The age-old question most waterfowl hunters are asked – Do geese mate for life?
Here is your answer, plus a couple more interesting facts I learned while hunting during the Light Goose Conservation Order with Ducks Unlimited TV :
1. Geese do mate for life, but will find another mate if something happens to the other. This also explains why geese do not have iridescent or various colored plumage because they do not need to try and attract the opposite sex for mating purposes annually.
2. A juvenile snow goose has grey feathers throughout its body instead of pure white. A snow goose develops It’s mature plumage (pure white) after it is two years old. See left photo.
3. You can’t identify a goose’s age more than juvenile or adult unless It is banded, has a neck collar, or a tracking device.
4. Sometimes a goose will appear to have staining on its belly and face feathers from foraging in water that contains iron.
Special thanks to waterfowl biologist, James Callicutt, who answered all my questions while we were goose hunting together with Ducks Unlimited TV in Eastern Arkansas. To learn more about the special snow goose conservation season follow this link: Light Goose Conservation Order
Homegrown Harper 