Goose subspecies

Nick Zito

Nick Zito

Active member
Curious if the goose gurus are here. Local biologist says any bill under 38mm (1.496") is a cackler here in CT. Curious as to your thoughts on subspecies. Every time I have hit this goose field since late November it has resulted in this subspecies. Early season was the true long necked resident hogs.4E9006DD-2516-4120-A5C0-ECE6F0254713.jpegEFBA253C-519A-479F-A852-97A2C2BB65F2.jpeg1C5CBB0B-4BFA-4B29-92CA-BEE3D53EA26C.jpegAAA35B77-36CF-4C0F-9683-C00D2916B267.jpeg181DAA4D-E3EC-47A3-B091-2D47C9285570.jpeg
 
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Does it have a distinct white neck stripe? If not, doesn?t fit the description for a cackled.
 
The Atlantic sub species is smaller than the local giants. So maybe that or lesser. I can?t keep up with the constant lumping and splitting!
 
WA and OR have a restricted zone on Dusky so you have to take a test. This WDFW info is provided to educate before the test. Each sub specie has ID info in this brochure. Might help you?

Has field ID stuff as well as the info you ask about I think.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/...entification-testing

If this link doesn't work or I fail to get it added search WDFW goose ID test and it should pop up.
 
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May I suggest reading. A CLOSER LOOK AT CACKLERS by Kelly Warren, in the Jan/Feb. 2023 DU magazine.

Of all the Canada geese, Cacklers ("now a separate species") are my favorite to hunt and eat. IMO the Canada geese in your photo are not Cacklers. They have a very high pitched call, unlike Canada geese in the Atlantic flyway.

my 2 cents
 
Nick,
I'm quite sure those are lessers. A Cackling goose is not much larger than a Mallard. They also have a very wedge shaped bill. I shot one many years ago on Saginaw Bay and it was tiny. We shoot lessers in our area and they look like the ones you show. It would be very unusual to shoot one on the east coast.

RVZ
 
Shot lessers a few weeks ago here on E.S. of Md. We get a few each season usually not arriving till well after thanksgiving. Not a common occurrence but in past five years they've made an appearance in bag about once a season.
 
Wow, I imagine a lot of guys pass up shots on "small" geese out there!
 
Carl said:
Wow, I imagine a lot of guys pass up shots on "small" geese out there!
Click to expand...




"Good things come in small packages." I do not pass up shots on them if I can help it.

Hollow White Pine with Sugar Pine head Cackling Goose I carved and has been in my rig since the 1990's. Fits in good with the rest of the Canada goose rig.


Cackling Goose.JPG.jpg
 
Good to know. I did find the attached that would seem to match. The resident birds here are typically pretty big so they were noticeably smaller. Either way, neat to get this year. Haven't had any in the past068FD9D5-7D08-40F0-9EE6-4745B82BA088.jpeg
 
It's always fun to get something uncommon when waterfowling Nick, and your birds are a great example. I shot a Ross's goose about 7-8 years ago in South Jersey, it was smaller than a mallard when I plucked it. It was by itself and not with a flock. About 40 years ago I shot a small Canada with the white ring around it's neck. It was several years before I found out what it was. Both those birds were shot in NJ, and they had come a long way east to get there and had seen a lot of countryside on that journey. Both were very memorable birds to me as they are very uncommon in these parts, just like yours.
 
Brad F said:
WA and OR have a restricted zone on Dusky so you have to take a test. This WDFW info is provided to educate before the test. Each sub specie has ID info in this brochure. Might help you?

Has field ID stuff as well as the info you ask about I think.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/...entification-testing

If this link doesn't work or I fail to get it added search WDFW goose ID test and it should pop up.
Click to expand...

That link and the materials it links to did not help me much with Canada Goose subspecies ID on the wing, but I am quite impressed by the high standard that WA and OR are holding hunters to in that zone.
 
Jeff Reardon said:
Brad F said:
WA and OR have a restricted zone on Dusky so you have to take a test. This WDFW info is provided to educate before the test. Each sub specie has ID info in this brochure. Might help you?

Has field ID stuff as well as the info you ask about I think.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/...entification-testing

If this link doesn't work or I fail to get it added search WDFW goose ID test and it should pop up.
Click to expand...

That link and the materials it links to did not help me much with Canada Goose subspecies ID on the wing, but I am quite impressed by the high standard that WA and OR are holding hunters to in that zone.
Click to expand...



YUP, I enjoyed it as well.

NY has a Waterfowl ID course that I found to be very helpful indeed. Yer never to old to learn.
 
Glad we don't have restrictions on subspecies in CT. Plenty of the winged beef cruising around. I wish hunting suppressed was legal here, would open a lot more resident goose zone control opportunities.

That being said, I would have a very hard time IDing on the wing without my glasses which I'm still resisting wearing while hunting
 
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