# Check Out My Canadian Goose



## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Alright, now be completely honest how many people clicked on this to yell at me for calling it a "canadian" goose. Well, I've got a good explanation for it. I have a family friend who farms close to Manvel, ND. His Son-in-law, Sonny is from Kentucky and has never been goose hunting. I got word this past summer that he was coming up and he really wanted to go out. I finally called him up and went out scouting for the next day. I found a great mixed field of Canadas, Lessers, Cacks, and a few snows. Yesterday though the wind didn't cooperate and it was dead calm. The entire day birds worked sideways over the blinds instead of in front like we planned. It still worked out great, the two guys that were with me got their limits of Canadas and Sonny had a blast. We had a ton of firsts on this hunt.

First goose of a lifetime
First Cackler of the season
First Snow of the season
First Lesser of the season
First time shooting three subspecies of Canadas
First Sharpie of the season
First Band of the season

First goose, his first goose was actually a lesser. I guess I don't know if that's what they are called really. They are a mid-grade goose in between the cacks and Canadas. They weren't resident geese, I will show a better pic later on.









First Cackler, First Snow, First time shooting 4 species/subspecies in one hunt. The middle goose is one of those mid-grades. The cackler was one of those duck-sized geese weighing a whopping 4 pounds while the goose on the left weighed 12 pounds 4 ounces. The snow goose we got came with a blue directly towards our 3 S&B dekes. They were absolutely dive-bombing the spread, but landing down behind us like snows tend to do. We only had one guy who could really get a shot off and he only shot once so not too bad.









The two "lessers" came in as a pair flying directly over me first, but the shot wasn't called until they were past me. Sonny was second in line as they flew from East to West and POW! he got his first goose. The other goose kept flying as we whacked, and finally I was shooting directly behind me laying back in my blind I dropped my only goose of the day at about 40 yards. I told myself I was going to relax yesterday, I wasn't going to get bent out of shape about shooting birds like people are describing in the "Envy" thread. I only shot a couple times all day I guess I picked a good bird to shoot though.









As you can see in comparison to my body that is a smaller goose, it was banded in Manitoba in 2004, and actually when I saw the preliminary information it said it was a Canada Goose, not a Greater Canada goose. Still not sure. But it is an actual Canadian goose.










Overall, it was another tremendous hunt. It seems like everytime I try and just relax, and just have a great hunt, that is exactly what happens. When I do stupid stuff like look for bands or try to shoot a limit all that happens is I feel like a moron. This hunt is a dedication to those that know if you do something right, make it more about the memories than the killing, that good things will happen. Plus the memories make you feel better than a pile of dead geese anyways.


----------



## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

Great pics and story. Thanks for sharing!

Mike


----------



## james.hunter (Sep 5, 2007)

looks like a great hunt. Great pic. :beer:


----------



## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

Awesome. :beer:


----------



## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

Well, here's how it breaks down. There is the Giant Canada, Western Canada, Atlantic Canada, Interior Canada, Dusky Canada, Vancouver Canada, Aleutian Canada, Lesser Canada, Taverner's Canada, Richardson's Canada and finally the Cackling Canada.

The snow goose is it's own species, so that's not a sub-species of the Canada.

I'm gonna say you have a cackler, and a small to average giant (considering the short life spans those things get these days) in that pic. Not sure about the middle one, it's so hard to tell on some of em, how much did it weigh?

By the way, congrats again on the band. The text message I got while I was sitting in class was a little heart breaking. Made me wanna be hunting worse than I already did. It doesn't matter if it was your goal or not, that's still something to be excited about.


----------



## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

The one pictured is assumed to be the female of the pair and weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces, and the banded one weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces (minus the band).



> The snow goose is it's own species, so that's not a sub-species of the Canada.


Isn't the cackler it's own species too now? That's why I wrote species/subspecies.


----------



## GooseBusters12 (Jan 12, 2006)

who else went out with you guys Jim?


----------



## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> Isn't the cackler it's own species too now?


I may be wrong but don't they call them a Hutchinson's?


----------



## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

The Richardson's Canada is the one that they also call the Hutchinson.


----------



## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

I don't know the proper names of all the sub-species but in this area there are 11 different kinds of canada geese. The beak and the coloration differences are quite subtle till you see enough of them. I like shooting the big buggers and not the local park geese, these guys show up in Nov. and they are huge. The biggest last year would not fit in a 5 gallon pail (not plucked or cleaned). Maybe I will have the winner of the 18lb goose contest in a month. :lol: Thanks for the clarification diver. :beer:


----------



## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

Well, there are only 11 recognized sub species.

Some of them are very limited in their ranges. For example the Aleutian only consists of about 8,000 birds. They are found in Alaska and ocasionally in some pacific coast states. They can't actually be legally hunted because they are on the threatened species list. It's practically impossible to know what you're shooting at when you're talking about a subspecies like this though.

The Taverner's is another one that stays in the same range. Nests in Alaska, winters in Washington and northern Oregon.

Haha, sorry to keep correcting, I don't mean to sound like an arse. Just sharing what the books learned me. dd: And trust me, I've had to go back and reference them a few times here. I can't remember all this stuff, hell, I can barely remember what they teach me at school.


----------



## Green head down (Jan 6, 2005)

Since 2004 there are now two different Species of Canada geese.

Canada Goose Branta canadensis - Large bodied group - 7 subspecies nesting inland and southerly

*B. c. canadensis - Atlantic Canada Goose *- large, light colored, with white at base of neck relatively clear and extending to back and forming a sharp line with black neck

*B. c. interior - Hudson Bay Canada Goose *- Similar in size to canadensis, mantle somewhat browner and darker, with dark continuing uninterrupted to black of neck, feather edges on dorsum average darker, contrasting less with black of neck, breast light to medium grayish towards slaty gray.

*B. c. maxima - Giant Canada Goose *- nearly extirpated in early 1900s, but now reintroduced and common. Very similar to moffitti and merged by Palmer 1976. Often very difficult to distinguish from moffitti. Very large, appearing rather pale overall, especially on underparts, white on cheeks tends to extend somewhat farther up sides of head than on canadensis.

*B. c. moffitti- Moffitt's or Great Basin Canada Goose *- Similar to maxima in size and color, may have white markings on forehead, intermountain birds may have dark throat stripe.

*B. c. parvipes - Lesser Canada Goose *- reportedly intergrades with taverneri in w AK, with hutchinsii throughout tundra, with maxima and moffitti to south. Merged with taverneri by Palmer 1976; but mtDNA shows little or no interbreeding. Medium-size, similar in color to moffitti, with pale to dusky breast.

*B. c. occidentalis - Dusky Canada Goose *- a medium large goose, dark overall, underparts chestnut to dark chocolate brown (except white vent), feather borders on dorsum rather narrow, reddish brown; upper breast dark, merging with neck.

*B. c. fulva - Vancouver Canada Goose *- sometimes merged with occidentalis (Palmer 1976) but disjunct range, moderate differences in morphology, and differences in mtDNA. Slightly larger than occidentalis, and darker on average, but otherwise similar in appearance.

*Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii - Small-bodied group *- 4 subspecies breeding mainly in tundra

*B. h. hutchinsii - Richardson's (or Hutchins's) Cackling Goose *- reportedly intergrades with parvipes throughout range in NWT and Nunavut, but this is uncertain. Small and rather light, pale breast.

*B. h. taverneri - Taverner's (Alaska) Cackling Goose *- may intergrade with parvipes in interior AK. Merged by Palmer with parvipes but has unique mtDNA. Similar to leucopareia but slightly larger and lighter in color, with rounder head. Similar to parvipes but breast slightly darker.

*B. h. minima - Cackling Cackling Goose *- Smallest, with small bill and short neck but relatively long legs; variable color and pattern but typically quite dark brown with purplish cast on breast, bill stubby, straight to convex culmen, nail less elongated than leucopareia, white cheeks more extensive than leucopareia.

*B. h. leucopareia - Aleutian Cackling Goose *- includes asiatica (extinct). Larger than minima, with paler breast usually gray-brown to dark brownish; white collar usually complete and rather thick with blackish feathering at base of neck; head rather square profile; bill short, tapering to narrow tip and somewhat pointed nail; white cheek patches somewhat more restricted, nearly always black throat stripe.

http://www.sibleyguides.com/canada_cackling.htm This is the best site I have found regarding the Species and subspecies of Canada and Cackling Canada Geese

The Smaller bodied birds that migrate through the Dakotas and Western MN are mainly the Lessers and Huchies (richersons) we will get a few Cacklers but very few and they have a dark brest. I am sure that that smallest bird is a Huchie.

Aleutian Cackling Goose are not endanger any more and have a very healthy population out west. They are expanding the hunting seasons for them in CA and OR. There is a great artical about hunting them late in the year in CA in a recient Wildfowl mag.


----------



## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

That's an awesome link. Thanks for sharing! :beer:


----------



## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Great post GB! Keep grinding, maybe there are a few bands out there yet! :lol:


----------



## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

Thanks for the info guys. :lol:


----------



## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

GB -

Enjoyed the pictures and the story!


----------



## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

GooseBusters12 said:


> who else went out with you guys Jim?


Joel went out too. I'm pretty sure if I get another band any time soon he will stab me in the jaw. After one they were happy, two they were indifferent, three they didn't even get excited when I picked it up. It was more like, "shut up". So if I get my fourth, I am assuming if I get out of the field with my life I will have to start looking for some new guys to curse with my "hunting partner band-drought disease".


----------



## mnbirdhunter (Sep 15, 2005)

Great Post!

That is the way it is around our school, where everyone is always set on shooting as many birds as possible and if you dont get your limit you are not a good hunter. Makes me pity them because they dont know what hunting is all about.


----------



## GooseBusters12 (Jan 12, 2006)

where was the Second one at???

I thought you only had the one from last year?


----------



## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Great Post GB!! :beer:


----------



## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

GooseBusters12 said:


> where was the Second one at???


It was a blue this spring.


----------

