What kind of goose was that??

[fishlips]

Driving home on Thursday (10/16) I saw a flock of canadian's with a white bird amongst the flock. This was in the Maple Grove area just south of highway 610...lots of geese in that area this time of year. When I saw the white goose, I pulled over and watched as the flock went right beside my car. At first I suspected an albino canadian, but it was a different species.
The goose was off white with black wing ends - very similar to a snow goose, but I grew up in ND and have seen thousands of snows, this wasn't a snow goose. The neck was very short and stocky. The bird was just slightly smaller than the giant canadians and had more rapid wing beats. The head looked all offwhite, but it was tough to tell.
Any ideas??

[Guest]

Did you see if the Goose had an Orange or light Grey Beak?

It may have been a Hutchinson's Goose.

I've shot them with Canadas and they are light brown in color, more the size of a big Mallard (4-5 lbs.) than the Canadas.

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Chells

[jlm]

Was it a Ross? The head and neck sound correct but they do not get as big as the giant canadian. Just a thought.

[Guest]

Many times domestic geese will join flocks of wild geese, and sometimes they even inter-breed. I bet this is what you saw.

[icehousebob]

The Ross is a small Lesser Snow goose subspecies, just as the Hutchinsin's is a smaller Can. What you may have seen was a Greater Snow. They nest in the arctic with the other species, but migrate and winter down the Atlantic coast. One may have gotten mixed with a flock of Canadas somehow. Over the years, I've seen white geese mixed with the Canada flocks at Lac Qui Parle. They stick out like a sore thumb. In fact, I've been trying to get one snow goose floater decoy to add to my Canada spread. It would make a great attracter and confidence decoy.

[fishlips]

Looked up the Ross, Hutchin and Greater Snow goose on the net. Definatly wasn't a Hutchin. Looked a lot like a Ross goose, but it seemed to be bigger.
The Greater snow picture that I saw really looked close. It had obvious black wing tips which seems to match the greater snow. Could have very well been a greater snow or a domestic mix.
Thanks....

[Labby]

Last year my son and I shot 2 whtes gees out of a flock of Canadans. I fiqured they were just snow geese. I have never shot snows before. We hunted on Sunday and had a huge flock of 400 birds working. There was 1 white goose mixed in with them also. Never came in to the Dekes. We did manage 6 Canadans though.