USFWS frameworks reduce Atlantic population Canada goose bag to one; PGC outlines waterfowl seasons amid HPAI concerns
April 12, 2025 | Game Commission, TOURISM & RECREATION, Executive Departments, Organizations, Executive, Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania Game Commission staff briefed commissioners on federal flyway framework changes for 2025–26 waterfowl seasons, the state’s proposed waterfowl seasons, and ongoing detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds.
Staff said HPAI resurfaced in December and continues to cause mortality in raptors, scavengers, shorebirds and waterfowl across Pennsylvania. The agency is responding to more than 100 HPAI‑related calls per week and coordinating with the University of Pennsylvania Wildlife Futures Program, the PA Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture and USDA Wildlife Services. Staff warned that reported mortality counts likely understate the true number of affected birds because not every individual in a mortality event can be tested.
On migratory bird seasons, staff noted that waterfowl and other migratory game birds fall under federal authority (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and the Atlantic Flyway Council’s frameworks. For 2025–26, the Atlantic population (AP) of Canada geese—birds that breed in coastal and eastern Arctic regions and historically winter along the eastern seaboard—saw their daily bag reduced from three to one because the latest breeding‑pair estimate on the AP grounds in northern Quebec was lower than recent years (staff cited an estimate near 89,000 pairs). The Flyway recommended a conservative season (30 days, 1 bird daily) for AP geese; states within the flyway must follow those framework limits where they apply.
Staff emphasized that the statewide September early goose season remains unchanged at an eight‑bird daily bag because AP migrants are not typically present in Pennsylvania then. Staff also noted that northern pintail will have a flat daily bag limit of three birds going forward rather than a fluctuating 1–3 limit used historically.
Staff presented the commission’s proposed duck and goose seasons for 2025–26; there were no substantive changes from the prior year’s dates and bag limits other than calendar adjustments. The staff presentation reiterated that federal frameworks establish maximum season length, splits and bag limits, and that states must fit their selected dates and bag limits inside those frameworks.
No formal board action was recorded during the briefing; staff said proposed seasons would proceed through the usual federal and state regulatory processes.
Staff said HPAI resurfaced in December and continues to cause mortality in raptors, scavengers, shorebirds and waterfowl across Pennsylvania. The agency is responding to more than 100 HPAI‑related calls per week and coordinating with the University of Pennsylvania Wildlife Futures Program, the PA Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture and USDA Wildlife Services. Staff warned that reported mortality counts likely understate the true number of affected birds because not every individual in a mortality event can be tested.
On migratory bird seasons, staff noted that waterfowl and other migratory game birds fall under federal authority (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and the Atlantic Flyway Council’s frameworks. For 2025–26, the Atlantic population (AP) of Canada geese—birds that breed in coastal and eastern Arctic regions and historically winter along the eastern seaboard—saw their daily bag reduced from three to one because the latest breeding‑pair estimate on the AP grounds in northern Quebec was lower than recent years (staff cited an estimate near 89,000 pairs). The Flyway recommended a conservative season (30 days, 1 bird daily) for AP geese; states within the flyway must follow those framework limits where they apply.
Staff emphasized that the statewide September early goose season remains unchanged at an eight‑bird daily bag because AP migrants are not typically present in Pennsylvania then. Staff also noted that northern pintail will have a flat daily bag limit of three birds going forward rather than a fluctuating 1–3 limit used historically.
Staff presented the commission’s proposed duck and goose seasons for 2025–26; there were no substantive changes from the prior year’s dates and bag limits other than calendar adjustments. The staff presentation reiterated that federal frameworks establish maximum season length, splits and bag limits, and that states must fit their selected dates and bag limits inside those frameworks.
No formal board action was recorded during the briefing; staff said proposed seasons would proceed through the usual federal and state regulatory processes.
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