MinnesotaWaterfowler

MattKeller

The migration came....about 2 weeks late. It's been a tough early goose season for us as the weather has been hot and the winds calm. I'm sure I tripled my scouting from years past.

I think we killed 151 geese in 13 hunts. Not bad, but well below years past. BUT....today did a good job of making up for a slow early season. We had a 6 man limit of 30 geese on the ground with a couple of true MN trophies. In my opinion, there isn't much more of a trophy when it comes to geese. I'll let you look at the pictures to see if you can identify the birds.

Group pic with the Mud Duck Boats crew:

Here they are. This pair came in HOT from the heavens:

Locked'n'Loaded · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:53 pm Post subject:

Aleutian Canada Goose ?????

The geese were migrating down here in Cloud today aswell!!!
Seen Solid geese for hours tonight!!
Kinda sad the migration started the last day of season Crying or Very sad

mr wizard · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:54 pm Post subject:

The elusive "ringnecked canadian goose"! Great way to finish it out Matt!
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Hansen · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:55 pm Post subject:

If they are Aleutian geese that would be a very rare trophy. There are only 100,000 or so based on surveys. I shot a few geese like that on opener about 10 years ago: very small with a distict ring around it's neck.

Either way very cool bird, great hunt!

http://www.pbase.com/gtepke/cackling_goose_aleutian
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/special/esa/canada_goose/ac_goose.php
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MattKeller · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject:

Everything about them points to an Aleutian. I've never seen one that I can remember. They are WAY off course and should be on the west coast right now. The ring was more defined than what the pic shows. I got some video of it so hopefully it turned out.

I can only wish I had shot one. I had thought they were cacklers at first and was letting the others shoot. What an amazing little bird!

Jake5 · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:07 pm Post subject:

Good shoot Matty!
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lizard55033 · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:08 pm Post subject:

Hummm... Matt we should've hunted where you took the "Mud Duck Boats crew"

Looks like an awesome hunt to say the least.
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lumbertick · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:19 pm Post subject:

Matt......were you holding out on us??

lt
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MattKeller · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject:

Just you Bob Wink

By the way....these geese were shot with Black Cloud. Ever use that stuff Smile

lumbertick · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:41 pm Post subject:

Matt Jones · MNWaterfowler Family Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 436

waterfowladdict · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:03 pm Post subject:

Looks like paint to me. Laughing

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Honknasty · MNWaterfowler Canvasback Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 225

Looks like a good hunt Matt.

There has been quite a bit of debate over whether birds like this shot in the midwest are truly "Aleutians."

Heres a thread where the debate came up. http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58886&highlight=aleutian

GameSlayer · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:18 pm Post subject:

Good job Matt, glad the season picked up for ya.
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Chuck Stemig · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:27 pm Post subject:

Great way to finish the early season! Good job Matt & crew.

wildwings · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:52 pm Post subject:

Nice geese however I am going out on a limb and saying they are not Aleutian geese. However I do think that they are 1/2 breeds. The only reason I say this is because I have shot a few just like these and actually have a nice one in the freezer from last year. I bet in the next couple years they will be a new breed. We might as well start coming up with a name for them. Any one want to name the breed ? lol

Finlander · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:52 pm Post subject:

Whiteout!

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Jeff Peterson · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:30 am Post subject:

They are richardsons. Which also sometimes have a white ring. But definitely not aluetions because the white cheek patches are not seperate. And they do not look dark enough. Not to mention they would be thousands of miles off course. (not that it couldnt happen)
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ghg24/7 · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:34 am Post subject:

whatever they are those are some cool birds! Nice Job Matt!
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Hansen · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:43 am Post subject:

It's a Richardsons or hutchinsii.

Great hunt, still really rare and cool bird Matt!

http://www.oceanwanderers.com/RichardsonsCAGO.html

Look at this map I found from one of those links, the migration path of the Huchinsii.

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