Winter Distribution and Affinities of Canada Geese Marked on Hudson and James Bays

Abstract

Management plans for redistribution of the Mississippi Valley Population of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) in the United States prompted our investigation of the fall and winter distribution, migration chronology, and population affiliation of Canada geese marked on nesting areas in Manitoba and Ontario. During 1976-77, 804 geese were neckbanded. Encounters in 1976 and 1977 (N = 1,418) demonstrated a strong association of geese from the coast of Hudson Bay and the western coast of James Bay with the Mississippi Valley Population. About 50-60% of the marked samples bypassed east central Wisconsin refuges in migrating to wintering areas. Marked individuals from both years were observed at all major goose refuges in east central Wisconsin and southern Illinois. The 8 October mean arrival date in Wisconsin in 1976 was 8 days earlier than that for geese marked in previous years at Horicon. Departure from Wisconsin in 1977 was earlier than in 1976 and was associated with abnormal heavy snowfall and the Horicon goose dispersal program. Age ratios in trapped samples (7.7 immatures/adult female) suggested the inclusion of gang broods. Geese from the same nesting area did not remain together during fall and winter. Although some family groups were identified on migration and winter refuges, the observed mean number of marked immatures per adult female (1.7) was lower than the mean recorded on the nesting areas. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 47(2):307-319 The Mississippi Valley Population (MVP) of Canada geese numerically increased during the past 3 decades, with most of the increased numbers of geese wintering on refuges in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Kentucky (Hankla and Rudolph 1967, Reeves et al. 1968). Large concentrations of geese may have impacts on hunting quality and agricultural operations (K. Klepinger and J. W. Ellis, unpubl. rep., U.S. Dep. Inter., Fish and Wildl. Serv., Minneapolis, Minn., 1975). Because of these impacts and a continuing desire for more geese in southern states, management agencies would like to redistribute some of the MVP from northern wintering areas to smaller, widely scattered southern refuges. If the MVP consists of aggregations of geese with discrete and consistent patterns of migration and refuge use, as suggested by Raveling (1969a) and Kennedy and Arthur (1974) and documented for giant Canada geese (B. c. maxima) by Raveling (1979), selective management could be applied. Development of a management plan for redistribution of the MVP requires data on the migration and distribution of MVP geese. These needs prompted this study. Our objectives were to (1) ascertain the degree of association of geese from sections of the nesting range of the MVP; (2) investigate variation in migration chronology of geese from nesting areas in Manitoba and Ontario, and (3) determine whether samples of geese from the breeding grounds have discrete migration patterns and winter distributions. We thank F. D. Caswell, M. Gillespie, and D. Soprovich of the Manitoba Department of Renewable Resources and K. Brace of the Canadian Wildlife Service for arrangement, support, and assistance in banding operations in 1976. We thank H. G. Lumsden and J. P. Prevett of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for organizing and conducting the banding effort in 1977. J. P. Prevett, D. G. Raveling, and H. C. Hanson critically reviewed the manuscript. J. Wildl. Manage. 47(2):1983 307 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.128 on Fri, 29 Jul 2016 05:17:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 308 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY POPULATION OF CANADA GEESE * Craven and Rusch