# Flock of Blue Geese



## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

I have seen a few snows around already, but today I saw a sight I have never seen before. I saw a flock of over 20 blue geese and not a snow around. I stopped and look at them for a while, they were only about 20 yards from the road with a small flock of cacklers. I thought it was a neat sight, should have had my camera.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Not that uncommon anymore. It used to be a BIG DEAL 30 years ago to even shoot a Blue, now there are more Blues than snows in parts of MB. I've seen flocks in the distance that I thought at initial reaction that they were Canadas with a few S&Bs mixed in--NOT, they were B&Ss with a few Canadas mixed in. Those Blues look like Honkers at a mile off in the fields feeding. I've been busted a few times thinking Honkers are coming in-small flock low right over the tree line no honking or anything-typical Honkers, only realizing as they are landing in the decoys they were a small flock of Blues.

Good to see them none the less whether Snows or Blues :bop:


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

Ive seen flocks of blues before, nothing too uncommon.


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

The point of this post was to say that I thought that it was cool to see an all blue flock, more then just a small family group. And that there are not large concentrations of snows and blues in the area, there are really no other snows or blues in the area. I know the birds that migrate through this part of the country are almost 50% blues and that there is an increasing number of blues due to partial dominance of the blue color gene, since snows exhibit plumage dimorphism. So you have seen flocks of only blues in SD already Mallard Hunter? That was really the point I guess. If you have then that is pretty cool otherwise why post a comment like that. 
I know that many peolpe don't really care about snows but I get really excited about hunting them, they are my favorite waterfowl. So when i see something i think is out of the ordinary i post it in hopes that some other people will post similar findings and I can share in their excitement as well. So if I post something that you think is dumb or no big deal please just ignore it and move on unless you have something constructive to say. The reason I visit this site is because it has such a large user base and I know many of you. So please lets justs leave the snide remarks in our heads and keep the forums to positive statements.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

I've read both responses twice and I'm not sure why you think they were being smart as#es? They were just gving their opinions. Hey, it's hunting season. Let's relax and have fun!


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

My comment was just for Mallardhunter. I probably over reacted to his statement that it is not too uncommon and he has seen flocks of all blue geese before. And if he is seeing flocks of all blue geese in Aberdeen SD right now, I am totally out of line and I apologize for my rant, because I would find that pretty cool. From now on I will heed my own advice and keep my comments that are not constructive to myself.


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## Goose Huntin' Machine (May 8, 2005)

Cool deal. Here in California, we do not have blues (or at least I have not seen one). We do get a fair number of specks though 

Now....I know what a blue looks like, but what are they? A cross between and snow and a....? or am I way off base?

THanks!

Jeff Given

With no snow geese in CA yet...


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

A blue goose is the same speices as the lesser snow goose. This speices exhibits plumage dimorphism, which means there are 2 color phases. The blue color gene is partially dominant over the white gene, which means if a blue phase and a white phase breed they will have blue phase babies. These offspring will not be quite as blue though. Then if one of those babies breeds with a white phase you continue to get more and more white on the blue phase. Not to long ago (20-30 years) the blue phase lesser snow goose was limited to only the eastern part of the continent and the White phase lesser snow goose was found throughout the continent the continent (mostly on the 2 edges though). When the lesser snow goose began to do better the breeding and wintering grounds began to over lap and there started to be more pairings of white and blue phase which began to move westward across the continent. Now the blue phase lesser snow goose is about 40% of the population that moves through north dakota when it used to be all white birds. I would think that you might begin to see blue phase snow geese in California in the next 10-30 years. Since the blue phase is partially dominant we are going to continue to get a higher and higher percentage of the blue phase. If you are interested I wrote a term paper on the lesser snow goose for population Biology a few years back, just check out the link.
http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/snow-goose-genetics.php


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## kris Schaumburg (Oct 21, 2004)

Those are probably birds that still winter on the Louisiana Gulf Coast. The flocks down near the gulf are all blues. I have shot hundreds in one day and all were blues. You might see one snow out of every thousand. Apparently it has always been that way. If you read early waterfowling books by EA Mceilhenny and others they speak of vast flocks of blues near the turn of the century. Further north in the state, the flocks are mixed about half and half. Kinda funny, when we hunt in Ark. everyone tends to pick the blues out and shoot for them. When we hunt the blues, everyone will often shoot at the same snow (if there is one in the flock)


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## Quackkills9 (Oct 25, 2004)

> Ive seen flocks of blues before, nothing too uncommon.


yeah okay you live where the snows and blues migrate through and I dont see any around here and its not common for me to see snows or blues..

snowhunter- youre right its cool to see them, even though I dont think I've seen em before, just a couple hundred snows each year. Hope you down a few blues this fall. good luck!


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

Sorry, didn't try to make anyone mad. I like shooting blues way more then snows because they don't look the same, like snows do.


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## Snow Hunter (Nov 16, 2004)

Thats cool, I over reacted anyway. I too try to shoot the blues first and then the snows out of a flock. I love the great varity of color patterns in the blue phase. I am have a blue mounted right now, I shot it this spring in SD. It is the blue I am holding in the picture.


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## weatherly (Sep 4, 2004)

I love hunting snows and blues, but if i get the chance to shoot at a flock that is mixed I almost always try to take the blues. They are a very unique bird and quite commonly very hard to find two that look the same. A very nice bird to add to that special wall in the house.


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

Snow Hunter said:


> Thats cool, I over reacted anyway. I too try to shoot the blues first and then the snows out of a flock. I love the great varity of color patterns in the blue phase. I am have a blue mounted right now, I shot it this spring in SD. It is the blue I am holding in the picture.


I just shoot what ever is in range....you must have a fetish for blue phase snow geese....  :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Must not be much around because it sure is quiet on the snow goose forum.


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

There are few lost flocks flying around. and then some intermixed with honker feeds...

Deltaboy took out some Delta guys this morning and managed to get a few snows and Eagle heads..

Pretty cool..


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