Weather conditions have an enormous influence on duck hunting success. To make the most of their days afield, waterfowlers must understand weather patterns and how they affect bird behavior.

Foul weather, for instance, is usually considered a duck hunter’s greatest blessing. But to be consistently successful, even under these favorable conditions, a hunter must know how storm fronts influence ducks. On the flip side of the coin, sunny “bluebird” days are considered a duck hunter’s bane. Yet the hunter who knows how fair-weather conditions affect duck behavior will often bring home a limit.

Sunny, cloudy, windy, calm, freezing, warm - let’s focus on conditions waterfowlers often encounter and some tips for hunting ducks successfully no matter what the forecast.

Storms

A low-pressure system in the weather forecast indicates rain is on the way–bad news for most, but not for the duck hunter. Along with a stiffening wind, storm fronts increase cloud cover. Ducks stop feeding at night and move more early and late in the day. There’s no glare off gun barrels and upturned faces, and no distinguishing shadows to reveal the silhouette of a waiting hunter. The hunting picture begins to improve.

As winds intensify, ducks move to protected areas–river backwaters, lake coves, green-timber openings, the lee side of islands. Rain and/or sleet intensifies their scramble for shelter, limiting and defining the places they are likely to be. More and more birds move into fewer and fewer areas. The savvy hunter is a step ahead of them, setting out decoys and preparing to shortstop their weather-driven migration.

Changing winds also work in the hunter’s favor. In our part of the world, they usually begin in the south, then blow round the compass–southeast, east, northeast, north, then finally northwest–as the low is replaced by a high-pressure, fair-weather system. Sanctuaries at the onset of the storm lose their protection as it progresses. Ducks settle into one lee then are forced to find another. They fly throughout the day and lose much of their cussed wariness. Most fly low as they work the slower air near ground. In the right place at such a time, a hunter with a few decoys is sure to find a bit of duck-hunting heaven.

As the weather changes, the successful duck hunter remains mobile, adapting to changing winds and changing lees. A well-camouflaged duckboat is a special asset now, providing easy access to every inch of shoreline, transportation for the hunter and his equipment, and a ready-made blind that melts into the landscape. If water isn’t too deep, chest waders serve the same purpose. Moving from place to place, you can hunker down in a wet marsh or stand by a cypress without getting wet. A waterproof parka and gloves complete your weather-proofing, keeping you warm and dry.

Fair Skies

Clear, warm, windless days can make duck hunting tough. Ducks can now fly and raft, dabble or dive anywhere they please. Direct sunlight makes upturned faces glow with electric intensity. Even a perfectly camouflaged duck hunter is often revealed by the outline of shadows, and the slightest movement stands out like black on white. If the weather pattern holds for several days, birds quickly learn hunter patterns–where they like to hide, when they like to gun, and where the safe zones are.

In this situation, remember that ducks may come and go where they please, but they never do it at random. The flight lanes they establish, the fields and woods they feed in, the places they raft are purposely chosen, usually because they offer respite from hunter disturbance. By patterning the movements of birds in your area, you can overcome the disadvantages of blue-sky hunting.

The best way to do this is to simply go duck hunting. Set out a few decoys in a place you’ve chosen to the best of your hunting ability, then watch the comings and goings of birds throughout the day. Resolve to stay put, even if shooting isn’t good. Note the time the ducks start flying and the routes they follow; the places where they fly high and fly low; the time they return; and the places they raft up. Once you’ve determined their flight, feeding and resting patterns, you can position yourself to intercept on future hunts.

Freezing Weather

Extreme cold is both a blessing and bane. When shallows ice over, ducks concentrate in remaining areas of open water. Caloric intake must increase to compensate for lower temperatures, so twice-daily feeding becomes the norm. At temperatures below 20 degrees, you’ll start noticing afternoon feeding flights in addition to the usual predawn movements. Unfortunately, freezing weather also makes boat travel more difficult and tests one’s ability to withstand winter’s cold. Hunters must cope with the frigid temperatures in order to be successful.

Part of that coping is knowing where water will be open in freezing temperatures. This may be in the main body of a creek or river where currents prevent ice-up; in a sheltered backwater area protected by levees or high banks; or in shallow green-timber flats that receive some current from adjacent streams.

One area I often hunt is in the bend of a small bayou. When the water’s up, it runs across the inside bend of timber. This creates a three-acre sanctuary of unfrozen water right in the middle of the frozen pin-oak bottoms. During winter’s worst weather, it’s wall-to-wall ducks.

Most avid hunters work unfrozen river channels during frigid weather. They boat the river until they scare up a flock of ducks, then they move in and set up where the ducks flushed. Often, decoys are set in strings at the edge of willows, high banks and other sheltered spots. The boat is hidden in cover with a camouflage net stretched over it. The hunters stand in waders next to trees. The ducks they flushed will soon return, and when they do, the fun begins.

Snowstorms & Fog

When visibility is limited by fog or heavy snow, callers have a field day. In this situation, it pays to keep your call sounding whether you see ducks or not. Poor visibility may keep most ducks grounded, but those that are caught en route automatically set their flaps and start listening for friendly calls. Few duck hunting moments are as exciting as hearing unseen mallards answering a call in fog.

Snow Cover

Cold alone won’t drive ducks from an area where food is plentiful, but if snow gets several inches deep or becomes glazed with ice, ducks must move elsewhere to find their groceries.

Here again, it pays to know where ducks are likely to go when conditions get bad. If woods remain open and acorns are plentiful, ducks accustomed to feeding in fields may gather in flooded timber when snow piles up. Cornfields are so attractive, they may continue drawing dense concentrations of birds even when blanketed with snow. Hunting diving ducks like scaup and buffleheads often remains productive even though mallards and other dabblers have been forced to move out.

The smart waterfowler matches hunting tactics to the weather throughout the season. By applying scouting techniques and a little reasoning about duck behavior, he develops an instinct for determining where and how to hunt no matter what’s going on outside. Blue skies or gray, the odds are in his favor.

While waterfowl seasons across the county begin to come to a close, hunters may start to feel a little bit of pressure as time starts to run out. Competing with crowds and getting pressured birds to cooperate may be frustrating to say the least. Here’s a few tips and tricks to help you bag your limit of birds before time expires.

Knowing when and how to call is essential in waterfowl hunting. With more calls on the market now than ever before, ducks and geese are starting to become call shy due to the hundreds of hunters that have honked, quacked and whistled to them along their distant journey. Calling to frequently will turn birds away, and will give them more of a chance to listen and study your call. Try calling once birds are spotted from a distance to grab their attention, once the birds are moving towards you, sit back and watch your decoys work. The only other time you should need to call now is if the birds spot something “fishy” and decide to turn away. Giving a few quacks or honks will sometimes change their minds and offer you another chance. Keeping a close eye on the weather and watching if any storms are headed you way is also a good factor to consider while hunting later in the year. Storms coming from the north will often push new ducks into your area that aren’t as weary, and just want a place to rest.

Decoys are an invaluable tool in the waterfowl world, and often is the difference between having a tasty meal, or going home skunked. Try setting out a smaller decoy spread consisting of only a few birds. The birds may feel more comfortable landing in small groups, and a larger decoy spread gives you a larger margin for errors and mistakes that can turn shy birds away. Place the decoys well within your shooting distance and leave a piece of open water or land between your decoys so the birds will land right in your face. Don’t forget that ducks and geese land into the wind. It is critical that you have the wind at your back at all times. Watching and paying close attention to the ducks as they are coming in tells you if you need to critique or change your spread. Ducks that often circle but never commit is a hint that something isn’t right.

Now before you take a step out that front door, take a good look at yourself in a mirror, and make sure that you are covered from head to toe in camouflage. Ducks are underestimated for their amazing eyesight, and have been known to pick up the glow of a face from 1 to sometimes 2 miles away. Wearing a mask or putting on face paint will help in breaking up the human outline. Since your hands are constantly moving using calls and reaching for your gun and other equipment, make sure to bring along a pair of gloves as well. Know the habitat and the vegetation that surrounds the selected area that you are going to be hunting so you can buy your camouflage accordingly. If your hunting marshes with lots of cattails, or a field with 4 inches of snow, having a pattern such as sage brush or fir trees, probably isn’t the best idea. Spending that few extra dollars for good quality camouflage, is well worth it.

It may be close to the end of the season, but it’s not to late to go out and grab your limit of waterfowl. Putting in time and effort will surely pay off in the end. Be mobile and be prepared to move your blind and decoys quickly, as mother nature often throws dirty curve balls.

Over the years snow geese have been given a bad rap in the waterfowling world being labeled as Sky Carp and tasting poorly, hopefully after trying this and other recipes we can help change your minds about this.

The first and most important thing everyone needs to remember is safe and proper wild game preparation. Before any cooking can take place you must thaw if frozen and remove any blood that may have been left in or on the game. Also remove any shot, feathers and bone fragments left behind after initial cleaning. This is best accomplished using a salt water brine solution in warm water consisting of two quarts of water and two table spoons of salt.

Dissolve the salt in the water and place meat in solution waiting five minutes, at that time using your hands knead the meat. Doing this will speed in the removal of blood, aid in dislodging of any feathers or other items that must be removed as well as aiding in the tenderizing process. Drain and rinse in cold water, repeat the brine solution again this time using cold water. You may need to do this a few time depending on how well the game meat was cleaned prior to freezing. When you have brined you game meat two or three times, completely rinse with cold water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife remove any and all remaining skin, fat and sinew as well as any feathers that have become dislodged from pellet holes during the brining solution and rinsing steps.

Now we are ready to prepare the goose for a meal, taking the breast meat cut each side in to three pieces cutting across the grain of the meat, then with a Jaccard meat tenderizing machine or a fork if you do not have a tenderizer. Place breast meat on a cutting board press machine or fork prongs threw the meat repeatedly, going across the meat then flip meat over and repeat the Process. The more you do this the better and faster the marinade will work and the better the flavor will be.

Sprinkle Mrs. Dash’s original blend seasons liberally over both sides of the meat, then place meat into a one gallon Ziploc freezer bag and drizzle molasses over meat and knead (Honey may be substituted for the molasses). You will want to knead the meat so that all of the meat has a light coating of molasses on it, at this time pour just enough soy sauce into the Ziploc to cover the meat. For those that like a little more bite try adding a ½;TSP of cayenne pepper and 2 TSP of minced garlic. Remove as much air as possible then seal and refrigerate until the next day, every time some one goes into the refrigerator remove bag and knead.

One hour before cooking remove meat from bag and lightly rinse using cold running water. Wrap meat with a half slice of bacon and place a tooth pick threw the meat to hold bacon in place while cooking on barbeque. As with all waterfowl, the meat should be served on the rare side so do not over cook once the bacon is cooked the goose should be cooked to the proper degree We also recommend serving this meat with a salad, corn on the cob, green beans and a fine bottle of your favorite beer for a well balanced and tasty meal all will enjoy.

Over the years snow geese have been given a bad rap in the waterfowling world being labeled as Sky Carp and tasting poorly, hopefully after trying this and other recipes we can help change your minds about this.

The first and most important thing everyone needs to remember is safe and proper wild game preparation. Before any cooking can take place you must thaw if frozen and remove any blood that may have been left in or on the game. Also remove any shot, feathers and bone fragments left behind after initial cleaning. This is best accomplished using a salt water brine solution in warm water consisting of two quarts of water and two table spoons of salt.

Dissolve the salt in the water and place meat in solution waiting five minutes, at that time using your hands knead the meat. Doing this will speed in the removal of blood, aid in dislodging of any feathers or other items that must be removed as well as aiding in the tenderizing process. Drain and rinse in cold water, repeat the brine solution again this time using cold water. You may need to do this a few time depending on how well the game meat was cleaned prior to freezing. When you have brined you game meat two or three times, completely rinse with cold water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife remove any and all remaining skin, fat and sinew as well as any feathers that have become dislodged from pellet holes during the brining solution and rinsing steps.

Now we are ready to prepare the goose for a meal, taking the breast meat cut each side in to three pieces cutting across the grain of the meat, then with a Jaccard meat tenderizing machine or a fork if you do not have a tenderizer. Place breast meat on a cutting board press machine or fork prongs threw the meat repeatedly, going across the meat then flip meat over and repeat the

Process. The more you do this the better and faster the marinade will work and the better the flavor will be.

Sprinkle Mrs. Dash’s original blend seasons liberally over both sides of the meat, then place meat into a gallon Ziploc freezer bag and drizzle molasses over meat and knead. You will want to knead the meat so that all of the meat has a light coating of molasses on it, at this time pour just enough soy sauce into the Ziploc to cover the meat. For those that like a little more bite try adding a ½;TSP of cayenne pepper and 2 TSP of minced garlic. Remove as much air as possible then seal and refrigerate until the next day, every time some one goes into the refrigerator remove bag and knead.

One hour before cooking remove meat from bag and lightly rinse using cold running water. Wrap meat with a half slice of bacon and place a tooth pick threw the meat to hold bacon in place while cooking on barbeque. As with all waterfowl, the meat should be served on the rare side so do not over cook once the bacon is cooked the goose should be cooked to the proper degree We also recommend serving this meat with a salad, corn on the cob, green beans and a fine bottle of your favorite beer for a well balanced and tasty meal all will enjoy.

Spring and goose hunting are two subjects that up until the last few years were not synonymous with each other. Most waterfowl seasons ended in late January and hunters were forced to wait until the following fall to resume their fanatical obsession.

That all changed several years ago when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) initiated a special hunting season designed to reduce the population of “light” geese. The term “light” goose is used to describe Snow, Blue, or the Ross goose. These species of geese are literally eating themselves out of house and home by their prolific breeding success and their habit of decimating the habitat in their nesting grounds on the tundra of Canada and points farther north. They nest there in huge colonies in June and July and simply devour all the vegetation in sight, causing irreparable harm to the tundra. The fear was unless something drastic was done to significantly reduce the population of these geese; the entire ecosystem could possibly crash, causing profound consequences such as disease and starvation affecting not only light geese but other species as well.

Therefore this special hunting season, called the Conservation Order was instituted with the hope of bringing the population within reasonable expectations. It coincides with the annual spring migration of the geese from the wintering grounds of the southern and Midwestern states back to the tundra. During this special season hunters can use unplugged shotguns, employ electronic callers, and hunt from thirty minutes before sunrise until thirty minutes after sunset. Furthermore, no limits are imposed, with the express purpose being harvesting as many light geese as humanly possible.

Being the civic minded and conscientious hunter that I am, I felt that it would only be right and noble for me to do my part to help save the tundra. Yeah right, I just wanted to kill the heck out of some snow geese and shoot enough shotgun shells to make my shoulder really sore. I made arrangements to hunt with Jon Eaton, an outfitter who hunts in the southeast Missouri area. I arrived in Kennett, Missouri in early February for a five-day hunt. One thing I was quick to discover was February in Missouri and February in Florida are two distinct worlds and vastly different. Way, way different, especially temperature wise. No Bermuda shorts, no trees budding out, no warblers or other song birds singing or doing their spring rituals. We hunted out of layout style blinds, which pretty much means you’re lying flat on your back in a camouflaged canvas “coffin-like” apparatus with your upper body supported somewhat with only your head exposed. Flap doors open to allow shooting when the geese approach.

Successfully decoying snow geese requires huge decoy spreads consisting of several hundred windsocks, and some full body decoys strategically placed around the perimeter of the windsocks. These geese are considered the wariest of all waterfowl, being incredibly cautious, relying on safety in numbers and very difficult to decoy thereby necessitating the big decoy spreads.
Being the incredibly lucky individual that I am (If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all), I arrived right behind a freak snowstorm and the ground was completely frozen the first morning. The hunting was slow for the first couple of days, but we still managed to bag sixteen geese in our party on Monday and Tuesday. The following two days were really great as the weather warmed up to a steamy 35 degrees with a gentle southwesterly breeze, err I mean gale force of 25 mph. Looking at the weather channel the previous night at the motel, I assumed that with the wind direction changing, I could expect warmer conditions as is typical here in northwest Florida. No so in Missouri. It makes absolutely no difference which direction the wind happens to be coming from, it’s still cold as a well digger’s posterior. However, I did succumb to some rare good luck the next two days as the geese moved back in, and the other scheduled hunters cancelled out (fair weather wimps), leaving just myself and the guide to hunt. We had a ball making some difficult shots as well as missing some easy ones. The Ross were my favorite geese, as they were slightly smaller than the snow geese and displayed some amazing acrobatic flying antics, weaving and dipping often times near tree top height. Another trait I liked about them was they were slightly dumber than the snows. Sometimes after unloading into a flock of geese, the Ross would turn right back around and try to land in the decoys. It was an amazing and unbelievable sight to just observe and enjoy the thousands of geese migrating northward as the hours went by. Many times there would be several hundred geese in a formation flying very high when three of four geese would decide our spread looked inviting and they would break away from the others making a slow gradual descent that seemed to take forever, eventually locking up with wings cupped and feet down gliding into the decoys.

We were also treated to the sight of thousands upon thousands of ducks of all varieties as well as other species of geese too. Of course we could only enjoy looking at these as their seasons had ended in January. We were also lucky to see some bald eagles that follow the migration as well, feeding on weak and wounded birds.

Jon and his crew are skilled, knowledgeable hunters and outdoorsmen who will do everything possible to put you on snow geese and make your trip enjoyable. Their website has all the information necessary at www.shomesnowgeese.com. I’m planning to go back next February, with an increased emphasis on cold weather clothing and a really good thermos bottle.

It’s a blue bird day, not a cloud in the sky. Out in marsh, you can spot somebody using 5 spinning wing decoys. What now?

Our guides have noticed that spinning wing decoys work best in early season, fog, or heavy cloud weather. But on blue bird days in late season, the ducks are wary and the hunters are weary! Big mallards as well as divers shy away from “consistent” wing action provided by such spinning wing decoys.

On blue bird days, we switch to flagging (that thing serious hunters did before electronics). The flags are only used when ducks are coming toward the decoys, regardless of how high. I’ve seen divers tumble drop from 100+ yards for a properly waved flag! If you want to stay with the spinner decoys, make sure you have a remote control to turn them off and on, varying the time they are on preferrably to a minimum.

Planting yourself a few hundred yards from the guy using the constant-on motion wing decoys and using one of the above methods will increase your bag limit.

We hunted in the Montauk area on Oct 23 for sea Ducks in windy conditions. We had a strong N/W wind with gusts to 35 mph! The Scoter both Surf and White Wing were flying in the 4′ Waves. we had louie,Steve,Joe and Mike aboard our comfortable 25′ Parker with it’s enclosed pilot house cabin being a welcomed respite from the biting chill of the north west winds. we set up 4 gang rigs of decoys all around the boat in 25′ of water. We had the Boat anchored up to a quick release anchor ball so we could quickly get after downed birds. No sooner did we set up the rig when a pair of Scoter set down outside the spread. wew jump shot that pair harvesting both specimens that were in fine shape for the taxidermist! We had sporadic action with singles and doubles comming in every 30 minutes. an occassional bigger group of 4-5 birds would swing by for some pass shooting. The guys went through 50 rounds apeice collecting 2-3 birds a man with the limit being 4. They should’ve easily limited out but being that this was thier first time trying thier hand at fast paced shooting at sea ducks this trip was dubbed a training day! More Birds will be flying down from the north each passing week.You must have a sea worthy boat that can handle the rough seas associated with Sea Duck Hunting! You will also need a fast shooting gun that can fire 3 quick shots in 3 seconds or else the birds will be out of range. Leave the dog at home on these hunts. you will use the boat along with a landing net to retrieve your downed birds. We use #2 Steel shot with a minumum of 4 boxes per gunner brought aboard for the fast paced action.We use the mod choke with 12 ga 3.5″ guns in pump or semi-auto. leave the over/under home! you will need that 3rd shot! Be prepared to diengage the boat from the anchored position quickly and have lookouts keeping thier eye on downed birds so you know where to go to finish off the cripples in the rough surf! always have the rquired saftey equipment and VHF radio handy in case you run into a sticky situation out there!

Hunt safe!
Capt.Dennis Caracciolo
D.C.OUTDOOR ADVENTURES inc.
www.huntfishny.com

Somewhere right now near the upper reaches of the Mississippi Flyway is a northern pintail duck that spent the summer breeding in Alaska.

During the next few weeks, the bird will steadily make its way through Canada and into the northern United States. If it avoids hunters and their elaborate decoy spreads, it should reach the Mid-South by year’s end.

Local hunters hope the bird makes it here and brings plenty of friends. But many wildlife biologists worry that such birds may someday be the perfect transport for a deadly strain of avian flu that has already claimed lives in eight Asian countries.

“The northern pintail is one bird that spends time in Alaska every summer,” said Brian Millsap, a migratory bird expert with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “While they’re in Alaska, pintails come into contact with other birds that spend a lot of time in Asia where this flu has been so prevalent. You can certainly see how a connection could be made.”

Though U.S. health officials do not expect an avian flu pandemic in North America this year, Millsap said it’s just a matter of time before the flu reaches Alaska. From there, he said the natural instincts of migratory birds like the pintail could help carry the bug all over the United States.

The threat is so real that the Alaska Department of Game & Fish has posted a message on its Web site, urging hunters to exercise caution while handling dead waterfowl this hunting season. The list of precautions includes simple measures like washing hands thoroughly after handling dead birds and not touching hands to mouth while in the field.

Millsap said hunters across the Mid-South should familiarize themselves with the list because similar warnings will likely be made for mainland states, including those in the Mississippi Flyway, as early as next year. The Mississippi Flyway consists of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.

“Whether it happens in one year, two years or three years, the chances are very high that hunters all across the United States will come into contact with a bird carrying this flu,” Millsap said. “You can never be too careful — and most of these measures are just pure common sense anyway. So why not start now?”

Memphis-based Ducks Unlimited is also preparing a cautionary statement on avian flu that should be posted on the organization’s Web site by the end of the week. The statement will encourage hunters to stay abreast of the latest happenings regarding avian flu. It will also provide Internet links to current information about the flu and outbreaks across the globe.

“It’s getting to the point where I receive quite a few calls and e-mails every week about avian influenza from DU members around the country,” said DU waterfowl biologist Curt MyKut. “We don’t want people to panic — we want them to understand that we don’t expect any problems from avian flu this hunting season. But we know people are concerned, and we want to do everything we can to help keep them informed.”

Several federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Geological Survey, have already joined forces to monitor Alaskan waterfowl for signs of avian flu. The same groups are discussing mechanisms for monitoring waterfowl flocks in the mainland, starting next year.

According to Millsap, the measures will depend heavily on cooperation from waterfowl hunters.

“Hunters in many states will likely be asked to donate tissue samples from ducks they have killed,” he said. “Hunters will also be asked to report any strange behavior they witness from live waterfowl. The hunters are the ones who spend the most time watching these birds — and scientists are going to need their help to stay on top of this flu.”

The potential for avian flu outbreaks among wild, migrating waterfowl has already been witnessed in several countries.

In Turkey, about 3,000 pen-raised turkeys and chickens were slaughtered and buried in lime-drenched pits after an outbreak this month. Turkish wildlife officials told Reuters news service they were “99 percent certain” the outbreak was caused by migrating birds.

In China, more than 6,000 bar-headed geese have died since a July outbreak of avian flu. In Romania, quarantine orders have been imposed on seven villages whose birds have been affected by the flu. Migratory bird hunting has been banned in the country’s famed delta region, and the agriculture minister said the country will be forced to cull about 45,000 farm-raised birds.

Precautions for duck hunters

• Do not handle birds that are obviously sick or are found dead.
• Keep your game birds cool, clean and dry.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning your birds.
• Use rubber gloves when cleaning game.
• Wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol wipes after dressing birds.
• Clean all tools and surfaces immediately afterward; use hot, soapy water, then disinfect with 10 percent chlorine bleach solution.
• Cook game meat thoroughly to kill disease organisms and parasites.

Source: Alaska Division of Fish and Game

Shortly after I began guiding goose hunts in 1987 I met Dr. Jim Cooper, one of the most highly respected waterfowl researchers in the world. He is an Associate Professor of Wildlife with the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Minnesota, and has studied Canada Geese for over twenty-five years. The first time we met I told him I wanted to pick his brain about calling, feeding habits, reaction to weather, habitat, family behavior, flock makeup and migration. After talking to Jim and reading the results of his studies it became apparent to me how important the family behavior of the flock is in understanding geese. Once I began to understand the role of the family in the flock, it changed the way I hunt geese.

Family Structure

When geese migrate north in the spring the subflocks stay together and the young return to the same body of water where they learned to fly. If there is available habitat young females nest in the same area they were raised in. The whole flock is related through the female side of the family. They stay together throughout the year and recognize each other by sight and sound. Although the flock may be made up of hundreds of geese the families remain in close contact. In the air they fly in family groups. On the ground each family of from three to twelve birds requires its own space, apart from the other families. If there are several subflocks feeding together at one site the individual subflocks remain apart from each other. When you are trying to represent the most realistic spread of decoys put out family groups of from five to seven separated from other family groups.

Feeding Habits

Geese are primarily grazers, they eat grass and succulent greens when they are available. Even when there is abundant corn I have seen geese eating grass on city parks and golf courses while most of the ground was covered with snow. If you can find a field of green grass it is one of the best places to decoy geese. Small grain like corn, barley and soybeans are used in the fall when grass is gone or lost its chlorophyll. Generally geese fly out to feed twice a day, once shortly after daylight and again before sunset. During the day they often loaf on the water near food sources. In urban areas they use city parks, golf courses, and lakes and ponds with homes around them.

Reaction to Weather; Barometer, Wind, Precipitation, Temperature

Weather affects geese in a number of different ways. Dr. Cooper says that because geese have numerous air sacks in their body they have the ability to detect subtle barometric pressure changes. When fall storms approach geese stop feeding and begin to flock as much as two days before the storm. Heavy precipitation and strong winds may make it difficult for geese to fly. In extreme rain, snow or wind-chill geese may fly out only once late in the morning or not fly at all. If the temperature or wind-chill is below 10 degrees Giant Canadas often remain on the roost. If they fly in this weather they may actually lose more calories than they gain in feeding. They often feed heavily before or during the first few hours of a storm and when the weather lets up. Dr. Cooper’s studies show that Giants can go 30 days without feeding and never leave the roost.

Reaction to Visibility; Light, Fog, Snow

Because geese rely on their sight to detect danger they don’t like to feed or rest on land in low light conditions. They usually wait to feed until there is sufficient light for them to feel secure. Clouds, rain, snow or fog cause geese to fly out later in the morning than normal because of reduced visibility. New snow or fog disorients geese and they may fail to recognize refuge lines and feeding fields. They are wary of anything that doesn’t look right. When going out to feed they often follow other flying flocks and look for fields that have flocks already feeding in them before landing.

Migration

Geese begin to migrate in the fall when cold weather, strong winds and snow signal the onset of winter. They migrate only as far as they have to in order to find open water, available food, and temperature suitable to their body size. Because of their large body size Giant Canadas can withstand colder temperatures than their smaller relatives. They may not fly any farther south than the northern tier of the United States.

Brant (Branta bernicla)

Brant are a small dark goose similar in appearance to Canada Geese. they lack the white cheek patches of the Canada but have a small white throat patch and black breast. They nest farthest north of all North American geese, generally inhabit salt water on both the Atlantic and Pacific coast, and feed almost exclusively on aquatic vegetation when in staging areas and wintering areas. the western subspecies is often called the Black Brant and can be distinguished from the eastern subspecies by the black chest stretching into the belly. The combined population in 1986 was estimated at 291,000 birds.

Ross’ Goose (Chen rossii)

Ross’ Geese look like a smaller version of the Lesser Snow Goose, and it’s bill is stubbier. It is almost impossible for the average hunter to distinguish between the two species.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Experts disagree on the exact number of subspecies of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis). There may be from 11-17 subspecies ranging in size from the small Richardson’s of the west to the Giant found in many cities across the continent. Their size ranges from 3 pounds in the smaller species to 16 in the larger species. There is a record of a 27 pound goose in Manitoba. Overall lengths range from 22-45 inches from bill to tail. Six foot wing spreads may be reached in the largest species. The more common subspecies of Canada geese include the Giant (B.c. maxima), Todd’s (B.c. interior), Lesser (B.c. parvipes), Richardson’s (B.c. hutchinsii), Western (B.c. moffitti), Atlantic (B.c. canadensis), Dusky (B.c. occidentalis), Vancouver (B.c. fulva), Aleutian (B.c. leucoperea), and Cackling goose (B.c. minima). In 1986 there were an estimated 7,000 Dusky, 23,000 Cackling and 4,000 Aleutian canadas breeding in Alaska. These are the only three populations of Canada geese without significant numbers. The estimate at that time was over two and a half million Canada geese of all subspecies, with about one million of those the once thought to be extinct Giants. The Aleutian canada goose is on the endangered species list.

Giant Canada Goose

Giants are the largest subspecies of Canada Geese and because of their size are able to stay farther north in the winter than their smaller cousins, they may not migrate at all in warm years. They nest farther south than the smaller geese, where there is more abundant forage for their large appetite. Giant’s were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in Rochester, Minnesota in 1947. They now number over a million birds, comprising over a third of all Canada Goose subspecies in North America.

Giant Canada geese don’t nest in inhospitable sub-arctic regions like their smaller relatives, and therefore generally have better nesting success, with clutches of from 2-12 eggs. In urban areas, where many Giants live, all of the young may reach six months of age. Unlike most other geese Giants often mate at two years of age. The smaller species of geese mate at age four and usually have 2-6 eggs per clutch. Earlier mating and higher reproduction rate has led to a population explosion of Giant Canadas in many areas. They have become a nuisance in many urban areas, where they leave droppings and destroy grass on parks, golf courses and lake properties. Because Giants nest farther south and winter farther north than other geese they receive less hunting pressure (as little as 30 days) than geese that migrate from as far north as Canada and the Arctic Circle to the Gulf Coast, which may be subjected to up to 120 days of hunting. Because of their larger body size and habit of living in urban areas Giants are also less susceptible to predation.

Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)

There are two distinct subspecies of snow Goose; the Greater Snow Goose and the Lesser Snow Goose, of which the blue goose is simply a color phase. The Greater Snow Goose nests near the Arctic Circle and migrates through the New England states along the eastern shore. It has recovered from a few thousand birds to an estimated 250,000 in 1986. The several populations of the Lesser Snow Goose breed from the southern Arctic Circle to lower Hudson Bay. The Lesser Snow Goose is divided into four populations; the Mid-continent, Western Central Flyway, Wrangell Island and Western Canadian Arctic.

Both the Greater and Lesser Now Goose are white with black wing tips, except for the blue phase of the Lesser, which is blue gray in color, usually with a white head and neck. The young of both the Greater and Lesser are gray and similar in appearance to the blue phase except they do not have the white head. The blue goose appears to be a dominant color phase, and in many areas is becoming the predominant coloration of the Lesser snow Goose. Like Canada ’s, Snow Geese populations have increased dramatically in recent years, and they are destroying habit on their nesting grounds and threatening the environment. More liberal hunting regulations are needed to bring the populations in balance with their environment. The total number of Snow Geese in 1982 was estimated at 2,622,000.

White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)

The North American White-fronted Goose is closely related to the Pink Footed Goose and the Bean Goose of Europe and Asia. They are a brown-gray goose with black specks on the belly giving them the common name of “speckle belly.” They have a white patch on the front of the head from which their proper name comes. They breed from Alaska to the Greenland and winter from southern British Columbia to Illinois and the Gulf Coast of Texas and Mexico. White-fronted Geese are also divided into four populations; the Eastern mid-continent, Western mid-continent, Tule and Pacific Flyway. Both the Tule and Pacific breed in Alaska and winter in the western United States and Mexico. The estimated combined population in 1986 was 377,000.

If you are interested in more goose hunting tips, or more goose biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.’s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about geese log on to the T.R.’s Tips message board.

This article contains excerpts from the Goose Addict’s Manual, by T. R. Michels.