Are Canada Geese Protected in Ohio? Laws, Hunting, and Penalties

Yes, Canada geese are protected in Ohio under both federal and state law. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal to kill, capture, or disturb the birds, their nests, or their eggs without federal authorization, and Ohio’s wildlife code reinforces those protections.¹ You can still hunt geese during designated seasons with the right licenses, and you can manage nuisance birds on your property, but both paths come with strict permit and procedural rules.

The Federal Law That Protects Them

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 is the primary federal law shielding Canada geese. It prohibits anyone from hunting, killing, capturing, or possessing a migratory bird, along with its nest, eggs, or parts, unless federal regulations specifically allow it.¹ The protection covers every life stage, from eggs and goslings to adults, and it applies year-round.

Ohio’s Added Layer

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1531 gives the state ownership of all wild animals in trust for the public. No one may take or possess a wild animal except as Ohio law and Division of Wildlife rules allow.² The chief of the Division of Wildlife sets seasons, bag limits, and approved methods for migratory game birds, with the detailed rules kept in Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 1501:31-7 and updated each year to line up with the federal framework.³ Because state and federal charges can stack, a single illegal act against a goose can trigger prosecution at both levels.

When Hunting Canada Geese Is Legal

Canada geese can be legally hunted in Ohio during regulated seasons managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Hunting outside those windows, or without the full set of required credentials, is a violation.

Seasons

Ohio divides the state into waterfowl zones with different dates. The early Canada goose season runs statewide for about a week in early September, targeting resident birds before migratory populations arrive. Regular seasons in the Lake Erie Marsh Zone, North Zone, and South Zone run in a split format from mid-October into early February. For the 2025–2026 season, the early statewide dates were September 6–14, 2025, with the regular seasons extending into February 2026.⁴ Confirm current-year dates for your zone before hunting.

Bag and Possession Limits

During the early September season, the daily bag limit is five Canada geese. During the regular season, five geese daily combined across Canada geese, white-fronted geese, and brant, with no more than one brant in that total. After the second day of hunting, possession is capped at three times the daily bag limit.⁴

Licenses and Stamps

Waterfowl hunting in Ohio requires several credentials stacked together. You need each one before heading out:

An Ohio hunting license. A resident one-year license is $19.⁵
Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification, obtained by calling 1-877-HIP-OHIO (1-877-447-6446) or using the HuntFish OH app. Carry the certification number while hunting.
An Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp, required for waterfowl hunters 18 and older, at $15.
A Federal Duck Stamp for anyone 16 or older, at $25. It must be physically signed or held as a valid E-Stamp; a sales receipt alone does not count.⁶

Missing any one of these makes the hunt illegal.

Nontoxic Shot

Federal rules require nontoxic shot for all waterfowl hunting. Lead is banned. Approved alternatives include steel, bismuth-tin, and various tungsten alloys, each with less than one percent residual lead.⁷ Simply possessing lead shot while hunting waterfowl is itself a violation.

Managing Nuisance Geese on Your Property

Canada geese often settle in parks, corporate campuses, golf courses, and yards. Their protected status means you can’t just remove them, and what you’re allowed to do depends on how aggressive the approach is.

Non-Lethal Hazing

Basic hazing generally does not require a permit and is the recommended first step. Trained dogs, loud noises or pyrotechnics, nighttime laser pointers, and habitat changes such as letting grass grow taller near water or installing barriers between water and grazing areas all help. Hazing works best when started early, before geese become established. Once a flock has nested at the same site for years, hazing alone rarely solves the problem.

Egg and Nest Management

Oiling, addling, or destroying Canada goose eggs or nests requires federal authorization. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service runs an online registration for this: the Resident Canada Goose Nest and Egg Registration site. Landowners, homeowners associations, public land managers, and local governments in the lower 48 states can register. You must be at least 18, must re-register every year before taking any nests or eggs, and must list by name any employees or agents who will do the work for you.⁸

There is a reporting requirement people often miss. Every registrant must log back in by December 31 (with a 30-day grace period) and report the number of nests destroyed, broken down by month and county. You have to report even if you did nothing that year. Failing to report blocks you from registering in future years.⁸ Ohio may have additional requirements, so check with the Division of Wildlife before proceeding.

Lethal Removal

Killing Canada geese outside hunting season is a last resort. The USFWS issues depredation permits only when geese threaten human health or safety, or when other methods have failed to prevent property damage. The application has no fee, but the bar is high.⁹

A separate depredation order covers agricultural operations. Under 50 CFR 21.165, Ohio (as a Mississippi Flyway state) can authorize agricultural producers to take resident Canada geese damaging crops. Approved methods include egg oiling, trapping, shotguns, and nest destruction. In Ohio, lethal take under this order runs from May 1 through August 31, while nest and egg destruction is allowed year-round.¹⁰ The authority flows through the state wildlife agency, not directly to individual farmers, so contact ODNR for current participation details.

Penalties for Violations

Consequences are steeper than most people expect. A standard MBTA violation is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $15,000 and up to six months in jail.¹¹ Misdemeanor charges are strict liability, so prosecutors don’t need to prove you knew you were breaking the law. Not knowing about the MBTA is not a defense.

Felony charges apply when someone knowingly takes a migratory bird intending to sell or barter it. A felony conviction can bring up to $2,000 in fines, up to two years in prison, and forfeiture of equipment used in the violation.¹¹

Ohio imposes its own penalties on top. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 1531.11, taking any wild animal contrary to Division of Wildlife rules is a separate offense that can bring fines, loss of hunting privileges, and possible jail time.²

Reporting a Violation

If you see someone illegally killing, capturing, or harassing Canada geese in Ohio, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service handles federal wildlife crime reports through its website.¹² At the state level, contact the ODNR Division of Wildlife directly. Prompt reporting matters most during nesting season, when illegal nest destruction is most likely.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 703 – Taking, Killing, or Possessing Migratory Birds Unlawful
2
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Title 15, Chapter 1531
3
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 1501:31-7 – Migratory Game Birds
4
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2025-26
5
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Buy Hunting Licenses and Permits
6
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp
7
eCFR. 50 CFR 20.21 – What Hunting Methods Are Illegal
8
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Resident Canada Goose Nest and Egg Registration
9
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 3-200-67 Special Canada Goose
10
eCFR. 50 CFR 21.165 – Depredation Order for Resident Canada Geese at Agricultural Facilities
11
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 707 – Violations and Penalties
12
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Frequently Asked Questions