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Instead of the typical 5 average goslings per goose pair this year I am seeing mostly 1 or 2 goslings.
I am guessing either the extreme hot days overheated eggs causing high mortality while developing, or rapid return to cold days causes death inside the egg.
What ever the reason, looking at number of goslings walking so far there seams to be a massive drop in successful hatching this year.
Around here, the survival rate seems very high. Lots of pairs with 8+, growing like bad weeds ! I have seen a couple pairs with 2 or 3 though.
Our nesting pair, that have come here for about 4 years now, had 7 goslings hatch on May 4th.
Same here on Scugog, 4-8 little ones behind two pair that I seen yesterday on the golf course…
I've noticed the same thing around Niagara. One or two little ones.
Hello Guys,
I generally see anywhere from 3 to 9 little ones per pair of Canada Geese and between 1 and 7 little "bad" ones per pair of Mute Swans here at Long Point ... they are "bad" because they are invasive through no fault of their own.
Jerome Katchin, D.V.M.
Down here is Essex County we have loads of goslings. :)
Re: Mutes. A scoped .22 cal PCP works very well for them. Thirty meter head shots and you get 100% removal from the wetland. Pop the cob first. We will have no wetlands left in this province if CWS doesn't get their heads out of the sand on this issue. Shoot, shut-up, then shovel. For Prince Edward County, we need to Hire Jesse "The Body" Ventura and his 30 cal mini-gun from Predator. Figure out some type of mount that will work on a kayak. Paddle through a wetland there and it's now "silent spring". The POS Mutes have aggressively displaced all of our nesting native birds. Time for a serious cull!
I've seen about a dozen broods of Canadas up here in the Kawarthas and they've had 5-11 goslings. No decline from what I'm seeing.
Hello Fenelon,
I was able to convince the senior representatives of the CWS last spring to consider implementing an "open season" for Mute Swans during the regular waterfowl season since it was explained to me that attempting to delist the Mute Swan from the List of Protected Species would require opening up the Migratory Birds Convention Act for review resulting in other issues being introduced at the same time ... something that they are not interested in doing.
These representatives of the CWS have agreed (in writing) to consider my suggestion with this issue being an official agenda item when the MBCA regulations are reviewed in the fall of 2025 for the 2026-27 and the 2027-28 hunting seasons. They have also agreed to have a limited (tag only) Tundra Swan season as an official agenda item at that time. I will apply for a "permit for removal" again this year ... hunting the Mute Swan will be a step in the right direction.
Jerome
Jerome:
If you do get to pop a Mute, you MUST post a video in the food forum of you roasting and attempting to eat a 31lb cob that is 35 years old. I'm trying to imagine what it would be like trying to eat one of those old adults. They'd probably taste like Oldsquaw or Surf Scoter. Wonder if the meat would even be safe to eat with all the bioaccumulation of contaminants?
Mute culling could become a new extreme sport for the adrenaline junkie seeking some excitement. Have the regs written so that firearms are not allowed. You have to wear a Speedo, cover yourself in bacon grease, then swim out to engage and slow-stalk the cob during incubation period. You're only allowed to carry a pocket knife.......
Hello Fenelon,
The trick is to harvest a sub-adult Mute Swan (a "white" non-breeding Mute Swan) rather than harvesting an older, breeding, mature and toxic Mute Swan (identified by being with its young from the spring). These cygnets would be the smaller "grey" swans.
I would not suggest harvesting one of these young "grey" swans since they would probably be a bit on the slim side (lacking a lot of fat) for the roaster. I bought an electric "table top" model from Canadian Tire at 50% off during a Christmas Sale a few years ago.
Jerome
Rick I don't know where you are seeing all these goslings. Since reading this post I started to take notice. I'm will to bet that I have only seen 10 of them and 8 were in one bunch, but was 2 families. I saw 2 in another spot. I'm on the water a couple times a week and see lots of adult geese. I hope I'm just not looking hard enough. I haven't seen any ducklings yet either which is strange as the creek I go for walks is usually filled with them.
Over the years I heard a number of times that geese will "adopt" stray goslings and their brood will actually grow over the season. Not 100% but I think I have actually seen this when fishing in the same spot a number of times in the spring. Any truth to this?
rodmcd
I have seen broods that are way to large for one goose, but I always figured it was babysitting while the other goose is off feeding or something.
I usually have to wait until they all cross the street on my way for coffee in the morning!Quote:
Originally Posted by sabmgb