06-11-2003 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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OUT -OF -DOORS Page 4 of 5 during these frigid times, healthy geese are capable of going 30 or more days without food, and can migrate south as late as mid - January if deep snow covers the food resource. Canada geese migrate only as far south as needed to find an environment with open water, food resources, and temperatures suitable to their body size. Small geese with a greater surface area -body weight ratio cannot endure cold as well as larger birds. These birds winter in the deep south, whereas large birds stay well within the snowbelt. The challenges facing midwest wildlife managers are primarily problems associated with goose concentrations and harvest regulation. Major management issues are short - stopping, crop damages at concentration spots, maintaining northern breeding populations with harvest quotas, and management of growing re- established resident flocks in rural and urban areas. Short - stopping is a label used for an ongoing debate. This debate is over whether the additional food resources provided at refuges in the northern states has caused fewer birds to migrate to states south of Illinois and Missouri, or whether excessive past hunting of the geese that wintered in these states is the cause of fewer Canada geese going there. There is little question that the amount of waste grain available to the birds has increased with agricultural expansion. There is also evidence that groups of geese that consistently wintered in the deep south were shot at higher rates than those staying further north. Currently, research is being done to identify groups that winter in the south, with the goal of encouraging the growth of these groups. Because geese pass on the migratory routes to their young, those that find safe stops, such as refuges, have better survival. Therefore, more geese use these refuges each year. To the goose hunter and watcher these places, such as Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin where more than one quarter million Canada geese stop in fall, are truly a national treasure. But to the farmer with crops adjacent the refuge, the growing population means more crop damage and less income. Programs to get birds to move elsewhere, such as reducing refuge foods and open water, and by harassing the birds, have had limited success. Probably the long -term solution is to allow additional harvest and encourage farmers to market hunting opportunties. Such a mix of private and public hunting is found at Lac Qui Parle in western Minnesota where 80,000 or more birds stop in fall. While small and medium size geese breeding in the arctic and subarctic have increased over the past decades, a recent series of cold, late springs has reduced their nest success. To compensate for lower production, managers have restricted bag limits and season kill quotas. Concurrently, re- established large geese, continue to increase at rates up to 200% every 3 years. These local, large Canadas depredate farmers crops, particular soybeans during the brood - rearing period, and thus, there is added pressure to have special goose hunts to limit population growth. The challenge is one of protecting migrants while increasing the take of local geese. Current research is aimed at solving this dilemma. Canada geese have been released in urban areas for over 4 decades. Initially, no one knew if the species would survive. But, the bird seemed a welcome addition because of the beauty of its flights, and a call that many associated with wilderness. Our hindsight tells us that not only was the Canada Goose able to survive, but its numbers in urban areas have exploded in the past 10 years. For example, the Twin Cities population has grown from less than 500 in 1968 to an excess of 15,000 in 1986. The reason for this, is simple: the large Canada is adapted to the city environment. Our mowed lake shores and golf courses provide a super abundance of brood - rearing habitat, there are fewer predators, and the bird is not affected by our presence. Unfortunately, geese are primarily grazers and -31- http: / /www.fw.umn.edu /research /goose /html /out.html 4/7/00