# Do these Birds have a disease?



## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

We shot a few geese this weekend and a few of them of some weird bumps on their bills, check it out.
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Is this bird flu?


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Jokes aside, does anyone know why some Ross geese get really warty? Does it have to do with age or what?


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

Thats normal for a mature ross.


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Tyler, I do know that it is not uncommon, but do you know why they some get so warty and others don't. We shot over 50 Ross this weekend and these 4 were amoung the most odd and warty. All but maybe one or two of the Ross we shot were adults and most of them had realitively smooth bills. Any idea what causes them?


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

I guess I havent really looked into that much?

I have always just shot them and laughed becasue they decoy so damn well! :lol:


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

They do decoy really well. we had a group of about 20 of them come into the decoys yesterday and I called the shot when they were about 10 feet off the ground and 10 yards straight in front of my blind, their were seven of us out so not many of those ross made it away. And we all laughed about that flock quite a bit. :lol:


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Looks like you shot a couple white rhinos there! :lol:


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

I was told the older the bird the more warts it will get but who knows, never read anything that I could really trust on the subject


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Maybe contact DW and see if one of their biologists would know. Also, the ND G&F waterfowl biologist should know too.

Post up what you learn so we can get eduakaded too :wink:


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

The best info that I could find is that the older the bird gets the wartier it gets. I seems to be partially age and genetics and pretty sure it is only the males that get really warty. I guess they use the warts to help attract a mate, it is like large antlers on a big buck. They also show them off to other male suiters when competing for a mate. I couldn't find any real research papers, however I did talk to a wildlife biologist about it.


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## WaterfowlJunky (Mar 16, 2007)

i looked it up a few years back and they get bigger and more pronounced as they get older, and it only happens to the males, younger males and females only have a few smaller ones....so i guess a few of them you got there are pretty old males......thats just what i read though


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## goose0613 (Oct 24, 2003)

Don't you see what's happening? They are evolving to have large horns to fend off predators and eat tundra at a faster pace. Pretty soon it will be lethal to have one fall on the blinds!


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## Canuk (Oct 12, 2003)

I have seen the odd female with lots... they are rare but do exist.[/img]


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## strand (Sep 29, 2004)

West Dakota,

Do you have the paper or research info about the wartiness being male specific? It is very interesting and I would be interested in reading a bit more about it.

Thanks,
Kendall


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## Canuk (Oct 12, 2003)

strand said:


> West Dakota,
> 
> Do you have the paper or research info about the wartiness being male specific? It is very interesting and I would be interested in reading a bit more about it.
> 
> ...


I'm pretty sure something like that doesn't exist. I handle thousands every year and many of which (but still fewer than males) are female.


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## WaterfowlJunky (Mar 16, 2007)

its just what i read man i am no expert....

but go to google and type in ross's goose or ross goose caruncles (another name for warts) or any combination and start reading away i found several that said its mostly in males and they get more and more as they get older..... alot of different info, i also read that they "could" be useful when they mate......"showing dominance"....

just like to say again thats just what i read

if its on the internet is has to be true........right...

:roll:


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## strand (Sep 29, 2004)

That's exactly it WDW it's on the internet which is unfortunately all we have to my knowledge.

If it were in a scientific journal I would respect it, but without any scientific proof it sure is tough to make any assessment.

Canuk,

Do you work with the birds as a biologist or are you talking hunter harvested birds?

If you work with them maybe a little grant writing is in order for a ground breaking new research project. :beer:


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## Canuk (Oct 12, 2003)

strand said:


> Canuk,
> 
> Do you work with the birds as a biologist or are you talking hunter harvested birds?
> 
> If you work with them maybe a little grant writing is in order for a ground breaking new research project. :beer:


Yes, I study Ross's geese. I handle them (banding) and do research on a breeding colony. Generally what is typically written on the internet is true, they are more predominent on males.. just thought I would mention they are not uncommon of females as well. I have a couple awesome pictures of females with heavy caruncles that I sexed the hard way myself(posted below.. hopefully). Lastly, here's a paper that might interest you (citation below). I haven't read it in a while (probably should though).

McLandress, M.R. 1983. Winning with warts? A threat posture suggests
a function for caruncles in Ross' geese. Wildfowl 34:5-9

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pvk4sT ... P4GOnNL68i

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pvk4sT ... Z3XkT-Rqo8

well, the link works if you copy it into your address bar. sorry.[/img]


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pv...FmDI9ZhdXf9EW-FBAxW9tRjQf5s0n0NPZfZP4GOnNL68i

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pv...0TfmO97i0hG3V8b_L_stZCoixSJv_baVmCBZ3XkT-Rqo8


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pv...FmDI9ZhdXf9EW-FBAxW9tRjQf5s0n0NPZfZP4GOnNL68i

http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pv...0TfmO97i0hG3V8b_L_stZCoixSJv_baVmCBZ3XkT-Rqo8


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

First one works but the second one isn't (at least for me).

I don't think I shot one warted one this spring. Last spring I got into a bunch of them. I would love to get one of the unicorn/rhino ones. it would go on the wall for sure!!


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## WaterfowlJunky (Mar 16, 2007)

thanks for the info, i shot a couple of nice ones that i wanted to mount real bad this spring, but i have a few birds at the taxidermist right now so i didnt do it, oh well another reason to go back out


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Has anyone shot a warted ross in the fall? Do they keep their warts all year? I honestly can't even remember seeing a ross killed or even seeing one fly by in the fall?? Do they take a different route down or have they just eluded me?


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

That is pretty strange chopper because the only time I have seen warted ross' is in the fall. Of the 50 or so ross' we shot this spring none of them were really warty. Most of the Ross' we shoot are over by your area too, only about 40 miles away, so they must elude you. :lol:


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Maybe I need to shower when I get out in the fall??


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Yeah the warts on their noses give them a heightened sense of smell, that is why I purchased a Scent Lok suit in Shadow Grass.


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

I better get one as well. Maybe I should put some tooth paste on my tooth brush in the morning. Just using salt is not cutting it!


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## Trapperjack (Feb 25, 2007)

We have shot quite a few warty ross in the fall while hunting Sask. You don't shoot as many since the dumb young ross usually want to die first. Out of a flock of 20-30 you will be sometimes hard pressed to find one adult when they are bombing you!


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