# Blue Phase Ross



## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

I was pretty lucky this weekend. I took my bro and some friends out snow goose hunting and we did really well. We ended up getting 141 for the whole weekend with, 1 banded Ross and 1 Collared Ross and a Blue Phase Ross.
[siteimg]4042[/siteimg]
Has anyone heard of any other Blue Phase Ross getting shot this year? I heard of about 3 last year but none this year.


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## qwakwhaker883 (Jan 19, 2005)

Thats a sweet looking bird!


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## Tator (Dec 10, 2005)

i think that would would be mounted above the fireplace!!! nice lookin bird, congrats!


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

thats a great looking bird! i hope your getting it mounted :thumb:


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Yes it is getting mounted. When I was going out to pick it up and saw its wings I began to suspect it was a bpr. I have been admiring the one Matt Jones shot last year for some time now and knew as soon as I picked it up that it was getting mounted. I brought it in to Jim Benson on Sunday, the same day it was shot, to get mounted. It is going to be a standing mount in a glass case, but I am not sure on the pose yet. Any suggestions.


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

Nice bird Charlie!!


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

Congrats snow hunter


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## bird crumpler (Mar 28, 2006)

PPPPPPPPPPRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

That is really cool, about as rare as a collar IMO. We shot one when I was yound but didn't realize the significance at the time.....but heck, 15-20 years ago we didn't see many blues where we hunted.

Good hunts, I'm assuming the SilloSocks are treating you well.


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## TWEET SD (May 11, 2005)

I thought that they were far more rare than a collar. This is the first one I've seen shot this season. I heard of 2 or 3 hybrids that were shot but this is the first real blue ross I've seen. Nice work! I'm jealous.


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

Congrats and it couldn't have been shot by a better person... You deserve the bird and the great hunts you had over the past week.

The bird is sweet and will be a great mount to look at for many years!

LSOB!


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Thanks Scott, it is too bad we didn't get into them even half as well when we were SD this spring. But we sure had a great time anyway. :beer:


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## bird crumpler (Mar 28, 2006)

How many deeks did you use when you shot all those birds? What were they?


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## honker (Feb 13, 2005)

looks like siloscoks nice goose! :beer:


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

We used about 25 dz sillosocks and 8 dz ghg full bodies. We left all the northwinds in the trailer, since we had to take everything out in sleds. I have bags for all the ghg fullbodies so they aren't as tough to get out into the field. On thursday last week we ran the sillosocks and 3 dz fullbodies ( there were only 2 of us and we were running out of time.).


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

I have never wanted to mount any waterfowl I have taken, but that one would certainly get the nod. That's just an incredibly beautiful bird. Heartfelt congratulations. Might I suggest a fully cupped pose with the gear down, for the inside of your side table? I would want to see every detail! Burl


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## Phil The Thrill (Oct 21, 2005)

That is one hell of a bird. :beer:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

From what I have read the only way to tell if that is a true Ross or a cross between a Blue and a Ross is through DNA testing.If I had to guess by looking at the picture....I would say it is a hybrid Blue/Ross cross and not a Blue Ross because it doesn't look like it has the warts at the base of the bill like a true Ross has.

Either way it is a nice looking bird.


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

KEN W said:


> the warts at the base of the bill like a true Ross has.
> 
> Either way it is a nice looking bird.


I'm not so sure that "warts" on the ross bill is true characteristic of the Ross.. We shot some really nice ross last weekend that did not have the "wart" like bumps on their beaks. I was kind of wandering that to myself last weekend.. Next time I will be sure to take pictures.

Anyone else notice this on Ross this year??


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## Greg_4242 (Feb 21, 2005)

Warts ar a sign of maturity for Ross geese. The old ones have extremly warty bills. The ones that are a year or two old, don't. Most ross geese are full colored by there first trip back north. There not like snows. Even most the "juvy's" are pure white.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Charlie I still want to see a pic of the hybrid with a snow and a ross for proof. 
:lol:
J/k actually there is no such thing as a actual Blue phase ross, they are all hybrids. Charlie I would think about donating it to the Smithsion if they are still looking for one.


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

Greg_4242 said:


> Warts ar a sign of maturity for Ross geese. The old ones have extremly warty bills. The ones that are a year or two old, don't. Most ross geese are full colored by there first trip back north. There not like snows. Even most the "juvy's" are pure white.


Interesting, Thanks!


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## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

Nice. I didn't shoot a shot this spring, nor do i get out much anymore in the fall. sure is nice seeing some of this kind of stuff, sort of living through you fellas hunts. Keep up the good work.


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## Catch22 (Apr 12, 2006)

Iavent heard of too many BPR's , but I did shoot a Snow Phased Ross last weekend, I am not going to mount this one because it was too shot up. But the next one might see the wall.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Excuse me?


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Here is a compairison shot between it and a blue goose. From what I have been told the defining characteristics are the lack of a grin patch, bill comes straight down where it meets the head, more rounded head stubbier neck. Warts are not a defining characteristic, younger birds don't exhibit these, however in the closer picture you can see were they are starting. It fits all of these characteristics, I am going to have a waterfowl expert have a look at it. I am sure the Smithsonian would like it but I am going to keep it, at least for now.

[siteimg]4066[/siteimg]


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Charlie your one lucky dawwwwggg!!!!

Shot quite a few ross geese this spring that had the warts. Only white ones though.  Only 4 of them this morning had the warts:


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## TWEET SD (May 11, 2005)

ew SICK! :lol: uke: :beer:


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## wooduck26 (Mar 21, 2002)

This one had warts starting......................this was shot in SD near Thomson........


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## bird crumpler (Mar 28, 2006)

Snow hunter 
I have the same amount of g&h shells and about 4 dozen avery fulls and getting 110 more well anyways we had a great set up and we were all happy then we got into the field and sank then got stuck bad!!!!!!!! My dad got out and then got stuck again!!!!!!!!!! We didnt get our deeks in tell way late and the geese were coming so low by us, but we didnt have our guns! If we were set up i would have a sweet pick on here but ya it was gay!!!!!!!!!

PS: DONT GET STUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll:


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

Wooduck26,

Great photo (Delta) and most of all congrats on the collar!

LSOB! :lol:


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## walleyesandwings (Sep 12, 2005)

One interesting thing that I have noticed about blue phased Ross's. They do not ever seem to have warts. I have seen several in photos and in person...about 5 or 6 that I am pretty sure are not hybrids....and none of them had warts. This blue looks to be at least a couple of years old....and it does not have warts. I shot a juvy blue phased Ross about 7 or 8 years ago in South Dakota. It was with a four other white Ross's and all five died.

I shot a white Ross last spring that had a unicorn like wart that was over an inch and a half long going straight up. Pretty neat looking.

So...given that....I have a feeling that blue phased Ross's do not ever have warts. If I am wrong...someone post a pic of a BFR with warts. I don't think that we will see one.


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

It is very interesting to note that none you have seen have had warts. You can see on the one I shot the gray color on the bill where the warts usually form. I will have to have a look at it again to see if there are any, but I think it is just gray and a little rough. A friend of mine, Matt Jones, shot a blue phase Ross last year, I will have to check and see if that one has warts or not. A waterfowl expert came in and took a look at his and confirmed it to be a true blue phase ross. The one I have is a little smaller than his and has a lot more white on it. The bill is also a bit smaller on the one I shot. I do however have a blue that i shot this year, actually Deltaboy shot it, that is smaller then the blue phase ross and smaller then most ross in general. It was going to get mounted but is now on the back burner since I got the bpr, maybe next year.


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

Catch22 said:


> Iavent heard of too many BPR's , but I did shoot a Snow Phased Ross last weekend, I am not going to mount this one because it was too shot up. But the next one might see the wall.


Your kidding right??


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## bird crumpler (Mar 28, 2006)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snow hunter 
I have the same amount of g&h shells and about 4 dozen avery fulls and getting 110 more well anyways we had a great set up and we were all happy then we got into the field and sank then got stuck bad!!!!!!!! My dad got out and then got stuck again!!!!!!!!!! We didnt get our deeks in tell way late and the geese were coming so low by us, but we didnt have our guns! If we were set up i would have a sweet pick on here but ya it was gay!!!!!!!!!

PS: DONT GET STUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Charlie thanks for posting the comparison pic. I think it is good for people to see to birds together. 
PS I would keep the bird myself too!


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## Ramsey (Apr 11, 2004)

That's an awesome bird - the Holy Grail of trophies IMHO - and an awesome weekend's hunt! Congratulations!



> Warts ar a sign of maturity for Ross geese. The old ones have extremly warty bills


This is only partly true. Caruncles, as the "warts" are termed by biologists, are diagnostic of male Ross' geese.

Close friend Pat Pitt has 3 blue-phase Ross' geese in his collection. Of the dozen or so blue-morph Ross' I've seen in person or via internet pictures, I've never seen one that appeared to be a male. It's been wondered if this blue-morph trait is limited only to female Ross' geese, similar to the "calico" coloring (tan/black/white) in cats, which occurs only in females.

The above picture posted by Snow Goose also appears to be a female Ross' goose on the left - it's obviously an adult bird else its plumage would have been juvenile-gray instead of "blue" and it lacks caruncles..

Congrats again on the great hunt!


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

we too got our first blue phased hybrid this weekend. a very nice looking bird. i don't have the pics posted yet though.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

here are some pics of the blue phased

[siteimg]4110[/siteimg]

[siteimg]4111[/siteimg]

[siteimg]4112[/siteimg]


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## Shu (Oct 21, 2003)

sweet bird


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

Sweet looking bird!!

Ross??


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

i'm thinking it might be a hybrid but it has warts starting to grow on the bill. it does have a very small grin patch but the picture doesn't show it.


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Ryan 
Color looks dead on for a bpr, very dark brown and very light wings. The bill does look more like a hybrid though, where the feathers meet the bill it looks concaved like a snow and not a straight line like a ross. Also a bit a a grin patch. We shot a couple ross-snow hybrids this weekend I will try to get a picture of one up for you. One of the hybrids even had a few warts. Whether or not that is a hybrid it is awesome and definately a bird for the wall. Congrats!!!


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

thanks, we were not sure who shot it so one of the guys in our group is going to mount it and the rest of us might pitch in. i just love the coloration of the wings and how dark the neck is.


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Ryan, I just got done looking at the BP Ross that Matt Jones had mounted and that is a dead ringer for the one he shot. Is the belly white on that one? Not a common bird whether or not it is a hybrid. Congrats on the awesome season.

Charlie


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## bird crumpler (Mar 28, 2006)

WO DUDE THAT IS BEATIFUL :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## walleyesandwings (Sep 12, 2005)

Did you notice that Ryan Todd's bird had a orange tint to the bill. Ross's always have a pink or dark pink bill.

Pete


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## Catch22 (Apr 12, 2006)




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## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

Does that thing have a white beak and feet?


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## Catch22 (Apr 12, 2006)

yes yes


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

any more details? that is a pretty cool looking bird catch22.


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## Catch22 (Apr 12, 2006)

All I know is a couple guys from MN shot it nort of DL. This was from the Refuge forums.


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

If thats not photo shopped, or someone went nuts with a can of snow spray, I woiuld have to say that would be more rare than a BPR!!!

And if its not photo shopped, Dam nice bird!! :beer:


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## TWEET SD (May 11, 2005)

haha. i was gonna say it looks like spray paint. hopefully not cuz that's awesome


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## qwakwhaker883 (Jan 19, 2005)

I was thinking the same thing with the spray paint, nice looking bird though.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

> Ryan, I just got done looking at the BP Ross that Matt Jones had mounted and that is a dead ringer for the one he shot. Is the belly white on that one? Not a common bird whether or not it is a hybrid. Congrats on the awesome season.


it does have some white on the belly but the dark on the neck comes down about halfway on the chest of the bird. i just can't wait to see what it will look like on the wall. any suggestions for a pose on the mount?


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## SDNDhtr (Apr 29, 2005)

there also doesnt seem to be any spots of blood on that bird....im thinkin its a little scketchy....but if its real....wow


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

the eyes are also white. i also noticed that the wing tips appear to be wrinkled like they were wet or painted


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Ryan 
I would do a banking pose with the belly towards the wall or even a banking pose coming out of the wall. I have to do a standing mount with mine since it has a broken wing tip and it is difficult to hide/fix. I think a standing mount, preening the good wing, is what I am going to do, in a glass case with mud and corn stubble.

The all white Ross has to be painted. If it was an albino I would expect to see very pink feet and bill. The eyes do look like they got some spray paint as well. I would need to see close ups for me to believe that was athentic.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

i too was thinking about a banking pose. i think that would give the bird the best justice.


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Ryan, I will try and post a picture up of a mount pose that I think would be awesome for the bpr.


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## Click9 (Mar 7, 2005)

Awesome bird snowhunter. As for the all white snow that was posted, here is the link to the refuge forum where it is posted. Some people are having a lot of fun with it now.
http://refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=437326


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

How about this Flamingo-phased Ross???? :bowdown:


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## Catch22 (Apr 12, 2006)

i kinda like the blue phase with the blue decoys..


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## duckbuster434 (Apr 11, 2005)

TOO Funny LOL!!!!


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## Commando (Jan 13, 2006)

Also note that the dog changed from a yellow to a black. Clear photshop job. Sloppy at best. :lol:


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

actually the black in the first picture is behind his legs and in the second is on his side, but it is a sloppy photo shop job.


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## Catch22 (Apr 12, 2006)

this has to take the cake for the best phase of the ross goose....coot phased ross....


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

I like the coot look... Ha...Ha... LMAO! :lol:


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

:lol:    :lol: :lol: 8)   :roll: :wink:


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