The data show that the kill since this started has been about 1.3 million birds. What we think that means is that the population should be declining, but at a slower rate than projected.

The average adult goose is over 7 years old. It has been hunted for six months a year its whole life, so it has seen decoy spread every day for seven years. They pretty well understand ... they don't go into decoys very easy. They have had a thousand days where they have flown out from their roost and been exposed to decoy spreads. We have changed the goose. This is a more wary goose than we had 10 years ago.

This is likely to be continued to be offered for the immediate foreseeable future. We hope it is not permanent; we hope we can get it under control.

Now the Arctic Snow Goose Venture has reconstituted a working group, asked them to give a progress reports and analyze all the new data that has been collected because there are a lot of ongoing research. We'll look at all the new stuff that is out there, check the population models and make whatever improvement to the information and come back with more recommendations of where we go from here.

It is based on very strong science, it is all recorded and reviewed by other scientists and endorsed. That is very important element for all conservation. In this case it really is clear.

There was finally an act of Congress signed by President Clinton with no opposition. Not a single congressman or senator opposed it.