The Great Migration of a Snow Goose

The Snow Goose (also known as the Blue Goose) is a species of goose typically found in North America. Fairly large at 25-30 inches tall and 4.5-6 lbs each, the Snow Goose’s plumage can actually be one of two colors: white and blue, thus the differing names.

Snow Geese are fairly well known in the United States and Canada because of their migration habits, which make them game for hunters and birdwatchers alike. Several companies have realized this as having both business and sport potential, and offer guided hunting tours during both the spring and fall migratory seasons. One of the premiere companies which caters to this specific migration is Top Gun Guide Service. They specialize in guided hunts throughout Canada and the northern United States. Although there are many companies that offer similar guided hunts, Top Gun is known for their comprehensive options, which include guided tours into Saskatchewan as well as a large portion of America’s mid-west. They can be found online by clicking here

Snow Geese mate for life, usually beginning in their second or third years, beginning in late May and going until mid-August. Females, for whatever reason, feel a need to return to breed where they hatched their last eggs. The geese generally nest in colonies, building their actual nests on elevated pieces of land.

These qualities of the Snow Goose ensure that the birds will migrate south in the winter to warmer parts of the United States and Mexico, and will also return north when the weather gets warmer in the spring and summer. It is estimated that more than half of the goose’s year is spent migrating to and from warmer regions.

The Snow Goose travels through what is known as the Central Flyway, which covers some of the best farmland in America. It used to be that the geese would fly to more marshy areas (such as in the southern United States) and would use their long beaks to dig through the soil to get to the roots of the grass there. However, as time passed the birds eventually came to master finding food from the field. They now feed on a diversity of food, including rice, corn, and wheat.

Because of this change in habit, during migratory season many flocks of birds will appear in the United States and Canada in areas such as Saskatchewan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Minnesota. As mentioned earlier, there are many opportunities for hunters in these regions. The birds will often fly down and land in large packs in agricultural regions, making them both a fun and challenging type of game bird.

Apparently, the breeding population of the Snow Goose is over five million birds, which is an astonishing three hundred percent increase from what the population was in the 1970’s. This makes them especially superior as a game bird.