Fishing Forum

From the DWR and USDA joint venture

2007 will mark the second year of the Urban Goose banding project. 2006 was a great success with the hands on-experience that volunteers received, and then with the hunter harvest in the fall. Last June there were 500 adult Canada geese banded and 500 juvenile geese banded. When released, the adults were sporting a red tarsal band on one leg and the regular aluminum band on the other; while the juveniles were sporting a yellow tarsal band on one leg and an aluminum band on the other. The adults were transported to the Delta area, while the juveniles were transported to the northern Utah marshes. In the fall, there were weekly goose counts and observations on the most popular urban locations. In a single day, covering all popular locations; there were 70 adults with the red bands observed, and 8 juveniles with the yellow bands observed. These were surprising numbers because we thought that more of the adults with the red tarsal bands would come back to the urban areas. Based on hunter harvest, the juveniles seemed to imprint on the wild birds and stay out in huntable areas. So far, we have seen band returns on 110 of the juveniles and 64 adults. Huge Success!!!

New for the 2007 banding year will be neck collars. Observations were tough due to geese on the water, so if we put neck collars on we will be able to better tell if these geese are returning to the city. We will plan on banding geese for this Urban project, the week of June 11-15.

Rich Hansen
451-7386
[url "mailto:richhansen@utah.gov"]richhansen@utah.gov[/url]


Details of where and when will be available a week prior. Each day will start very early in the morning and run to about noon.
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Here is the first update. I hope some of you waterfowl minded folks have the time to donate to this project.

"HI Everyone,
Next week, June 11-15, will be our Urban goose banding project. Everyone is welcome to come and you must bring your kids!!!! It is a great opportunity for you and your young ones to get some hands on experience with the geese and to learn why and how we band them.
Currently, we only have Monday planned, but Wednesday afternoon or evening I will post up the week's agenda.
Monday at 4:00 A.M. we will meet at Wildlife Service's office, which is located at 1860 W. Alexander Street. For a rough idea on the location, you turn west off of Redwood road just past 21st South.
After we meet, we will head to Stonebridge Golf Course. It is important that you don't come late because you could mess up our plan of herding the geese into traps. It is a large Golf course and we will need some good help to round them up.

Thanks and hopefully we will see you next week!!!!


Rich Hansen
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area Manager"
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Final update. All times and locations are set.

HI Everyone,

Here is an updated schedule for next week. The easiest way to get to Wildlife Services shop is to take I-215 to the 2100 S. East exit and then turn South on Redwood Road. Then turn right at the first light and follow that road until you come to Alexander Street and turn left. Go to 1860 W. and you will likely see the only activity that early in the morning on the North side of the road.

Urban goose banding
Monday June 11- Meet at USDA Wildlife Services shop (1860 W. Alexander Street) at 4:00A.M. That's right 4:00A.M.! We will band at the Stonebridge Golf Course. If anyone has a kayak with oar and life jacket, please bring. (This will likely be the day with the largest number of geese, so please help if you can)!
Tuesday June 12-Meet at USDA Wildlife Services shop (1860 W. Alexander Street) at 5:00 A.M.! WE will band the Glendale golf course and American Express.
Wednesday June 13-Meet at USDA Wildlife Services shop (1860 W. Alexander Street) at 5:00 A.M.! We will band three places.
Thursday June 14-Meet at Lee Kay Center at 5:30A.M. and we will band the geese at the Lee Kay Center.
Friday June 15-Meet at USDA Wildlife Services shop (1860 W. Alexander Street) at 5:00 A.M.! We will band several golf courses.

I hope to see everyone and their kids!!!
Thanks,
Rich Hansen
Farmington Bay WMA manager
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Just to let you all know, this project and the hours you volunteer can be applied towards your dedicated hunter volunteer hours. Today we finished around 9:00 AM. We set 2 traps and banded near 400 birds.
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I thought I would update everyone on the success of this project. In five days the division moved over 1700 geese out of the city. They were all relocated to other marshes around the state. gshorthair
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At work my office overlooks a golf course. Used to be hundreds of geese every day. I've only seen one goose since they made the sweep. It will be interesting to see how many come back. If only 20% return as predicted, in a couple of years the numbers will dwindle considerably.

Chester
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They plan on continuing this project the next few tears. They have finished the goose banding for the year. After doing the great salt lake marshes and central and southern utah resevoirs they finished with a total of over 4100 geese captured. For those of you that like to collect bands there is alot of new jewelry in the marshes. Broke the old record of 2700. gshorthair
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[][]I love jewelry[][]
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