Giant Canada Goose Flocks in the United States
Central Flyway
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In many of the Central Flyway states, the terms "urban geese," "restoration
geese," or "resident Canada geese" are not necessarily synonymous with giant
Canada geese. Most of the available information refers to taxonomically
similar, large Canada geese that occur in the flyway. Original breeding
stock for early restoration programs was thought to be B. c. maxima,
but in many cases these birds were not distinguishable from B. c. moffitti,
and in fact some of the stock used was from the range of the latter. In
some states, the breeding stocks used for early restoration programs may
have been other races, but it is not possible to determine which stocks
became established.
Management plans were originally developed for 2 populations of large Canada geese, the Great Plains and Western Prairie Populations. By 1985, the winter ranges of the Western Prairie geese from southwestern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan, and the Great Plains geese from Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma were not distinct. There are well-established breeding populations in Colorado, especially in the vicinity of Denver and Fort Collins, that presumably originated from B. c. maxima stocks, but other larger races also may have been involved. These populations are not referenced further because of limited quantified information. Since 1987, a combined plan has been used to manage both populations (Great Plains and Western Prairie), now called "large Canada geese of the Eastcentral Flyway," until more appropriate distinction is made (D. Sharp, USFWS, pers. commun.; M. Johnson, N.D. Game and Fish Dep., pers. commun.). |
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Southern Great Plains StatesNebraska has had an introduction and rearing program underway since the early 1970's. Expansion of local breeding populations has been slow, but by 1989, more than 1,000 breeding geese were scattered through the northern two-thirds of the state, north of the Platte River. Recent introductions in Kansas are beginning to establish viable flocks, with more than 3,600 breeding geese reported in 1989. Oklahoma has experienced the most rapid growth in local nesting flocks, beginning with establishment of a captive breeding flock of 200 birds in 1980. During subsequent years, more than 10,000 geese were translocated from other states. A gosling translocation program also was initiated in 1986. By 1985, there was an estimated breeding population of 4,800 geese that increased to 21,000 by 1989 (Table 3). Population surveys are being expanded to measure annual production. Limited hunting is now conducted on some managed areas in Oklahoma, with more than 500 geese harvested in 1990. Another factor contributing to the success of the Canada goose restoration programs in Oklahoma, Kansas, and to some degree in Nebraska, has been the development of numerous reservoirs and farm ponds that create ideal nesting habitat for these birds.Most recently (1985-90), a breeding population of about 200 geese was established in the vicinity of Athens, Texas. Geese were transplanted from Colorado, Michigan, and Minnesota (R. Jessen, Tex. Parks and Wildl. Dep., pers. commun.).
Management problems such as crop depredations, affinity for golf courses and green lawns, and roosting on domestic water supply reservoirs have not been as extensive as experienced in the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways. However, increasing nuisance problems have been reported in metropolitan areas such as Pierre, South Dakota, Denver, Colorado, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
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