Canada Geese down in midwinter North Dakota Survey
Story by Grand View Outdoors.com
North Dakota wildlife officials say an annual midwinter survey has found only about 7,300 Canada geese wintering on the Missouri River.
That's down dramatically from 25,400 in last year's survey.
But the state Game and Fish Department says this year's count might be underestimated because of poor lighting conditions the morning of the survey and the tight flocking behavior of roosting geese.
Large numbers of geese were counted in the surveys from 2005 to 2008, culminating with a record 175,000 in 2008. Game and Fish says the high numbers were during years with unseasonably mild winter weather.
That hasn't been the case this winter. Game management section leader Mike Johnson says snowstorms in December with below-zero temperatures pushed most waterfowl out of the state.