Nature's Beautiful Bounty

Well even though this week was officially the beginning of summer…I was thinking of Fall. My hunting season starts the beginning of September with waterfowl season. So it isn’t too early to start getting ready. As all of you know I already have Drake being trained. When he comes home in July I will be adding his daily tune ups to my routine. I have been practicing some new calls I got in the off season and soon will be getting out all our decoys. Checking blinds and ordering our ammo. We actually order cases of ammo before season and we still usually run out!

This year will be especially special to me because it will be the first year my son Jimmy will be able to actually harvest waterfowl. Jimmy has been going along with us waterfowl hunting for the past 4 years. He can call a goose like the best of them! He always enjoyed our outings and after every trip afield he would make a comment on how many more years or seasons until he could shoot. Well this is the year! For the past 3 years we have helped the PA Game Commission with their waterfowl banding program in Blair, Bedford and Huntingdon Counties. We usually got a firsthand view then on what waterfowl populations were. This year they aren’t banding in this area, so one evening Jimmy and I decided to go and check out the local waterfowl situations. Now we know that the populations are not what they are closer to season, but it is nice to know if there are any off spring in the area. Last year I can say was quite disappointing. Our sightings of goslings and ducklings we felt were down drastically from the year before. So we were anxious to see what this year would bring. Our first stop was a local waterway known for harboring waterfowl. We parked and got out to check locations of previous nests we knew of. One goose nest from previous years was empty. Although all the geese were there, no eggs were on the nest. Last year we saw on her nest 4 eggs. A week later the eggs were there and all smashed. But we are hoping that perhaps this year it will be a late hatch.

Empty goose nest.

Female goose on her nest. Notice how thin she is. We then found one goose nest with the eggs on it and mama goose there protecting her brood. We also were able to find a freshly laid duck egg. Not to mention a couple dozen ducklings running around the pond. This is a great sight to any waterfowl hunter!

Mallard ducklings on right. Moving on to another part of the County we found other goslings out feeding with their parents. This was the case in all the local waterways that evening. Mallard and wood duck ducklings seemed to be thriving. A total of about 80+ goslings were counted. This is good news! Seeing waterfowl off spring is as great as seeing fawns. It assures us hunters that the generations are carrying on.

Those of us that are parents know how challenging it can be changing diapers and being awakened in the night by a baby wanting a bottle. So imagine trying to look after anywhere from four, six, eight or a dozen babies…all at once. In a world full of predators! Predators being anything from snapping turtles, pike, musky, cats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc. So you can only imagine how critical and daunting a task it is for waterfowl. Adult waterfowl provide their young with many types of care, and the care varies by species. When they hatch, for example, most waterfowl are unable to keep warm by automatically regulating their body temperature for several days and periodically require a parent (the hen, in most duck species; both parents in the case of geese and swans) to cover them with their body and wings to help maintain normal body temperature. This behavior, known as brooding, also protects young waterfowl from extreme precipitation (including rain, hail and snow), sunlight, wind and from predators. Another critical form of care is protection from predators. Most waterfowl give alarm calls at the first sign of approaching danger. Alarm calls will cause young birds to scatter or move closer to their parent(s), or freeze in place. Females of many duck species will also feign injury by acting like their wing is broken to draw predators away from their broods. Adult geese may actually attack intruders including humans who come too close to their offspring. Another important role parent birds play is ensuring undisturbed access to feeding areas. After the young birds hatch, the parent assists their young in finding suitable habitat with adequate food supplies.

Duck egg.

Mallard hen sitting on her nest.

The majority of male ducks usually invest little or no energy in rearing offspring. Geese, however, both parents are active participants in brood-rearing activities and may remain with their young until the following breeding season. Female geese are typically emaciated following incubation because they feed infrequently during this period and, if left alone to care for offspring, they may be unable to provide sufficient care for young and meet their own requirements. By helping with brood care, males actually enhance the survival of their offspring and mates. The presence of both parents in geese also helps fend off predators because most geese nest in areas with little cover for concealment. A pair of adult geese defending a brood is a formidable opponent for most predators. Ducks, on the other hand, males play little to no role in brood care. In fact, most male ducks abandon the female when she begins incubation or shortly after her eggs hatch. The bright plumage of the drakes may attract predators, so the male ducks rarely attend broods. Most female ducks usually remain with their broods until they are ready to fly.

Jimmy and I had a great evening which we felt was very promising for the upcoming season approaching so fast. As we drove home I thought about how I felt so lucky to have a great kid who could enjoy a night out taking a ride with his mom, photographing and counting waterfowl offspring. I then realized that raising offspring in this crazy world of ours is a struggle for any parent. Considering all the obstacles waterfowl face, I am extremely thankful for my child!