But no party goes on forever, and today, The Quota Zone is no more. It has been taken apart piecemeal. Much like a stolen car in a very efficient chop shop, all the important parts have been removed until nothing remains but the framework.

The first and most important aspect of The Quota Zone to change was the geese themselves. Slowly, over time, the migrating flocks began spending more of their winters up north with newly arrived relatives known as the "Clan of the Giant Canada Goose." Once a very small clan, "giant Canadas" were relocated from a small town in Minnesota to the spreading suburbs of major cities, including Chicago. Once established in their new digs, the giant Canadas became fruitful and multiplied profusely.

Each fall, more and more of the migrating geese took advantage of the giant Canadas' hospitality. Today, nearly the entire flock spends its winter enjoying the abundance in the goosedom of northern Illinois. The goose flock of The Quota Zone is now a mere shadow of its former self.

This year, the Scientific Wizard of the DNR -- recently discovered to be Ray Marshalla posing as a mild-mannered waterfowl chief biologist -- has stripped The Quota Zone of its quota, leaving it to be known, for lack of a better term, as "The Zone." Then adding insult to injury, Scientific Wizard Ray expanded the boundaries of The Zone to include many more than the original three counties, and renamed this area "The South Zone." What is this world coming to?

As we find things today, goose hunting in the newly remodeled South Zone obviously will not be what it was in the days of yore. The season that once began in early November and ran for 90 days -- or until the Scientific Wizard shut it down -- now opens Nov. 23, closes on Nov. 26, then reopens Dec. 10 and continues until Jan. 31, for a total of just 56 days. But without a quota, there is no threat of an early closure.

While the three major refuges remain in place, the number of geese using them has fallen dramatically. Also, the majority of the birds that still make the long flight south have not been showing up until mid-November, at best, and often a month later. It would appear the best prospects for a successful South Zone goose hunt would be in January, and especially right after a major snowstorm has hit the upper two-thirds of Illinois. Such a weather event will drive substantial numbers of geese south, where they remain until temperatures moderate in the north.

Now included in the South Zone is Carlyle Lake, a large impoundment in Clinton County just south of Interstate 70. While this lake is one of the most productive of public waterfowl hunting areas for ducks, it does not enjoy a good reputation for goose hunting.