# How common is a blue phased ross these days?



## lynxx69

I Shot a blue phased ross last spring and was wondering how common these birds are? I know that not many have shot them, but they seem to be a little more common thing. What are the odds in your opinion? Maybe its because people know to look for them now.









:beer:


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## shooteminthelips

That isnt a ross just a lesser blue. The bill is to long.


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## Bloodyblinddoors

shooteminthelips said:


> That isnt a ross just a lesser blue. The bill is to long.


Yup. Thats a blue goose. I'll try to save this thread, Are tortoise shell blues rare or is that a myth too.


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## teamshakeandbake

Pretty sweet looking bird!!


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## KEN W

Yup.....that's a plain old Blue.....actually there is no such thing as a Blue Ross.....DNA tests have proven they are all hybrids.

Bloodyblinddoors.....Was that taken in spring?If so it looks like a young snow that hasn't turned completely white yet.


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## kingcanada

look for warts on the base of the bill to confirm a ross. i only know of 2 that have been shot and confirmed. both went to the taxidermist. both were not mine.


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## lynxx69

I suppose you are still going to tell me that its a lesser blue. The top bird is a juvy blue, the bird above it is a ross and the last snow is a juvy.

I purposly put the smallest birds by it to show its alot smaller...

I have shot plenty of snow geese and I know what a lesser Blue looks like. Everyone talks about grin patches and what not.. look at the difference between them... The top and bottom birds sure are not greater snow or blue geese.



kingcanada said:


> look for warts on the base of the bill to confirm a ross. i only know of 2 that have been shot and confirmed. both went to the taxidermist. both were not mine.


 Not all ross have warts on there beeks, as the ross gets older the warts develop. When you say 2 confirmed what exactly do you mean? Confirmed Blue Phased Ross?


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## Old Hunter

lynx the first picture is decieving. I too thought the bird was a blue.The white Ross in the picture looks like the beak may have been trimed by a shot?


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## wingaddict

a TRUE blue phase Ross extremely rare
a hybid blue phase Ross/snow very rare
# of people who THINK they have shot a true blue phase rossie...very common


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## J.D.

KEN W said:


> Bloodyblinddoors.....Was that taken in spring?If so it looks like a young snow that hasn't turned completely white yet.


I gotta disagree here. That is an adult interphase blue goose, no question about it. Just look at the pink feet. 8)


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## Bloodyblinddoors

After looking at a better pic. I'm changing my vote to Blue phased ross'. Not sure how rare they realy are but I've never had a dead one in my hand.


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## PJ

I've seen two. And yes I think they were hybrids, or they say that they are all hybrids. Cool birds though.


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## lynxx69

I am pretty excited, i am having Rick Acker do this bird for me. When he is done i will have to post up some pics for everyone. Is there a possible way to do some DNA testing, or is that just a waste of time and money?


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## kingcanada

make that three blue ross that i know of! congratulations, the better pic shows it is absolutely a ross. i have been told that there is one blue phase bird in every 50,000 ross geese! take it to the taxidermist, even if you have to sell something to pay for it.


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## Bloodyblinddoors

J.D. said:


> I gotta disagree here. That is an adult interphase blue goose, no question about it. Just look at the pink feet. 8)


And the bill.


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## lynxx69

kingcanada said:


> make that three blue ross that i know of! congratulations, the better pic shows it is absolutely a ross. i have been told that there is one blue phase bird in every 50,000 ross geese! take it to the taxidermist, even if you have to sell something to pay for it.


Already in the works, should be a fun mount.


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## Trapperjack

lynxx,

great looking bird! Definetly not your run of the mill lesser blue. I would call it a blue phase ross but no way of knowing for sure.

Ken, I know the Smithsonian was requesting hunters to donate birds thought to be blue phase ross but I have not heard that they have come to any conclusions. If you have that information, lets see it.


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## Trapperjack

KEN W said:


> Yup.....that's a plain old Blue.....actually there is no such thing as a Blue Ross.....DNA tests have proven they are all hybrids.
> 
> Bloodyblinddoors.....Was that taken in spring?If so it looks like a young snow that hasn't turned completely white yet.


I suppose DNA tests have proven there is no such thing as a white bellied blue??? You need your eyes checked.


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## KEN W

Trapperjack said:


> KEN W said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yup.....that's a plain old Blue.....actually there is no such thing as a Blue Ross.....DNA tests have proven they are all hybrids.
> 
> Bloodyblinddoors.....Was that taken in spring?If so it looks like a young snow that hasn't turned completely white yet.
> 
> 
> 
> I suppose DNA tests have proven there is no such thing as a white bellied blue??? You need your eyes checked.
Click to expand...

My eyes are just fine.....I have been hunting snows since 1963.That's 47 years of chasing snows and blues.My hunting parties have shot thousands of them.Seen every color variation possible,including blues with a white belly.I asked if that bird was taken in the spring.....no response.I still say it is a juvie snow that is in the process of becoming fully white.If that bird was taken in the fall/winter.....then yes it is a blue.So maybe you should get your eyes checked.


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## Plainsman

Ken, although I raised mostly Giant Canada geese I also raised Snows and Blues, Aleutian, Hawaiian Nene , Egyptian geese, Asian Bar-headed, etc. I watched a few Snows and Blues grow to maturity and I agree with your assessment. It's not a certainty, but it's by far the most likely scenario.


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## Bloodyblinddoors

KEN W said:


> I asked if that bird was taken in the spring.....no response.


Woops. My bad. The bird was killed in the spring. You believe even though it has pink legs and orange bill that it's a juvy??


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## justund223

Looks like an interphase blue to me. I would have gotten that thin mounted. Look at the wing coloration. looks like a blue and its feet and bill are that of an adult. I really think those interphase blues are becoming more common


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## lynxx69

That bird is not a juvy snow, Bloodyblinddoors are you getting that bird mounted? I have never seen a juvy snow ever look like that.


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## barebackjack

You guys dont know what your talking about.

All birds in question on this thread are OBVIOUSLY quill lakes region geese. SHEESH!


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## J.D.

Bloodyblinddoors said:


> KEN W said:
> 
> 
> 
> I asked if that bird was taken in the spring.....no response.
> 
> 
> 
> Woops. My bad. The bird was killed in the spring. You believe even though it has pink legs and orange bill that it's a juvy??
Click to expand...

This isnt even in question imo. That is an adult blue goose, no doubt about it. :eyeroll:


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## JuvyPimp

J.D. said:


> Bloodyblinddoors said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> KEN W said:
> 
> 
> 
> I asked if that bird was taken in the spring.....no response.
> 
> 
> 
> Woops. My bad. The bird was killed in the spring. You believe even though it has pink legs and orange bill that it's a juvy??
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> This isnt even in question imo. That is an adult blue goose, no doubt about it. :eyeroll:
Click to expand...

I agree. Adult blue goose.


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## Bloodyblinddoors

barebackjack said:


> You guys dont know what your talking about.
> 
> All birds in question on this thread are OBVIOUSLY quill lakes region geese. SHEESH!


I'm with bareback on this one guy's.

No I did'nt get it mounted. It's a cool lookin bird for sure though. I thought I'd at least get a pic. Hunting the central flyway in the spring as often as I do I'm sure I'll kill a few more like the one pictured.
Now If I woulda killed it in MN the thing would be in a glass case but thats just me.


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## Bloodyblinddoors

JuvyPimp said:


> I agree. Adult blue goose.


OK heres a guy who should be able to answer my question. In your own words, How rare is that goose?


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## SDwaterfowler

I also agree that is an interphase blue. They do seem to be becoming more common. We shot 2 similar ones last spring and one that looked the exact same last week.


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## JuvyPimp

Bloodyblinddoors said:


> JuvyPimp said:
> 
> 
> 
> I agree. Adult blue goose.
> 
> 
> 
> OK heres a guy who should be able to answer my question. In your own words, How rare is that goose?
Click to expand...

I assume your talking about the Adult blue goose not the blue/ross cross?

For the Adult Blue you have.
Exactly 4 out of 1411 snows i saw die last season. So 0.28 % from our population sample :beer: . Every group of hunters will be different and every year will be different + some luck. Those 4 are true complete white belly and front of the neck. There were numerous others that have a dark feather here or there. I dont count those. Although I know I personally pick on them when I see them in time. Two of them are getting mounted. That one you have there is a beauty! Every bird is different thats why they are so cool in my mind. They are pretty rare but you can see one just about every day if your working large flocks and are scaning them. :2cents:

For the blue/ross cross..........................who knows how rare but definately getting more common. I agree that a true blue phase ross does not exist but crosses are definately out there. We got our first one this last year ever.


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## INhonker1

barebackjack said:


> You guys dont know what your talking about.
> 
> All birds in question on this thread are OBVIOUSLY quill lakes region geese. SHEESH!


LMAO :rollin: Actually........I was gonna say it looks like a farm goose/ canada cross. We have a TON of birds just like that in Indiana!!!!! :beer:


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## kingcanada

send the carcass in for the dna test after the taxidermist is done separating it from the skin. post the results. then the issue will be dead. :beer: it's a rare bird no matter what it is. i have not racked up big numbers, but after 800+ snow geese, i have not shot one.


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## katy goose hunter

It is a blue phase ross look at the beak there is no smile patch as in a snow goose. There are warts growing on the beak which only ross geese get, its the gray area on the beak. Compare it to the other ross next to it in the picture, then look at the snow geese in the same picture. There is a lot of difference so the conclusion is... it is a blue phase ross.

I shot one this past weekend here in Texas.


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## katy goose hunter

shooteminthelips said:


> That isnt a ross just a lesser blue. The bill is to long.


it is a blue phase ross the beak is not to long and cant be a blue because there is no smile patch on it


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## Nick Roehl

katy goose hunter said:


> shooteminthelips said:
> 
> 
> 
> That isnt a ross just a lesser blue. The bill is to long.
> 
> 
> 
> it is a blue phase ross the beak is not to long and cant be a blue because there is no smile patch on it
Click to expand...

Super old post, but still a blue goose. It does have the smile patch.


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## XFactor

lynxx69 said:


> I suppose you are still going to tell me that its a lesser blue. The top bird is a juvy blue, the bird above it is a ross and the last snow is a juvy.
> 
> I purposly put the smallest birds by it to show its alot smaller...
> 
> I have shot plenty of snow geese and I know what a lesser Blue looks like. Everyone talks about grin patches and what not.. look at the difference between them... The top and bottom birds sure are not greater snow or blue geese.
> 
> 
> 
> kingcanada said:
> 
> 
> 
> look for warts on the base of the bill to confirm a ross. i only know of 2 that have been shot and confirmed. both went to the taxidermist. both were not mine.
> 
> 
> 
> Not all ross have warts on there beeks, as the ross gets older the warts develop. When you say 2 confirmed what exactly do you mean? Confirmed Blue Phased Ross?
Click to expand...

I suppose your going to tell me that the ross goose pictured along with it has a grin patch as well? You couldnt get a better pic in this situation especiall when the blue and snow are both juvy birds.


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## goosebusters

It is pretty easy to understand...There is no such thing as a Blue-phased Ross. If there ever was one shot there used to be a large reward available from the Smithsonian. Anytime someone says they shot a BPR they are trying to turn their metaphorical horse into a unicorn because their horse has a bump on its forehead.


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## Nick Roehl

Take all these blue phased Ross geese in to a biologist and let me know how it turns out.


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## XFactor

Im not saying it is or it isnt, Im just saying if there ever was one there it is!  I dont know about you guys but now that pheasant hunting is over I cant help but think about snow geese and its getting tough on me already! lol


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## Nick Roehl

XFactor said:


> Im not saying it is or it isnt, Im just saying if there ever was one there it is!  I dont know about you guys but now that pheasant hunting is over I cant help but think about snow geese and its getting tough on me already! lol


Well the way this winter is going we will be driving in fields to set up for once that will be nice. Haven't done that for years. I can't stop thinking about snows falling from the sky either. :beer:


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## Nick Roehl

Here is a blue I have on the wall. The bill is about 1.5" long and it's half the size of any other snow or blue I have ever killed which have been many. It's body is the size of a Ross. But it looks like it has a smile on the beak yet warts on it too. So who knows.


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## Bloodyblinddoors

Bloodyblinddoors said:


> After looking at a better pic. I'm changing my vote to Blue phased ross'. Not sure how rare they realy are but I've never had a dead one in my hand.


Have had 3 dead ones in my hand since this post.


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## katy goose hunter

Nick Roehl said:


> katy goose hunter said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shooteminthelips said:
> 
> 
> 
> That isnt a ross just a lesser blue. The bill is to long.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

it is a blue phase ross the beak is not to long and cant be a blue because there is no smile patch on it[/quot

if your talking about the very first photo that is a blue phase ross there is no smile patch and if your talking about the one in the snowy field i know that is a blue goose


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## Nick Roehl

> if your talking about the very first photo that is a blue phase ross there is no smile patch and if your talking about the one in the snowy field i know that is a blue goose


I would kindly disagree that first bird's bill doesn't look like any Ross I have ever killed. But then again I am not a biologist so I can't say for sure. If I was betting money I would say not a blue phased Ross.


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## KEN W

It doesn't matter.According to all DNA testing so far,they are all hybrids.No such thing as a true blue Ross.


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## Trapperjack

What testing???? Where are you reading this at????


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