Canada geese

[wildfowler.250]

I was wondering what the thoughts are of folk that shoot Canada geese? Are they your favorite goose species to shoot? Or are you not that bothered for them?

 

I'm in north of Scotland. We get a few hundred every year which come up to moult and clear off within the first week of the season. Everyone seems to make it a priority,(including myself) to try and get near them. But I know down south they are considered "vermin".

 

Reason I'm also asking is that I've seen folk on here mention traveling north to shoot pinks. Whereas I got about 20 last year and didn't really think anything of it,(been about 3 years since I managed a Canada).

 

 

Interested to hear you're views.

 

1)Canada's

2)Pinks

3)poxy Greylags

[henry d]

Shot my first Canada yesterday and in this area we have seen numbers increase year on year, twenty years ago you would see a hundred or so at the start of the season and they soon scarpered, now we see skeins of that size regularly and during the summer they decamp to the inland lochs to have their young, so I think we are about to see exploding numbers here.

 

1. Pinks
2. Pinks Greylags
3. Greylags Canadas

[wildfowler.250]

 

Shot my first Canada yesterday and in this area we have seen numbers increase year on year, twenty years ago you would see a hundred or so at the start of the season and they soon scarpered, now we see skeins of that size regularly and during the summer they decamp to the inland lochs to have their young, so I think we are about to see exploding numbers here.

 

• Pinks
• Pinks Greylags
• Greylags Canadas

I think the numbers are definitely on the rise. If I saw them regularly then the Pinks would top the list. I suppose they are just a bit of a novelty at this time of year

[Penelope]

I certainly do not consider Canadas as 'vermin', to me they are a sporting species, but my preference is 1) Greys/Pinks, 2) Pinks/Greys, 3) Whitefront (never shot one, and only seen a few) and 4) Canadas.

[wildfowler.250]

Greys first? I always thought of them as the wooden spoon I think I'll have to make a long journey south one day if I ever want to bag a whitefront..

[Penelope]

Can't decide between the Greys and the Pinks.

 

 

Greys first? I always thought of them as the wooden spoon I think I'll have to make a long journey south one day if I ever want to bag a whitefront..

[Barls2-9-12]

I always seem to enjoy bagging a pink the most out of all geese. Canada's can be good eating so never turn up the chance to shoot one. Greys are more common where I shoot throughout the season so I maybe take them a bit for granted. White fronts well glad to have had a few, but in my opinion don't think they eat as well as the others.

 

1. Pinks

2. Greys/Canada's can't choose between them

3. Whitefronts

[hedd-wyn]

We have a LOT of Canada's round where we shoot and it has recently become more pest controlling than wildfowling due to ever increasing numbers.

 

Unlike some who slaughter dozens them in a day I find that bagging 7-8 between two of us usually keeps them at bay for a good while.

[kent]

Depends on how they behave, Canadas can be as canny as a pink or a Greylag if they know the score- but shooting those that spend half their lives feeding on bread in public areas - no thanks!

When I think of it I have come across a few tame Greylags but those I was after this morning were anything but tame. they knew exactly were the boundary was and not far off 1000 must have dropped in just yards before it.

Remember the big black and white french Taxi "ah -onk", "ah -onk" is a highly regarded quarry in the states and they fly as fast as any goose and as long as you don't try and cook them like a pinkfoot or shoot ones that have been eating nasty stuff they are in fact very good eating

[.philmypower.]

Canada's for me. There here in great massive numbers at the moment but as allready said, they are quite a pest around our part.

[wildfowlingmad]

Pink
Canada
Grey

Never managed to shoot a Canada and I really want to, but there is something special about the big flights of pinks over the wash and that noise just never gets old..

[markyboy]

Canada's are the best tasting goose by far I always try get a few wen I can as they are tasty

[The Croc]

Canadas for me as well, specially as I got one this morning

 

We don't have Greys here, and Pinks don't come this far south.

 

We use to have very good numbers of Canadas here, 2500 plus, but since they've been put on the GL , I doubt we have as many 200 this season.

But I still think of them as a very sporting quarry

 

Brian

[steve0146]

Who shot that for you Brian? Surely you should be at work!

[The Croc]

I'm skivin at home for a change Steve,

 

"Who shot that for you Brian?" , hard to believe innit, even I was gobsmacked

[Wildfowler12]

Canada geese where my main quarry for a while, but I don't think there is anything better than hearing huge skeins of pinks as they leave the roost in the morning. Having said that, after 2 years of shooting trips to Scotland in pursuit of them, I am still yet to bag one!

 

I have lost almost all desire to shoot Canada's this last year. There must be over 1000 on our marsh and at times it is almost too easy to get under them, especially in September. In a few weeks they'll have wised up abit mind, and I'll probably look to take a few towards the back end of the season.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Wildfowler12

[Chad63]

I've seen Canadas shot in several different parts of England & two different areas of Scotland and whether it's been September or February I've still yet to see a "WILD / WISED-UP ONE".

 

Now don't get me wrong, I'll take a handful for the pot each season as I personally think they're the best goose for the table and I hate seeing them massacred out of season, but sporting? Not for me....... Stupid bvggers in my opinion! But hey ho, others love them and good luck to them

[Wildfowler12]

I tend to shoot every saturday morning on the foreshore. For the first few weeks of the season, the geese use the same flight line across a particular area of our marsh and get snotted every morning. By October, they cross at the narrowest part and then fly across the middle of the river. I'm pretty sure they know whats going on, and it's far more difficult to get a shot at them.

 

But early season they are, as you said stupid! 2 season back (on the first) we had a skein come over our rags. I dropped one and my mates gun misfired. The skein fled so I gave a few calls and they came back, my mate dropped one this time... They fled again and when I called them, they came back a 3rd time!! We didn't fire at them as we only wanted one each, but I really couldn't believe it!!

Edited September 3, 2013 by Wildfowler12

[wildfowler.250]

Interesting to hear your replies! I always thought Canada's tasted like mud,(not my words)? I can't mind what they tasted like..

 

There was one gunshot on the first and the rest of the geese sat out on the firth and didn't shift; they're certainly not stupid. Wouldn't interest me if they were daft/tame.

 

Saw a skien of about 30 pinks on the 2nd so hopefully they won't be too long for big numbers!

Edited September 3, 2013 by wildfowler.250

[WinchesterDave]

I shot three Canada's Monday morning including my first left and right which I was happy about. However carrying them off was a struggle...

I've never shot a grey, only pinks and Canada's but I'd say out of the two I probably prefer pinks, the large skeins when they come over you is an amazing sight and sound I think

[strangford wildfowler]

I have only shot shot at greylag i thought it was amazing even though I missed, if you get a big skein of say 250-300 coming over you like I did it's pretty load will comment again when I get a shot at canadas as we don't get pinkfeet in strangford lough.

 

Atb strangford wildfowler.

[Grandalf]

Canadas are becoming a rare bird in East Anglia.

A few years ago they ruled all our lakes, gravel pits and broads.

Now, around my area, its all greylags.

[Pole Star]

Canadas are becoming a rare bird in East Anglia.

A few years ago they ruled all our lakes, gravel pits and broads.

Now, around my area, its all greylags.

 

One species moves in & one species moves out

[Penelope]

At least the Greys can't be shot under GL.

 

Canadas are becoming a rare bird in East Anglia.
A few years ago they ruled all our lakes, gravel pits and broads.
Now, around my area, its all greylags.

[Terry P]

Canadas are becoming a rare bird in East Anglia.

A few years ago they ruled all our lakes, gravel pits and broads.

Now, around my area, its all greylags.

Same as here on Anglesey, when I first started fowling it was all canadas. To see a greylag was exciting indeed, but slowly the greys took over and now I would say its 80% greylag, it cannot be blamed on the GL as canadas were not on it back then.

I don't mind as its my least favourite goose to eat and shoot. Perhaps they are just moving north, when they reach Scotland in numbers they will never come back, the amount of stubble up there is staggering.