| Summary: | Improved understanding of factors influencing annual variation in harvest of Canada geese ( Branta canadensis ) would assist managers in setting hunting seasons and managing subpopulations of geese. To understand the influence of weather on harvest of Canada geese in Nebraska, we tested for relationships between annual harvest of Canada geese in Nebraska and various weather variables from North Dakota and South Dakota from 1999 to 2011. We categorized harvest data into groups by year of either high (>79,442 Canada geese harvested) or low harvest (<79,442 Canada geese harvested). We compared these groups to determine if differences in weather severity, using a Weather Severity Index ( wsi ), affected Nebraska’s annual harvest. Timing and extent of greater wsi scores and snowfall in the Dakotas were associated with higher harvest in Nebraska. For years that had an earlier onset of severe weather conditions in North and South Dakota, we also found a corresponding increase in harvest of Canada geese in Nebraska. We recommend managers promulgate hunting regulations and habitat management practices that correspond with the greatest likelihood of weather conditions favorable for migration to effectively manage Canada geese in Nebraska and elsewhere in the Central Flyway.
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