Canada geese

[Ponyroper]

Has anyone else noticed that there are fewer batches of Canada geese goslings this year? I go past a couple of small ponds/dams every day and in past years there were usually 2 or 3 families paddling around by the end of April or in May. See a few adults on the water now but not one batch of goslings this year. Wondering if the cold weather in April had something to do with it?

 

[ktm450]

Has anyone else noticed that there are fewer batches of Canada geese goslings this year? I go past a couple of small ponds/dams every day and in past years there were usually 2 or 3 families paddling around by the end of April or in May. See a few adults on the water now but not one batch of goslings this year. Wondering if the cold weather in April had something to do with it?

Have seen a few groups, but as of last week they were already the size of chickens. lol didn't think they would be that big already. didn't see them when they were small

 

[campchef]

without a doubt, very little propagation.

 

[Davey Crockett]

I wonder if late ice has something to do with it in your areas , Every area is different but up here it makes a difference. I've watched a pair nest on a small island on a pond since Canada geese started nesting up here in the 80s Coyotes and critters clean them out on years when they can trot out to the island on the ice. I suspect the geese keep laying and sometimes end up with one a couple hatching. It's not just Islands , Up here geese like nesting on muskrat houses . Every area is different though.

 

[dean nelson]

Lost allot around here when the river came up but on other bodies of water they are at normal levels. late snow storms tend to be the thing to get them the most around here. the storms have a tendency to hit right when the geese are laying their eggs and not sitting on them so the nest end up getting buried in snow.

 

[remm]

Has anyone else noticed that there are fewer batches of Canada geese goslings this year? I go past a couple of small ponds/dams every day and in past years there were usually 2 or 3 families paddling around by the end of April or in May. See a few adults on the water now but not one batch of goslings this year. Wondering if the cold weather in April had something to do with it?

The guys with .223’s in their tractors have more to do with it than the weather...

 

[Kentucky Windage]

The guys with .223’s in their tractors have more to do with it than the weather...

:;:stirthepot

 

[guywhofishes]

one day I saw three pairs - each pair had a single gosling

I was a little freaked out

 

[eyexer]

The ones I have seen recently are super late broods.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

one day I saw three pairs - each pair had a single gosling

I was a little freaked out

So they clearly weren’t catholic.....

 

[Lou63]

haven't seen a gosling or a duckling yet out blading roads, I am seeing group of 10 or more adult geese flying together. Mailman up here isn't seeing many goslings and he thinks they nested so early the eggs froze and they didn't lay a second batch.

 

[dean nelson]

Game and fish reported a noticeable lack of breeding of geese this year in their may survey so it's definitely not just a localized thing.

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haven't seen a gosling or a duckling yet out blading roads, I am seeing group of 10 or more adult geese flying together. Mailman up here isn't seeing many goslings and he thinks they nested so early the eggs froze and they didn't lay a second batch.

Yeah when honker's Nest fail they give up. they only give it one shot so if they fail they end up piling up right about now and migrating to the tundra. However if you have really wet conditions the molt birds will often hang there for the summer which seems like some are starting to do on the flooded lowlands around the river but won't be for sure on that for at least a couple more weeks.

 

[KDM]

Every spring I look for goslings and get concerned when I don't see herds of 6-10 on every pond. Then come August, the darn things seem to spring out of the ground and early goose season as well as the regular season provide plenty of targets. I'm not worried in the slightest. We've had good spring rains and the grass grew tall real quick so not seeing goslings doesn't surprise me nor is it cause for concern IMO. When they call off the early season......THEN I'll raise an eyebrow.

 

[guywhofishes]

I want to capture some chicken size goslings and eat them

they look so plump and tasty in their fuzzy outfits waddling along like little entrees

 

[Captain Ahab]

I want to capture some chicken size goslings and eat them

they look so plump and tasty in their fuzzy outfits waddling along like little entrees

I see where you are coming from, but that might be frowned upon. Ha!

There were big hatches up around Lake of the Woods. I saw 16 goslings with one pair. Do they adopt?

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I guess so:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1280370/Canada-geese-left-charge-40-goslings.html

 

[guywhofishes]

they should have a summer gosling season - hand netting only

could create an entire industry - anti-parent goose protective clothing would become a cottage industry

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that article looked delicious ahab