Lack of Geese

[Trigger]

So I was just reading the Lack of Geese thread, and it got me thinking.

Why are waterfowlers not completely up in arms about the decimation of the goose population?! And I'm not being sarcastic. Talking to any old timer they will talk about how it was the rarest of days to see a goose (outside the traditional staging areas), and obviously even more rare to kill one. Now, we have an early early season, an early season, a regular season, and a late season on them which is all well and good (I'm in no way saying these increased opportunities should be taken away), but they also have big bag limits with the intention of actually lowering their population. That, along with goose round-ups, the population appears to be taking a nose dive. How on earth can waterfowlers in this state be in favor of this? Not treating this as one of the greatest conservation stories ever told and doing what they can to allow it to continue, they act as though they are doing the world some great favor by killing all these geese, just to keep them from shyting on someone whiny little biatches lawn. It just doesn't make sense to me.

[tornadochaser]

Because the population far exceeded the population goals? One thing I don't think people realize is how many adult birds were unsuccessful in nesting in MN this spring and took off with the molt migration. Then, towards mid august, another round of birds took off when it got really hot. Same happened in SD and parts of ND too. Buddy in MN called me last night and said that migrators were piling into a slough/pasture starting around 3:30 yesterday and numbered 500-600 strong by the time they flew out to feed. There wasn't 500 birds for 900 square miles Saturday morning. That pasture had roughly 150 on it up until mid august, and it never got hunted, nor did any fields those birds fed in. They just up and left, and now it looks like they are back and brought friends.

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[Nershi]

Never heard of the goose roundup. Can someone explain. Did they kill them or relocate them? How many?

Are mn farmers allowed to kill them out of season like they do in the Dakotas?

[Nershi]

just to keep them from shyting on someone whiny little biatches lawn.

I've been asked to do this on several occasions. Smoked a couple on Sunday. I think the people riding around in their pontoons were pretty surprised by the gun fire. The dog broke out of her kennel to make the retrieve. Lots of drive in the young pup.

[lanyard]

goose pop is low on purpose. a low year, if you read DA, is expected because in 2011 Landwehr went Liberal. So now it sucks.

or it could be that, as DA reported in 2012, MN lost like 66% of it's renewing CRP acres and those acres are still tilled into corn and beans.

Funny, birds don't really nest in dirt fields.... hmmmmmm?

And the pheasant population gets a summit on how to shoot more and everyone agrees: HABITAT!

But for ducks it's 'don't shoot 'em!'

dumb asses.

[tornadochaser]

Are mn farmers allowed to kill them out of season like they do in the Dakotas?

Farmers have been able to get kill permits for almost 20 years if not longer in MN.

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[lanyard]

They also spray eggs on nests with vegetable oil to keep them from hatching.

They used to relocate, then everyplace they relocated then said "NO MORE".

Then early season started. Then early season over water. Then the early early season.

Goose disruption companies in the Metro have seen steep declines in business.

There is now enough room on the lawns that they don't need to fly out of town and get shot.

[HnkrCrash]

The goose roundup is still occurring to my knowledge. Essentially they corral flightless birds and then slaughter them. The meat used to go to feed bums at the Sally, but a couple of years ago the bums got too good for the meat so the birds are thrown in a dump now.

I know of several flocks of 100+ birds that were wiped out in one Summer back in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Ironically, by opening up early season over water, the morons at the DNR inadvertently drive thousands of birds into suburban areas in September (now August) each year that can't be hunted because the roosts in areas where geese aren't an issue get blown. Essentially they are turning non-problematic birds into the very same class of birds they are trying to eradicate.

While they have successfully wiped out a lot of the suburban birds due to the roundup and egg oiling, what is left in the countryside now ends up pounded the first weekend due to liberal limits, feed in pastures, or fly into the cities where by that point they are mobile and simply fly from one soccer field to the next.

In the end, there are less birds overall, and also less that are huntable.

[emptymag]

Ironically, by opening up early season over water, the morons at the DNR inadvertently drive thousands of birds into suburban areas in September (now August) each year that can't be hunted because the roosts in areas where geese aren't an issue get blown. Essentially they are turning non-problematic birds into the very same class of birds they are trying to eradicate.

In the end, there are less birds overall, and also less that are huntable.

The past few weeks about 200 geese where flying from a unhutable roost on the edge of town, into town too feed on the grass in the cemetery by my house.

Your spot on. Several friends of mine have fields just over the refuge line. They had the land rent contracts written up so that there is wheat on half the land every year. We/they use to kill hundreds of birds in those wheat fields during the Sept season. Once the August season started its been down hill. One guy never went out these early seasons and the other only took his son and has shot about 20 birds at most.

[Fish Felon]

Bag limits need to reflect sustainable harvest, but also – I believe – ethical sportsmanship, allowing for a bag that can be completely used by the hunter and their family. I think 6 ducks is on the top end of that spectrum

Because Tom Landwehr thinks it's too much for a hunter to consume a limit or two of September teal but choking down ten geese a day shot in August ninety-degree heat is no problem.

That's why.


In all seriousness the problem is your question is posed using elements of logic and reason. That's not going to fly and certainly doesn’t deserve answers because you based your question in legitimacy.


How can the "Dirty Half Dozen" of Brad Nylin, Dave Zentner, Roger Strand, Jim Cox, Dennis Anderson and Tom Landwher rally against how the DNR is intentionally trying to reduce the goose population when the DNR is openly admitting to intentionally trying to reduce the goose population?

That's not their M.O. They typically address issues like how the two hen mallards, three wood ducks, earlier openers, half hour before sunrise opener shooting time, and now setting seasons on the previous survey year in an attempt to make the process of regulation setting more timely for hunters without posing any long-term risk to duck populations ("gasp!") is detrimental to MN ducks. What they do is question anything the USFWS or DNR does that is based off of mountains of peer reviewed research and shyte all over it with their totally biased and unfounded opinion. Even though their resources could easily produce countering research they somehow get by unquestioned when bashing the data that exists and then asking for the same people they just called out for producing crap data to get them more data.



Lets use the increased harvest on wood ducks after the limit went from two to three as an example.



Dirty Half Dozen: "Wahhhh! We're shooting too many wood ducks. That's our unsubstantiated opinion."

DNR: "Well, we're sorry you feel that way but with all due respect we've had many years of higher harvests historically even before the higher limit."

Dirty Half Dozen: "Wahhh-wahhh! We're shooting too many wood ducks! We're super serial!!!"

DNR: "Forgive us but all our research says that isn't the case. All the data we used to implement the higher limit has shown to be accurate."

Dirty Half Dozen: "Wahhhh you're data is poopy!"

DNR: "Again, we're sorry and respect your opinion but we don't know what to do since the science is really what we go off of."

Dirty Half Dozen: "Wahh-Wahhhh then get more data while we call you idiots!"

DNR: "We've already diligently worked to get this data. Feel free to review it and inform of us of any concerns. It has been peer reviewed extensively after using the most controlled research methods possible."

Dirty Half Dozen: "Wahhh we are shooting to many wood ducks! We think you're data is crap so we want you to get more data. Once you do we'll publicly shyte on that too because it isn't what we want!"

DNR: "Yeah, we know...that's all you ever do. Couldn't you guys get your own alternative data? I mean, don't you all run the same organization that is a top notch research and habitat organization?"

Dirty Half Dozen: "Wahhhh-wahhhhhhhh!!!"




If you can fit the goose question you raise into that dialogue something might be done.