If the Canada goose season closes earlier than the dates indicated in the central or south, the new light goose regulations would go into effect the day after the Canada goose season and continue through March 31 in the respective goose zones. Use of electronic goose calls and unplugged shotguns at anytime other than during the special conservation order dates is prohibited. Federal legislation approved this fall allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 24 Midwest and Southern states to adopt conservation measures intended to save fragile arctic habitat from damage caused by an exploding population of light geese. Illinois law allows use of electronic calls and, for the first time, unplugged shotguns as part of this conservation effort. Electronic goose calls have proven much more effective than conventional goose calls in harvesting light geese.
Unplugged shotguns allow hunters an ammunition capacity of greater than three shells.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that annual counts show the population of mid-continent light geese has tripled during the past 30 years to 2.8 million birds last winter. Biologists believe the fragile Canadian arctic habitat cannot support the increased population of light geese and breeding populations of other migratory bird species.