NDGF Help Center FAQ
What are the conditions or rules for a Special Canada Goose Permit?
The following conditions and stipulations will apply to Special Canada goose permits issued by the ND Game and Fish Department (NDGFD) to producers. Failure to abide by permit stipulations will result in nullification of the permit and rejection from future permit requests.
- A signed request for a permit from the producer must initially be submitted to NDGFD. IF YOU HAVE HAD A PERMIT IN THE PAST AND YOU RENEW ONLINE THERE IS NO NEED TO SUBMIT A SIGNED PAPER APPLICATION.
- Permit approval will require consultation and prior written recommendation from USDA Wildlife Service's personnel.
- Producers must have prior documented Canada goose crop depredation with USDA Wildlife Services and exhausted other prevention methods as prescribed by USDA Wildlife Services.
- Permits are valid only on the described property from April 1 - August 14.
- Permitted control activity is limited to resident Canada geese and their nests and eggs.
- Permitted control activity is limited to the producer and up to five individuals of his/her choice to act as control agents.
- Producer must designate and list the name and personal information of all individuals (up to five) who will serve as control agents on his/her property.
- All individuals authorized (control agents) by permit to remove geese or destroy nests must have a copy of the permit in their possession when carrying out any control activities.
- Permits will not be granted to, nor can a producer list, a control agent that is less than 15 years of age.
- Permitted control activity is limited to producer's property and crop fields (land description of property must be specified on permit request).
- The property owner or occupant of the land in which control activities have been permitted must allow, at any reasonable time, including during actual operations, free and unrestricted access to any US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) special agent, FWS refuge officer, or NDGFD warden (or Director’s designee) on the premises where they are, or were, conducting activities.
- Records must be kept on all activities and an annual report must be submitted to NDGF on the supplied form by 1 September. Failure to submit the required report in a timely manner will result in denial of a permit in subsequent years.
- Permits allow the removal of up to 60 Canada geese (any age) and the destruction of up to 15 nests and any egg within these nests via egg addling per permit. Authorization to take additional birds/nests may be requested.
- Permits allow the use of shotguns (less than or equal to 10 gauge in size using only non-toxic shot) and the use of centerfire rifles (rimfire rifles are not allowed).
- Geese are only allowed to be shot on land.
- Geese may not be shot from any vehicle.
- Removal of geese and destruction of nests via addling must be used in combination with other non-lethal scaring devices.
- Calls, blinds, and decoys are not allowed for control activities.
- All geese that are dispatched must be documented with their method of disposal reported to NDGFD on final report form.
- Geese killed may not be made available for sale, barter, may not be sold or bartered or shipped for sale or barter including their plumage, nests or eggs.
- Permits require the burning, burying, or donation of any geese that you kill (buried geese must be in the ground, covered by at least 6 inches of soil with no protruding parts. Burned geese must be completely destroyed by fire so no useable parts remain). Donation of the dead geese as food to a charitable organization is also allowed.
Federal law requires that all geese be disposed of properly, otherwise future permits from US Fish and Wildlife Service to NDGFD (and landowners) will be denied.
If a violation of these conditions or stipulations should occur, the act will be considered an illegal take of a migratory bird and the individual(s) involved will be charged as per Chapter 20.1-04 of the North Dakota Century Code or the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and will be ineligible for a future special Canada goose permit. A permit will not be granted to any producer, nor can a producer name a control agent, that is involved in any state or federal wildlife investigation (associated with Canada goose depredation control). No permits will be granted retroactively. Any taking of Canada geese, nests or eggs prior to permit issuance will be considered a violation of pertinent State and Federal regulations.