# 14 Year Old Banded Goose Shot in MN!!!!!!



## Bandcollector02 (Oct 4, 2005)

This weeks MN Outdoor News has an article of an 18 yr old kid who shot a goose that was banded in Manitoba in 1992. He shot it in New York Mills, MN (where-ever that is) on Oct 2nd this year. When he called the band in, they told him when the goose was banded (1992) and that it had hatched in 1991 or before so it actually may be older than 14. http://www.outdoornews.com/ is the address to the website. I don't know if they will let non-subscribers access this story. But talk about an old bird. The goose had a neck collar and leg band and according to the kid that shot it, it was rather small for a "giant" canadian. The article goes on to say that legitimate band recoveries have been made on birds 20 years old and older with the oldest being "22 or 23" years old. Kind of weird they don't know the exact number but either way that is amazing a goose or any bird for that matter can be flying around for that long. The one band I have gotton was off a 2 yr old banded in Illinois. The article said most band recoveries are on birds 1 to 2 years old.


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## Anas Strepera (Nov 10, 2004)

If it was a migrant it wasn't a giant. There's 18 year old geese shot everyday. To be honest, if it had a neck collar I doubt it was that old. Neck collars last an average of 2 years on artic breeding species of geese and 5 years on local geese. It's not feasible to believe a neck collar lasted 18 years on a goose of any species. The UV alone would have ravaged it and caused it to fall off years prior.


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## Bandcollector02 (Oct 4, 2005)

The DNR goose specialist who was quoted in the story did mention that it was unusual for a neck collar to last 13 years. However, he did say that the collar would have been placed in conjunction with the leg band which was in 1992. The 18 year old who recovered the bird assumed it to be a"Giant". The article does not specify the actual sub-species of the goose and the USGS "award" that the kid received labels the species as "Canada Goose". The DNR goose specialist who commented on the bird said it was the oldest recovered bird he's heard about. "That is an old bird. They can live to be older than that, but for a wild bird, that's pretty old." Danny Bystrak, a biologist at the Maryland laboratory said the "bird is old, but not completely unusual." He went on to say the lab has "legitimate recoveries of geese more than 20 years old, and that the oldest recovered one is about 22 or 23 years old." 
I hope that this clears up any technicalities. I didn't realize the story would be scrutinized. As a loyal Outdoor News reader I felt obligated to defend its story. I do think saying "18 year old geese are shot everyday" is a little silly. If they were that dumb, none would make it to that age in the first place.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Sometimes I just wish geese that old could carry a sign saying "Hey, don't shoot me I've lived this long let me go on and get older." I'd have shot it also,but sometimes you gotta feel for an "old geeser" like that. That statement ought to bring out a few screams at me from some guys. Such is life.

Octnov


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## scissorbill (Sep 14, 2003)

Hey Anus, What do you mean if it is a giant it is not a migrant? One of the original colonies of giant canadas is in the interlake region of Manitoba.Most of these birds winter in Rochester Mn, do not confuse then with the EPP Population.


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## Drew Willemsen (Sep 29, 2003)

> Hey Anus, What do you mean if it is a giant it is not a migrant? One of the original colonies of giant canadas is in the interlake region of Manitoba.Most of these birds winter in Rochester Mn, do not confuse then with the EPP Population.


 :lol:


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)




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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Where was the goose banded? That should clear up a lot of the issues. 
I do however know that it is rare for a collar to last that long. Especially on geese and swans that summer on the tundra because of the UV. If the goose was local to New York Mills and wintered somewhere between 694 and 494 it would not be that uncommon for it to still carry a collar. :thumb:


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## wetlandfarms (Oct 10, 2005)

I killed a banded goose down here in henderson, kentucky that turned out to be pretty damn old. Killed it back in january 15th, 2004 and the band was nearly wore off. On one edge of the band it was paper thin. the certificate stated the bird had been banded in 2/08/1984 and stated the age of the bird was "Hatched in 1982 or Earlier. So 22 years or older!! The goose was 2 years older then i was at the time, pretty wild. Funny thing about was i killed her while duck hunting...had about 3 dozen mallard decoys out, hunting an old slough..she was a single and she worked right into our duck decoys. To tell ya the truth I think she committed suicide..she was Old..And Tired Of It!! Just thought i would share the story
take care


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## Double Ott Buck (Oct 5, 2005)

Did it have glasses and carry cane? It was probably one of the founding members of AARP.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Damn that goose was old enough to drink!


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