“Here they come. They’re banking around that building.”
From his skiff, Chris Price sees the familiar V-shape of a flock of Canada geese heading for their overnight grounds shortly before dusk on a warm, late summer evening.
The flock never gets close enough for a shot by Price, who is joined in the boat by friend James Eirkson and Price’s golden retriever, Pearl.
Instead, the young men look on with disappointment as the geese fly past, high above City Island, with the state Capitol in the background, toward the shore in Shipoke.
Yes, City Island, the Capitol, Shipoke.
The friends are not hunting out in the country or in some remote swamp, but in the busy, densely populated city of Harrisburg.
From the boat in the middle of the Susquehanna River, one can see streams of traffic on Front Street, joggers along the river walk. Pleasure craft drift close by.
And it’s all completely legal.
To the surprise of many newcomers on both the east and west shores, the state allows waterfowl hunting in these Harrisburg waters, as long as hunters don’t shoot into the safety zone, defined as 150 yards from occupied structures on shore.
This situation is perfect for local hunters, as geese and ducks both flock to the numerous little islands and grassy patches that span the mile-wide river. In addition, the stretch of river is easy to navigate and, with numerous boat launches, convenient to reach.
Price and Eirkson, for instance, both live in Riverview Manor, the condominium on Front Street in Midtown Harrisburg. So they can put in practically from their front door.
Some people who live near the river, however, have a different take. The waterfowl season is long. In the Harrisburg area, a three-week resident Canada goose season began Sept. 1, and geese can be hunted throughout much of the fall and winter until Feb. 28.
The even more popular duck season runs Oct. 13 to 20, then again Nov. 15 to Jan. 15.
Therefore, for about six months, volleys of gunfire often start at dawn, startling hard-working people who would rather not be jolted awake at 6 a.m. on a Saturday.
“It’s an annoyance,” said one Midtown resident who asked not to be named. “People who don’t like to be woken up in the morning consider it an annoyance.”
In addition, over the years, some people new to the area have called 9-1-1 with reports of gunshots.
Just last year, one Olde Uptown resident put in a frantic call to police and then reported on Facebook that an all-out gun battle had broken out in her neighborhood.
In a way, this story is an old one, as hunters and homeowners long have had disputes about noise and safety on and near hunting grounds.
However, the situation here is unique, as the sheer density of the population on both sides of the river makes this truly an urban hunting experience–with its own set of benefits and challenges.
Even hunters Price and Eirkson expressed surprise that they’re able to hunt within eyeshot of downtown Harrisburg, with traffic streaming over the bridges that span the river.
“The first time I was out here, I was almost waiting for a police officer to come out because it just didn’t seem right,” said Eirkson. “You have the Capitol and the governor’s mansion and people walking around.”
Other than some noise complaints, there have been few problems between hunters and residents over the years, said Jerry Feaser, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
He believes that the far majority of hunters know and respect the law–that they don’t shoot into the safety zone, don’t shoot when it’s dark out, keep off of privately owned islands and respect bag limits.
To enforce the law, conservation officers patrol the river and cite hunters for unlawful practices, he said.
“You always have somebody who is going to go against the rules,” he added.
Kermit Henning, an avid local outdoors-man, offered some perspective.
He said that waterfowl hunting in Harrisburg goes back a long time, but has become more popular recently due to the decline in the area’s pheasant population, once a preferred prey, and because the river north of Harrisburg can be difficult to access.
“Hunting has really grown here,” he said. “Almost every island now has a hunter on it.”
In addition, in the 1960s and ’70s, Harrisburg police often chased hunters from the river, but the state intervened to stop the practice.
With the increased popularity of the sport, some problems have arisen, Henning said, including shotgun pellets that have fallen on cars and bridges. He said he personally has witnessed conservation officers arresting hunters charged with rules violations.
But, for the most part, the lengthy season proceeds without much incident. Even residents who, at first, are surprised–even shocked–that hunting is allowed in this congested area eventually seem to accept the loud wake-up calls at dawn as just another inconvenience of living in this always-challenging capital city.
“It’s strange that this presumably rural activity is allowed here,” said a Midtown resident. “But, given the menu of problems involved with living in this city, it probably doesn’t rise to the level of major concern.”
