Canada Goose populations harvested in Eastern James Bay by Eeyou Istchee Cree hunters

Jean-François Giroux,Jean Rodrigue,Rodney W Brook,Martin Patenaude-Monette

doi:10.5751/ace-02059-170105

Abstract

Giroux, J.-F., J. Rodrigue, R. W. Brook, and M. Patenaude-Monette. 2022. Canada Goose populations harvested in Eastern James Bay by Eeyou Istchee Cree hunters. Avian Conservation and Ecology 17(1):5. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02059-170105

Highlights

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are the main waterfowl harvested by Cree hunters from communities along the coast of James Bay and have been part of their subsistence hunting for centuries (Prevett et al 1983, Berkes et al 1994)
Between 2000 and 2020, 744 banded Canada Geese were harvested in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory and reported to Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL)
We were able to assign a population to 99.6% of recoveries including 198 geese associated with the Atlantic Population (AP), 82 with the Southern Hudson Bay Population (SHBP), 122 with the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population (AFRP), and 339 with the Mississippi Flyway Giant Population (MFGP)

Summary

Introduction

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are the main waterfowl harvested by Cree hunters from communities along the coast of James Bay and have been part of their subsistence hunting for centuries (Prevett et al 1983, Berkes et al 1994). Isostatic rebound (the process of postglacial uplift) is estimated at 10–12 mm/year in this region, which means that the coast has risen by about 60 cm during the last 60 years (Henton et al 2006). This resulted in significant changes to the landscape and coastal plant communities such as a downward displacement of willows (Salix spp.; von Mörs and Bégin 1993). In addition to environmental changes along the James Bay east coast, changes in the relative abundance of different goose populations may affect hunting success

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