# Snow geese have spectacular nesting season in Arctic



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Snow geese have spectacular nesting season in Arctic; experts predict huge fall migration
By Chris Niskanen on September 1, 2010 2:58 PM 
Think North America already has enough snow geese?

Experts describe this summer's nesting season in the subarctic region of La Perouse Bay in northern Manitoba as "spectacular."

Because of a warm spring season and extremely wet conditions, nesting success was very high for snow geese, which are already at record high levels, frustrating biologists concerned about their impacts on the fragile arctic tundra.

"This is a huge production year," says Dr. Robert "Rocky" Rockwell, a biology professor at City University of New York and one of North America's leading authorities on snow geese. He said the number of juvenile birds migrating south would be usually high this fall.

Delta Waterfowl, a conservation group, said that should mean better hunting success for snow and Ross' geese, a similar-looking white goose.

Overall populations of snow and Ross' geese remain very high. One population, near Karrak Lake in Canada, has grown from 400,000 to more than a million in less than 10 years.

Snow goose survival rates have not declined since 1989, even with liberalized hunting regulations and a special spring conservation hunt.


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## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

I've never researched the topic much but we've heard for 10-15 years that snow geese are destroying their habitat. When do scientists expect the carrying capacity of the arctic to decrease, if ever? Seems odd that they'd still be able to have these great hatches.


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## bluebird (Feb 28, 2008)

:rock: :rock: Well it looks like it's going to be a fun one!!!!


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## WhiteRockDecoys (Dec 29, 2009)

slough said:


> I've never researched the topic much but we've heard for 10-15 years that snow geese are destroying their habitat. When do scientists expect the carrying capacity of the arctic to decrease, if ever? Seems odd that they'd still be able to have these great hatches.


Lots of land up there, habitat is just about endless. There is habitat destruction taking place on a fragile ecosystem, but the carrying capacity of the land is far from reached. The studies are more about grant money. This is not to say the professors don't care about the birds or the land but the more "dire" the cause the more money funneled into studying it.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Best part:



> Delta Waterfowl, a conservation group, said that should mean better hunting success for snow and Ross' geese, a similar-looking white goose.


Did we need Delta in the article to tell us more juvies mean better hunting success? :thumb:


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## chrisg (Mar 17, 2010)

WhiteRockDecoys said:


> slough said:
> 
> 
> > I've never researched the topic much but we've heard for 10-15 years that snow geese are destroying their habitat. When do scientists expect the carrying capacity of the arctic to decrease, if ever? Seems odd that they'd still be able to have these great hatches.
> ...


I havent researched it. but isnt the best possible habitat what they are concerned about. Not the overall habitat, like WhiteRock stated, the carrying capacity is massive, but I think the habitat in question is the best suitable that is close to water. I thought I had heard birds will walk for miles to find suitable green shoots and edible plants near water?


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## WhiteRockDecoys (Dec 29, 2009)

chrisg said:


> I havent researched it. but isnt the best possible habitat what they are concerned about. Not the overall habitat, like WhiteRock stated, the carrying capacity is massive, but I think the habitat in question is the best suitable that is close to water. I thought I had heard birds will walk for miles to find suitable green shoots and edible plants near water?


Lots of green shoots  and if you look close in the background you can even see the other "endangered" beast of the north. The polor bear is another species that is doing very well but is getting a lot of $$$$ attention/research.










Lots of water  near green shoots.


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## Bucky Goldstein (Jun 23, 2007)

White Rock, show us more!


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## WhiteRockDecoys (Dec 29, 2009)

Bucky Goldstein said:


> White Rock, show us more!


What do you want to see?

Bears in the free world and humans in the cage? Ever been 8 in from something that can kill you in 8 sec?









Caribou in the snow goose decoys?









The most beautiful landscape in the most brutal part of the world.


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## chrisg (Mar 17, 2010)

WhiteRockDecoys said:


> chrisg said:
> 
> 
> > I havent researched it. but isnt the best possible habitat what they are concerned about. Not the overall habitat, like WhiteRock stated, the carrying capacity is massive, but I think the habitat in question is the best suitable that is close to water. I thought I had heard birds will walk for miles to find suitable green shoots and edible plants near water?
> ...


Thanks WhiteRock. Proves Media sway it to how they want it to be seen. :beer: Might take all of a load or two of 00 buck to sway the big white ones attention.


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## gaddy getter (Dec 2, 2003)

Awesome photos!


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## frank_lap_127 (Feb 6, 2010)

Awesome photos.

About the Polar Bear, if I remember well there are 13 sub-species and 4 of them are endangered to a certain point but the others are doing fine. Let me just check my sources again to be sure.


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