What Kind of Goose did I see ?

two-dogs

two-dogs

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goose or bird of some kind, it was mostly black with some white, long long neck, bigger than any Canada goose that I have seen? It was on the water of my trout fish pond near the shore line. When I came up over the bank it spooked and flew off. Could it have just been a Canada, just darker with much more black than usual and an extremely large one?
Or could it have been something else?

I looked here and didn't see anything with the same coloring:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=pic+of+geese&espv=2&biw=1066&bih=699&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA26_QlIrPAhVq6YMKHemiDvEQ7AkINA
 
Sounds like some sort of hybrid like this one

0C9A9A63-FC84-486C-976D-25C815BB3BDB_zpsuwtalmgs.jpg
 
Completely unrelated but reminds me of opening day last year.

I'm in the blind around the mid day lull so I put my gun down and start shuffling around trying to build up some better cover. All of a sudden this large bird with a black head and a bright red and orange breast starts flying right at us. I'm looking at it as its coming in thinking "what kind of heron is that?" when suddenly it lands right in the middle of our spread and I realise "holy $$$, someone already shot that goose!"

So this goose is sitting in the middle of my decoys 15 feet from me bleeding out and my gun is of course out of reach. I thought of going for it but I'm totally exposed so if I move at all I'm busted. So I whisper to my hunting buddy, who had fallen asleep in the bottom of the canoe "buddy, buddy - there's a goose in the middle of the decoys." Well he wakes up in a start, shoulders quick and fires, completely filling one of the decoys. Of course this poor wounded goose is a bit startled by all this commotion so jumps up out of the water and starts flying. Thankfully my hunting partner aimed at the right bird for his second shot.

We now call the shot up decoy "buddy". It doesn't float so well and has a rattle when you shake it but it brings me a smile every time I handle it.
 
Could be several different species but the size seems to contradict all of them...I was thinking either a Brant, Barnacle or juvie blue? Perhaps a hybrid Canada? That's all assuming it truly was a goose.
 
j_06 said:
A "giant" Canada can get up to 20lbs+. What subspecies are in your area?
Click to expand...

Maybe one with clipped wings and penned up being raised domestically but in the wild not happening. Thats pure L.P. Brezny tall tales of Minnesota honkers. He's also the outdoor writer who endorses 110 yard wingshooting!!

You have to start taking pictures two-dogs. Good quality detailed pictures! Your descriptions could be anything from a cormorant to a vw beetle!
 
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two-dogs said:
goose or bird of some kind, it was mostly black with some white, long long neck, bigger than any Canada goose that I have seen? It was on the water of my trout fish pond near the shore line. When I came up over the bank it spooked and flew off. Could it have just been a Canada, just darker with much more black than usual and an extremely large one?
Or could it have been something else?

I looked here and didn't see anything with the same coloring:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=pic+...X&ved=0ahUKEwiA26_QlIrPAhVq6YMKHemiDvEQ7AkINA
Click to expand...

Could it have been a grand heron, they often walk on shore lines, eating fish.?
 
An Australian black swan is not totally out of the question. They are kept in zoos and private collections in North America, and sometimes get loose. When I worked in Toronto one took up residence along the city waterfront and was seen regularly for years.
 
it was along the shore line in the water, wasn't a cormorant, I know what those suckas look like all too well! A few mins after it took off, 3 more big birds flew over, couldn't tell what color they were or what they were, just had a thought that they may have been with this single one in a group and the one came in first to check things out before they all landed.

I don't know what all kinds of geese are in this area, Canada's and Snow I suspect.
 
two-dogs said:
it was along the shore line in the water, wasn't a cormorant, I know what those suckas look like all too well! A few mins after it took off, 3 more big birds flew over, couldn't tell what color they were or what they were, just had a thought that they may have been with this single one in a group and the one came in first to check things out before they all landed.

I don't know what all kinds of geese are in this area, Canada's and Snow I suspect.
Click to expand...

You either need to go back to your proven method of shoot first and i.d later or buy a book on identifying water birds of North America.(preferably with real colour pictures not black and white artist renditions). The remote rez teepee drawings are not working out for you!! ;)
 
the spank said:
You either need to go back to your proven method of shoot first and i.d later or buy a book on identifying water birds of North America.(preferably with real colour pictures not black and white artist renditions). The remote rez teepee drawings are not working out for you!! ;)
Click to expand...

my B-day is coming up next month bud, why not surprise me with the book, 22 days to go, if you get it in the mail soon, it will be here in time:) Just say Happy 65th on the package;)

Thank the Lord we were out on the pond bank today routing the artesian well water discharge hose underground at 3:30 PM, 8 big blue herons came over head, took a look and saw us, turned around and went back to where they came from! We put another pond dye in this afternoon, hopefully that will make it harder for them to see the fish. I'm a bundle of nerves again, I hope this migrating season is soon over!
 
I have never seen or heard of a flock of Blue Herons? I have seen them gathered in spring/summer at their rookery but they are largely solitary creatures and migrate alone not en masse. Are you sure you just didn't see Sandhill Cranes passing overhead? Would you know the difference??
 
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