The other day, I was taking a drive with my wife, and noticed that there seem to be a lot fewer resident geese this year than the past several years. Is it just my imagination, or are they cyclical critters as well, and we are near the bottom of the cycle?
Goose populations this year
- Thread starter Papaclaude
- Start date
Find it hard to estimate populations this time of year here. So many hidden bodies of water where birds can hide out all summer long. Our pond at the back had at least 4 mating pairs this spring.....there must be 40-50 juveniles back there now and they just waddle from the water to the grass rarely leaving for very long. You wouldn't even know they are there from the road.
Canada Geese and other waterfowl go through a 4 to 6 week molting period generally sometime between the end of June and August. They are unable or barely able to fly during this period and often seem to disappear completely. Obviously they are very vulnerable and are just keeping a low profile. They will reappear in the next few weeks and one will be able to get a much better indication of actual numbers.
Good to know. Thanks. It's not something I usually pay much attention to, but I am planning it trying out goose hunting this fall, so I'm paying a little bit of attention. Deer numbers seem a little higher, though, which is encouraging. After the winter we had, I was afraid they would be decimated.
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Lots of geese around the GTA and north to Orillia. Cant say more then usual, but certainly doesn't appear to be less. Once birds start learning how to fly, you will start seeing an hearing lots of them
Hadn't thought about the goslings. That would explain a significant chunk.
I wasn't on the verge of panic or anything, it just seemed that I normally heard and saw more of them in the summer.
Consensus is, we have a massive over population of geese, time for more hunting.
Grizz
Looking forward to giving it a go. I'm stocking up on decoys, found a couple of places where they will let me hunt, so I'm just waiting for the season.
Where are you located? I haven't seen many in the parks.
Mr.Subzero
Regular
- Location
- Winter wonderland
My 8year old daughter caught her first goose last two weeks ago without any weapon just her bare hands, where I come from they can’t fly for maybe couple of months and sometimes we just run to catch them. Not for fun but for food, just boil them for maybe 2 hours add potatoes, carrots and pasta and your good. I also don’t like to shoot about this time of the year, they have kids to feed and teach.
