[GRN HEAD]

I thought I would share this interesting picture of a goose I harvested last weekend. When it first appeared whith a group of Canadas, it looked like an immature snow goose and it even made the yelping sound a snow goose makes. On the second pass, I didn't give it a chance to yelp. i went out to pick it up and this is what I found.



It had some canada markings on it but wasn't sure what it was. So, with that in mind I counted it as one of my two bird limit.

[Kennyman]

Looks like you got yourself a White-fronted Goose.....

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowlG ... index.html

Congrats!

[GRN HEAD]

Thanks kennyman.....that's what I thought but no bars on the chest and alot more grey than brown.

[nak983]

Maybe Mama Canada Goose had a visit from the Milkman.....

[GRN HEAD]

I have to agree with nak........I think the mailman farm goose shop lifted the putty from Oh Canada!;-)

[Cachri]

That is a juvy Speck. They won't get there bars until the following year. We shot a few of them up in North Dakota this year and they look just like your bird. Congrats on the speck!!

[Tarponman]

That is a Juvenile Speck. Also called a white front. It's also not in season yet! The n zone season doesn't open until 10/29. I'd delete the pics and post asap if I were you sir, especially the one with your big smile.

[Tbone]

Specklbelly goose

[GRN HEAD]

Well fellas as stated above guilty.....just had DNR come over and received my first ever violation. It was an honest mistake and I came clean. Happy Birthday Mauro $120.00 ;-)

[Geo7455]

Whoa...you turned yourself in? Wow...my hats off to you!!!! One upstanding hunter/sportsman!!! It was an honest mistake!! Well maybe the hunting/fishing gods will be extra nice to you after this. i hope so!!!

[goosecaller]

Wow! that a boy! I told you about the farm goose in Cary right. Doesn't look any thing like that one. It looks like a young blue on steroids!.

[Tarponman]

grn head you're an honorable man. You did the right thing. Not sure I would of done that but I respect you for it.

[GiantKillerWade]

Hello everyone,

Spoke with GRN HED on the phone tonight and he told me about this situation so I decided to venture on here and check it out myself.

In my opinion (which that and a dollar will get you a double cheese burger at McDonalds) this is not a immature spec (or white fronted goose).


Im my opinion the size of the goose, the coloring on the neck, and the white wing tips leads me to believe this is more of a baryard goose. IMO the white wing tips are a dead give away of it not being a young spec

Immature spec



http://www.birdphotography.com/species/ ... gwfg-2.jpg

Immature and a mature adult
http://www.birdphotography.com/species/ ... gwfg-6.jpg[


more of a barnyard like this guy

http://img.youtube.com/vi/pa_fz-xHWqk/0.jpg

http://lh4.notauthed.com/_M_QjHp-G-aU/SxKf- ... G_1613.JPG

once again guys I know I don't have the experience that some of you guys but I have been lucky enough to kill a few specs and that....in my opinion...is not one.


Wade Walling

[goosecaller]

This is a tough one. I agree with Wingmaster Wade Waldo Walling on this one. The white wing tips shows it is not a spec. The head is a little hard to tell the difference. I say Barn yard. All in favor?

[Kennyman]

Could be a Greylag goose (domestic, barnyard etc)... No specific season for them so not sure how that works... Book says that the barnyard geese interbreed and make a confusing array of geese with different markings....

[GRN HEAD]

Yeah, lately I've bee getting alot of this, so I've decided to send the pic down to Ray Marshalla our state waterfowl biologist.

[quail hunter]

What an interesting topic. Grn Head, you are a true hunter in my book. Any one who reports them self to the DNR should get a medal. Especially for such a confusing situation.

I think the topic title to this thread nails it. Here are some sites that discuss hybrid geese:

http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/DomesticGeese.php

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/domgeese.htm

http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/HybridGeese.php

http://www.ehow.com/how_7380138_identif ... geese.html

It will be interesting to see what the state biologist has to say. Though I would hazard that all he can do is guess.

Pete

[GRN HEAD]

Pete....your absolutely right......at best without seeing the birds he guessed a white fronted, but could not confirm it, especially without seeing the chest he said!

[quail hunter]

Even with full pictures it is an educated guess. The genetic results of a hybrid are a roll of the dice. The only way to be positive is with a genetic test. I doubt the state of Illinois has money available for that at the moment.

There was recently a big stir about a hybrid polar bear. This is the second one shot in the wild.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... photo.html
There was another back in 2006.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195087,00.html

Here are pictures of hybrid bears from zoos.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_ne ... 321102.stm
It would be easy enough to simply assume a color phase. In both cases, it took genetic testing to be sure.

I am not sure if you actually got a fine, I hope not. If the state biologist can not tell, how is a hunter supposed to know with a bird on the wing?

It is probably too late, but that would make a great mount.

Pete

[Saltquacker]

Okay, please forgive me right up front. Grn head, I've heard from a reliable source that your a good guy and apparently a seasoned hunter. Sounds like you get plenty of geese. In your post you indicate that at first pass this goose did'nt sound like a canada (questioned what it was). second pass, did'nt wait to find out. Seems like a basic understanding of what's not in season would have avoided all misery. I'll give my hat's off to anyone turning themselves in but the best advice would be "if in doubt don't shoot. heck, it aint like like we have a goose shortage in Lake County.

My boys and i have been doing good on the geese this season, but when a big group comes in I hold back and try to count falling birds. It's would be too easy for one of them to shoot 3 and then we're at 7 for 3 guys and that would be bad. To digress a little, if 3 of you are hunting and you got 4 geese in hand, technically, two hunters have reached their daily canada limit and cannot shoot another canada goose. If everyone opens up on the last pair that comes in you may get caught for double gunning. I've heard of Federal agents "observing" a field and enforcing this.

BTW, took home 4 more long necks this morning. Son took 1 out of flock of 3. I missed. next flock of 3 - all on the ground. quick hunt and home by 8. Good time with the boy .

v/r
Shannon