Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

905.0. "Goose reproduction Research" by DATABS::STORM () Thu Feb 07 1991 11:35

    Last night I read an interesting letter in the lastest issue of Wildfowl
    that I thought I should pass on.
    
    It referenced some recent research (in Canada I think) about the
    reproductive rates of geese.  It said that geese were not very
    successful nesting until they reached 5 years of age.  Year old
    geese had close to 0% success nexting, with a slow improvement each
    year, until they become very prolific at the age of 5.
    
    Because of this, it would be nice to target hunting at young geese
    instead of the old ones.  It didn't offer any clear ways of doing that,
    except to suggest hunters avoid shooting the lead geese of a flock and
    target those at the back of the flock.  (My personal experience tells
    me that any goose that's been around for 5 years takes pretty good
    care of itself!)
    
    Another interesting point it made was that 90% of goose mortality is
    caused by hunting.
    
    Mark,
    

      I agree with you Mark, the older geese are a helluva lot harder to
    decoy then the youngsters. Interesting statement that 90% of goose 
    mortality is related to hunting.  With the explosion in the local
    goose population, it kind of blows the anti's premise that hunters
    are exterminating geese.  
    
    Jeff

Interesting to compare the hunter mortality figure
to doves.

Estimates are that <1% of dove mortality comes from
hunting.  BUT several million are shot annually,
as this is the most popular game bird, and they aren't
even shot through much of their range.

When will the antis realize the importance of, and join us,
in managing and protecting precious habitat?

BTW, saw a show on canvasbacks.  Claim was made that
raccoons are the largest predator.  In marshes that
have 'coons, less than 10% of can's reproduce successfully.
On marshes without them, over 90% raise young.  So
the decrease in trapping!!! has really hurt the ducks!
Tell that to PETA.