Yes
Geese Mating
Do any of you guys know whether or not geese mate for life? I've got a bet riding on this, so responses would be much appreciated. Thanks!
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I found two sources on the net one was a university study the other was a "we can all learn to live in understanding of each other" sight. Both said yes unless there mate is killed then they find a new one. One also said that if one goose is injured when flying in formation two others will drop out of formation and stay with it till it dies or can rejoin a flight of geese. That one seems like bull I have not see that when I have shot a goose and I have come across an injured goose by itself on a pond before.
Yeah if it was true that geese went back for their injured then i would have taken my limit this season everytime i went out. Yeah i found the same stuff about what geese do when their mates die. Too bad I bet that geese don't mate for life. Looks like I owe some dinner to a pretty lady, oh well.
Yes, you can often see their devotion when you shoot one of the pair. This year I did pretty good on geese. On more than one ocassion when we knocked one down, another one would circle & fly down within range & we would take it out also. (I am assuming that, that one would have been its mate.)
I had a pair fly over me at about 40 yds. I knocked down one. The second circled right back to fly over the first for about a 20 yd shot. It is nice to get the pair. I don't feel as guilty. I have often seen the loan goose flying around honking looking for his mate.
Last year I was with a bunch of guys hunting opening day of the late season. One goose we hit struggled/glided off toward the river about 1 mile away. 2 days later I saw a flock of geese down by the river in the same direction. It is a park so I could not hunt there. I went there every day for the next two weeks and those geese were there. It started out to be about twelve geese. Then it got really cold and there were only nine. Sometimes there was just one. Finally the entire river iced up except for the little feeder stream that was coming in there. There were still four geese. One had bad leg. The one that did not fly anywhere stayed in the feeder stream and hissed at me. I would have tried to put him/her out of their misery but there were always too many people there. They would not have understood. They would have just seen tall ugly guy strangling a bird. I tried feeding them corn. The healthy birds ate it. Finally the one in the feeder stream died and I never saw the rest again.
Those birds hung around in 10 degree weather to stay with the one. I have never seen such devotion.
Last year I was with a bunch of guys hunting opening day of the late season. One goose we hit struggled/glided off toward the river about 1 mile away. 2 days later I saw a flock of geese down by the river in the same direction. It is a park so I could not hunt there. I went there every day for the next two weeks and those geese were there. It started out to be about twelve geese. Then it got really cold and there were only nine. Sometimes there was just one. Finally the entire river iced up except for the little feeder stream that was coming in there. There were still four geese. One had bad leg. The one that did not fly anywhere stayed in the feeder stream and hissed at me. I would have tried to put him/her out of their misery but there were always too many people there. They would not have understood. They would have just seen tall ugly guy strangling a bird. I tried feeding them corn. The healthy birds ate it. Finally the one in the feeder stream died and I never saw the rest again.
Those birds hung around in 10 degree weather to stay with the one. I have never seen such devotion.
Maybe it was the open water that drew them in?wow open water and it must be safe cause our 12th cusin barney is down ther honking his fool head off.
Hey Freddy-is that Jay's new nickname?Looks like I owe some dinner to a pretty lady, oh well.
Hey Rabbitwhacker,
Isn't it about time for bed or some prune juice?
-Freddy
Isn't it about time for bed or some prune juice?
-Freddy
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