023-2024 Migratory Bird Season Information and Population Status

[NJDFW]

The NJ Fish and Game Council recently voted and finalized New Jersey’s 2023-24 migratory bird hunting season dates and bag limits.

Notable highlights for 2023-24 include:

• The Canada goose season length was increased from 30 to 45 days and the bag limit was increased to 3 birds in the North and South Zones. The bag limit remains at 2 Canada geese in the Coastal Zone.
• The mallard bag limit was increased to 4 birds (no more than 2 hens).
• The brant season was reduced to 30 days and bag limit reduced to 1 bird.
• Sea ducks can only be hunted when the regular duck season is open in each zone and are included as part of the bag limit of 6 ducks.
• There will again be special hunting days for youths, veterans and active military.

For details on the above and much more, see 2023-2024 Migratory Bird Season Information and Population Status.

• Waterfowl and Migratory Birds In NJ
• 2023-2024 Migratory Bird Seasons Summary

All of this information will be included in the upcoming 2023-2024 Hunting and Trapping Digest.

View the full article

[mazzgolf]

This is HUGE news!

> The Canada goose season length was increased from 30 to 45 days and the bag limit was increased to 3 birds in the North and South Zones.

Back to the way it was a couple years ago! 

 

[mazzgolf]

And mallards up to 4 with 2 hens..wow!

[mazzgolf]

Brant down to 1 with reduced season of 30 days. But I'm OK with that trade-off. If you told me last year we'd get a 45-day, 3-bird Canada goose season and a double of the mallard bag limit with a reduced brant season, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

[hunterbob1]

Now you can eat goose instead of crow

[mazzgolf]

.... ignore this post - the 5-bird late season limit is the same as before...

Edited April 21, 2023 by mazzgolf

[Devil Horns]

On 4/20/2023 at 10:51 AM, mazzgolf said:

This is HUGE news!

> The Canada goose season length was increased from 30 to 45 days and the bag limit was increased to 3 birds in the North and South Zones.

Back to the way it was a couple years ago! 

 

Glad I didn't sell all my goose hunting gear. Looking forward to goose hunting again. I didn't go at all the last 2 years with the 1 bird limit.

[NJNewbie]

I know im a little late to the party here, but can someone help explain this, taken directly from NJDEP fish and game link posted above. I see the primary waterfowl season has a bag limit of 3 birds north and south and 2 costal, but if you scroll below that it shows the below. I think im understanding this correctly, but please advise me if i am not. 

 

For all of September you can bag 15 geese per person? 

Then from Jan 30th-FEb15th, you can bag 5

Then Feb. 16th to April 16th, its open season? 

 

Am i getting this right? The bag limits are so low in November, and December, but then its open season starting Feb 16th? I understand that this is probably a response to the resident geese population here, but i thought you cant tell the difference. Do they taste the same?

 

 

CANADA GOOSE
September Season (Statewide)
Sept. 1 – Sept. 30
Daily bag limit: 15 Canada geese
Special regulations

NOTE: SPECIAL REGULATIONS ONLY APPLY TO THE SEPTEMBER CANADA GOOSE SEASON

CANADA GOOSE
Special Winter Season (Two Distinct Zones)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 15
Daily bag limit: 5 singly or in aggregate including cackling and white-fronted geese.

LIGHT GOOSE
Regular Season
Statewide: Oct. 17 – Feb. 15
Daily bag limit: 25, singly or in aggregate to include greater and lesser snow geese and Ross’s geese.

Conservation Order
Statewide: Feb. 16 – Apr. 6
Daily bag limit: None; includes greater and lesser snow geese and Ross’s geese
Special regulations

[Bubblehead]

Search through the waterfowl section here. This has been discussed at length several times. I’ll give you the cliff notes version though:

 

Through banding data the powers that be are focusing on different populations of birds as you think. Residents in September and February and migrators in the “regular season”. 
 

The birds will have different tastes depending on a variety of factors, mostly their diets.  

[mazzgolf]

21 minutes ago, NJNewbie said:

Then Feb. 16th to April 16th, its open season? 

Do NOT confuse the snow geese CO season with Canada goose season. It is NOT open season on Canada geese after Feb 15 (there is NO Canada goose hunting anywhere statewide after Feb 15).

That Feb 16-Apr 16 season is the special CO (conservation order) season only for snow geese (technically "light geese" - but definitely does NOT include Canadas). See page 65 of the digest, section "Spring Light Goose Conservation Order" - need a permit for hunting that.

And, BTW, the special winter season for Canadas (Jan 30-Feb 15) is NOT statewide - there are two special winter season areas in NJ (one north, one south) - hunting Canadas outside of those special zones after  Jan 29 is a no-go.

See page 62 and 63 of the new digest for all dates and details.

[NJNewbie]

Thank you, will check that out.