Crop Depredations by Canada Geese in East-Central Wisconsin

• Main Author: Hunt, Richard A.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@USU 1983
• Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Life Sciences; Canada; Branta canadensis
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/wdmconference/1983/all1983/41; https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1484&context=wdmconference

In 1973, I presented a paper on "Waterfowl Crop Damage in Wisconsin" at the 6th Bird Control Seminar at Bowling Green, Ohio (Hunt & Bell 1983). That paper reviewed crop damage by Canada geese (Branta canadensis) around Horicon National Wildlife Refuge and the program developed to pay for and control damage, and suggested some recommendations related to future depredations management. At that time the fall goose population was about 200,000 at peak levels on the refuge. Since 1973, some significant changes were implemented in the Horicon area that reduced the peak concentration to less than 100,000. Crop depredations by geese, however, have remained a chronic problem and the goose management program has become a controversial issue throughout the Mississippi Flyway. The purpose of this paper is to review events since the 1972 season in relation to crop dam-ages and to describe our new damage law payment system. Field data for this paper were generously provided by state and federal personnel working on crop depredations, and financial records were obtained from staff in the Central Files section of the Madison office.