# 2005 Spring hatch



## villarwj (Jun 8, 2005)

Has anyone read anything about the 2005 spring snowgoose or speck hatch?


----------



## JEDJR (Oct 15, 2003)

To my knowledge, I dont here any news/reports till mid-late July.


----------



## Travery (Mar 15, 2005)

Word has it that the conditions are very very good. Dont know of any direct statistics as to the success rate of the birds this spring, but i do know that spring is a month ahead of schedule way up north, and supposedly the best its been in 50 years.


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I'd give it another couple weeks, the tundra is a big place to record data. 

I've heard it's pretty good in a lot of areas to date though.


----------



## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Guys the hatch does not happen this early up that far north. Heck a year ago they still had snow on the ground up there. Most time about June 1 the snow disappears.

But preliminary reports of one of the earliest snow melts in a while, and that should mean favorable nesting conditions. The curve ball will be any snow storms or wet/cold weather patterns.


----------



## Rick Risvold (May 25, 2003)

According to the arctic biologists it's the best hatch in 50 years. The snow melt came early and the birds responded.


----------



## ndwaterfowler (May 22, 2005)

The report is that it was the earliest snow melt on record and there are great numbers of successful nests for snows, specs and honkers. If the weather holds, it should be a banner year. :beer:


----------



## Cuppedwings (Apr 7, 2005)

I took this pic yesterday AM approximately 200 miles S of Hudson Bay in Gillam MB










Not sure how or if it will affect the hatch but 3 days of 28-40 degrees and snow can't be good...


----------



## Travery (Mar 15, 2005)

:bop: 
:snow: I sure hope this isnt going to destroy the anticipated hatch. Keep us posted.


----------



## salacia (Jun 26, 2005)




----------



## salacia (Jun 26, 2005)

I suggest everybody checking the real weather information on this.

I can't find anything to support the claim of snow... at least if it happened the Canadian Weather Service doesn't know about it...


----------



## Cuppedwings (Apr 7, 2005)

Salacia,

How about you research a little before spouting? I was there, If you frequent some of the other sites you would know I live here in MB, run a business in the industry and am very trustworthy and reliable. Posting false information would only hurt my reputation... It snowed all across Northern Manitoba and I am sure you can find that online somewhere.. June 23rd in Churchill and June 24th in Gillam and Thompson. Your data appears to be from the 26th... look up a history on June 24th morning on another site if you can, as that site obviously has wrong information. There were whiteout conditions for at least 3-4 hours in Gillam....

Later


----------



## Cuppedwings (Apr 7, 2005)

Snow in Thompson...

http://www.wunderground.com/history/air ... story.html

Snow in Gillam...

Not sure why it does not show up in Churchill? 2+ inches on the road between Gillam and Thompson on Friday morning... Nothing showing on the satellite though?


----------



## SNOWSNBLUES (Oct 23, 2004)

Well....whatever happened hopefully it won't affect the hatch to much.


----------



## salacia (Jun 26, 2005)

I did look and couldn't find a darn thing... all I saw on historical data that I pulled up for the areas was above freezing temps. That raised a question... sorry, it just did - also, the satellite map showed nothing..

no offense intended - just couldn't believe my eyes from the pics.


----------



## ndwaterfowler (May 22, 2005)

This is from a friend of mine at DU:

If it was short-lived, it shouldn't have much impact on gosling survival. As I mentioned earlier, this year was a record early snow melt up there so the geese should have been nesting early and have older goslings than normal by now which can handle a cold snap.

:-?


----------



## Cuppedwings (Apr 7, 2005)

It's Ok I took offense a little too quickly probably. My apologies for my snappiness. Tired from long hours up North in Bear Camp. Welcome to the site!


----------



## Cuppedwings (Apr 7, 2005)

ndwaterfowler said:


> This is from a friend of mine at DU:
> 
> If it was short-lived, it shouldn't have much impact on gosling survival. As I mentioned earlier, this year was a record early snow melt up there so the geese should have been nesting early and have older goslings than normal by now which can handle a cold snap.
> 
> :-?


That's good to hear!!


----------



## Squeeker (Apr 1, 2004)

Don't we want a bad spring hatch of Snows?


----------



## Cuppedwings (Apr 7, 2005)

Squeeker said:


> Don't we want a bad spring hatch of Snows?


It all depends on perspective... Yes we do for environmental concerns and the damage being caused to the tundra... but we still like shooting the darn things and if the hatch is decimated for a few years then there will be none or few left to shoot.

I have had quite a bit of experience in the Nortn Boreal forest and a little in the south tundra regions and know how long things take to re-generate, so the concerns on damage are very real.


----------



## salacia (Jun 26, 2005)

Yea, I read a PETA thing about how all the hoo-haa about the geese is a lie spread by hunters who simply want to kill more -- the article itself indicates they didn't go very far looking for much of anything.. I think they took one airplane ride - real scientific study they did. Anyway, it cracked me up to read such garbage!! Sad part is, some nuts listen to these nuts... that just makes more nuts - kind of like rabits I think - if you put enough nuts in a room, don't they just bread more nuts rapidly??


----------



## jim6897 (Aug 27, 2003)

Snow geese lay their eggs the first week of June. Incubation takes 20-24 days. They should be hatching right now.


----------



## fungalsnowgoose (Sep 11, 2004)

Correct Jim except this year they were able to nest earlier than ever due to warm weather trends opening up the breeding grounds almost a month ahead of schedule. From what I have been able to gather these birds should be somewhere between two weeks and a month ahead of schedule in the hatch.


----------



## jim6897 (Aug 27, 2003)

I spent some time in Saskatchewan this spring and we hunted with a conservation officer up there. We were there until the 10th of may and there were millions of geese still feeding on the grain fields. Here is what the CO said. In the spring snows will travel as far and as fast as they can. This is dictated by the weather. Once they reach the agricultural fields south of the treeline they stay there no matter what the weather until the end of May.Then they make the final move to the nesting grounds. 90% of snow geese lay their eggs the first week of June no matter what the weather is. Last year weather was poor and so was the hatch. This year conditions are better and the hatch should be too. The CO said Snow geese lay their eggs by the clock not the weather.


----------



## J.D. (Oct 14, 2002)

Well the biologists up there are saying the hatch started june 20th this year. :beer:


----------



## jim6897 (Aug 27, 2003)

Snow goose incubation time is 20-24 days so they are right on time


----------



## villarwj (Jun 8, 2005)

So if I can try to put this together here, the snow melted early exposing nesting area early, from which we may expect an early hatch. Then this big arss snow fall came in late June, and the question is- were the hatchlings old enough at that point to survive it? Again, this is our theory right? I like it so far.

Here on the Texas Gulf coast we rely on snow goose yearlings for decent hunts. Most folks come here to hunt snows.


----------



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

villarwj said:


> Here on the Texas Gulf coast we rely on snow goose yearlings for decent hunts. Most folks come here to hunt snows.


That's true everywhere,not just in Texas.


----------



## fungalsnowgoose (Sep 11, 2004)

If you think about it Jim they are like 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Normal nesting occurs in between June 10th and the 15th so if they have a 24 day incubation period and the eggs hatched on the 20th that means the eggs were dropped on the 27th of May. Thats 2 weeks early. As for the nesting I think maybe you misunderstood what your C.O. friend told you. Snow geese have to nest by a certain period or their nest will fail resulting in a bust hatch as some colonies experienced last year. But they will, have, and are nesting earlier due to the perfect weather conditions this year.


----------



## Top Flight Waterfowling (Oct 21, 2004)

I had gotten this is a email this morning, it all adds up seroius of faces for the next snow goose hunt and that is: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Greetings once again fellow snow goose hunters.

Well the spring snow goose season has long ended and we are now playing the waiting game until the first trip of the fall. Members are currently training their dogs, painting decoys, and waiting for first news of the 2005 light goose hatch. Huntingsnows.com is proud to pass on what we know of the current situation on the breeding grounds to our members.

Here's the scoop.

The 2005 breeding season is a success! Biologists believe that the current hatch could have the highest success rate in more than fifty years, it appears a mild spring and a quick thaw in the nesting areas has created perfect breeding conditions for the geese from beyond the north wind. This record shattering nesting year for the mid continental light goose population is considered a done deal unless a summer storm or other natural disaster should come through and cause a sudden reversal in the current estimated success rate of the hatch. As each day passes the danger of natural disaster becomes less possible as eggs hatch and become goslings. These goslings then grow stronger and stronger each day in preparation for their fall migration to the Southern United States and Northern Mexico. Although a late winter storm has reportedly pushed through Northern Manitoba biologists currently believe it will have little or no effect on the light goose hatch of 2005.

Unfortunately these results aren't as good of news as one might expect. While other waterfowl species were having record breaking nesting success might be a cause for celebration, snow geese are different, these results are in fact the worst possible news for the light geese of the central flyway. This record setting hatch could effectively void all headway made in the battle to reduce the mid-continental population of light geese in order to prevent further damage to their fragile arctic nesting areas. Destruction to these areas that had been slowed or effectively stopped from being over grazed is now in danger of being grazed off faster than ever. I think I'm going to need more decoys.

Hunters will need to harvest more snow geese than ever before in the fall 2005/ spring 2006 seasons in order to return the flock to its current levels. On a lighter note hunters should have a greater success rate with the abundance of juveniles that should be present throughout the flyway this year. Members should also be able to find plenty ducks throughout the flyway also as U.S.F.W.S. believes ducks to be having an average or slightly above average hatch this summer.

With such an awesome hatch migrating south this fall a hunter needs to keep abreast of their movement. This is easily done through the huntingnows.com migration tracking section. Here we make migration maps, drought indicators, and the NEXRAD radar available to help you plan the trip of a lifetime. Please remember after your hunt to report your sightings to our migration map. We will not be giving out your "secret" spot the map will generate a general area with percentages of snow goose movement through them. (nobody gets to see the data. not even me.=( )

We will keep you updated on new developments as we can but the best way to hear or read about the news is to participate. We will also be adding new products here and there and will announce them as they are added.

Thanks Guys. You are a great group and its been a pleasure corresponding, meeting, hunting etc. with all of you.

Happy Hunting, 
Mike, Chad, and Eric.

Cannot wait, building the spread up as I speak. 8)


----------



## salacia (Jun 26, 2005)

Here is what was printed in the Houston Chronicle today - totally NOT what we have been talking about and hearing on this and other boards...

read this and if you know of information which is contradictory to this, I strongly urge you e-mail this reporter with correct information...

[email protected]

Prospects appear good for autumn's goose season
Speckled-bellies lone exceptions to favorable early population surveys
By SHANNON TOMPKINS
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Texas waterfowlers looking for information on the status of this year's duck population and habitat conditions on northern nesting grounds get a good idea each July with the release of the annual report on spring breeding populations and pond counts.

But those also interested in geese have to dig a lot harder for insight.

Geese - at least the snows, Ross, white-fronted and small races of Canada geese making up the bulk of the birds wintering in Texas - nest far to the north of the major duck-producing areas of the north-central United States and prairie/parkland Canada. And goose colonies are scattered in some of the most remote and harsh environments in North America - places such as islands near the Arctic Circle.

That isolation along with a lack of funding for extensive aerial and ground surveys translate to light monitoring - nothing near the scale and intensity aimed at ducks. A few aerial surveys and a bit of ground-based research touch the edges of some major goose nesting areas. But there is no population estimate of the number of breeding geese.

Estimates only
Waterfowl managers base their estimates of goose populations on mid-winter surveys of birds on their wintering grounds. And they base their admittedly vague forecasts of goose production more on satellite images, timing of the spring thaw and the weather the birds see during the nesting and brood-rearing season.

*That said, preliminary information from goose nesting areas in northern Canada indicate an average or slightly above average year for the big waterfowl, said Tim Moser, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service goose specialist.

Unlike 2004, when late-spring blizzards and a delayed snow melt resulted in a near bust of that year's goose hatch, this year's weather conditions appear to have benefited geese. Most of the snow goose nesting colonies producing birds that winter in Texas saw average nesting dates and clutch sizes, Moser said.*

Some of the best conditions were in goose colonies along the edge of Hudson Bay. Those colonies, while relatively small when held against the huge colonies farther north, send a high percentage of their residents to wintering areas along the Texas coast.

Baffin Island trouble spot
The Baffin Island area appears to be an exception to the sunny goose outlook. There, bad weather appears to have hurt nesting efforts.

Prospects for white-fronted geese and Canada geese that visit Texas mirror the positive outlook for snow geese, Moser said.

"Overall, things look pretty good," Moser said of this year's goose situation.

Better information on the composition of the goose population - percentage of young geese - typically is not available until early October, when the birds move south to staging areas in southern Canada. But this autumn's goose season appears to hold much better prospects than this past year's. That's not to say there won't be some goose-related issues sparking discussion in the Central Flyway Council's meeting in Helena, Mont., this coming week. Federal and state waterfowl managers are wrestling with how to best address the harvest of white-fronted geese.

Speckled-bellies, as whitefronts are called along the Texas coast, are an important bird for goose hunters. Travelling in smaller groups than snow geese (often in singles and pairs), whitefronts are more likely to decoy than snows.

Debating bag limits
Over the past few seasons, coastal Texas waterfowlers have been allowed a daily bag limit of two speckled-bellies. The bag limit had been a single whitefront for many years prior to that.

But about the time the whitefront bag limit was increased to two birds, whitefront populations as counted on wintering grounds began falling. Over the decade 1994-2003, the mid-continent whitefront population declined an average of 3 percent annually. The autumn population, as estimated on staging grounds in southern Canada, has gone from about 800,000 whitefronts to just more than 400,000.

Waterfowl managers are looking at reducing the number of days in the whitefront season and/or reducing the bag limit. Texas waterfowl managers are likely to push for retaining the two-bird bag limit even if it comes with a reduction in the "dark-goose" season length.


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Exactly, don't believe everything you read. The tundra is a BIG place.

Give it another month to be sure.

Although optimistism isn't always a bad thing either.


----------

