Spring Snow Goose hunt declared in Alberta

Every spring many thousands of snow geese migrate through the Beaver County area on their way to their nesting grounds in the Arctic.

This year, however, the beautiful birds will not go unimpeded through the area as the province has declared there are too many snow geese to keep their nesting habitat safe from being damaged by high populations.

So a spring snow goose hunt has been declared with hunters able to kill up to 50 birds per day.

Prior to a devastating drought about a decade ago in Beaver County, the birds covered the sky and landed at Beaverhill Lake in their thousands. The Snow Goose Festival was an annual event for birdwatchers from all over the world to come to the lake, located east of Tofield, and see the snow geese.

Sadly, the birds have never returned in their previous great numbers. But an annual event is still held in the Tofield Community Hall with naturalists and others getting conducted tours of the area for bird watching opportunities… for more see the Jan. 13/15 Mercury