Mudflats of the river islands and the sandbar inlets were where sports foundCanada geese during the olden times. All along the Mississippi River and itstributaries were located numerous islands and sandbars that were the feeding andwintering grounds for Canada geese for many years immemorial, and since pioneerdays it was noted for the goose shooting it afforded.

In the olden days, there were comparatively few goosehunters, because goose hunting was no sport for the novice. Hunting ducks wasconsidered child’s play compared to getting the Canadas within the range of theshotgun. The duck hunter might hide behind almost any kind of blind and scatterhis decoys out over the water in almost any old fashion, not so with the goosehunter. He usually selected a long mud flat or sand bar and dug in. That is,dug a pit deep enough to hide himself and fellow hunters. A tarpaulin or someother covering was usually used to cover the opening of the pit. Goose decoyshad to be placed out properly according to the way the wind was blowing, or thegeese would not be enticed within range of the hunter’s gun.

Today, not one single pit will be dug on any sandbaror mud flat on the Mississippi River, as the hoped-for return of ten thousandCanada geese to Wapanocca and the Southland remains a dream, and Canada goosehunting, a very ancient and respected occupation in the olden times, is nomore!

 With thesituations that exist today and which will continue into the future, the besthistorical information we have indicates that waterfowl populations can only bepreserved by regulating the number of shooting days and bag limit. We shouldrejoice that this has been effective in the past and that the means is withinreach of our hands and determination, and we should not close our eyes to it. Waterfowllive by three tenets: where can we get food, water, and rest with the leastamount of pressure. They have lived by these three for thousands of years.

The weatherpatterns have shifted and so has the migration. It will be a difficult task toreduce the number of days and the limit as businesses and organizations will demandthat their money-machine keep running, and waterfowlers will be reluctant togive up days spent in a blind. We better do so, for the waterfowl are giving usa warning and telling us that the changes are already here. The question iswill we respond and resolve.