Investigating Essay on Snow Goose Hunting

7/24/2019 Investigating Essay on Snow Goose Hunting

1/7

Boden 1

Darrien Boden

EN100

Investigating Essay Final Draft

December 6, 2015

Into the Bliard

!n artic vorte" s#ee$s the nation eng%lfing every state from North Da&ota to 'e"as( 'he

sno# line that normally resides some#here along the Io#a border is driven do#n into !r&ansas(

'his brings the migration of millions of sno# geese to a halt along the northern border of

!r&ansas( In res$onse to this event, h%nters get a $rime o$$ort%nity to harvest these birds( 'his

e"$erience is one #hich I have fo%nd )%ite re#arding and intrig%ing( For that reason, I decided

to f%rther endeavor in %nderstanding the $ractice and #hat ma&es it so beneficial(

*no# geese are an invasive s$ecies of #aterfo#l n%mbering in the millions( For the $ast

co%$le of decades, they have been decimating breeding gro%nds for other #aterfo#l( In addition,

their habits have ta&en their toll on cro$s s%ch as #inter #heat( In an effort to solve this $roblem,

meas%res have been ta&en li&e the la#s made by the Ne# +or& De$artment of Environmental

onservation( In 200-, the N+DE im$lemented a .onservation /rder. for sno# geese( !

onservation /rder is a s$ecial management action a%thoried by the federal igratory Bird

'reaty !ct to control certain #ildlife $o$%lations #hen traditional management $rograms are

%ns%ccessf%l in $reventing over$o$%lation( 'his is a s$ecial h%nting season in #hich fe# limits

are $laced on the harvesting of sno# geese by h%nters( 'hey can harvest as many as they #ish

their shotg%ns can hold as many shells as they can and they may %se electronic calls( 'he

obective is to h%manely red%ce the $o$%lation of these geese in an effort to restore habitats that

are ra$idly being de$leted( It is also stated by the N+DE that the harvest of sno# geese has


2/7

Boden 2

more than do%bled in areas #here conservation orders are enacted, and the $o$%lation gro#th

rate has been red%ced significantly(

!long #ith saving breeding gro%nds, sno# goose h%nting has become beneficial for a

m%ltit%de of other reasons( /ne of these #o%ld be the amo%nt of #ild game it yields to feed

those in need( 3%nters are often able to harvest several doen geese #hich $rovide many $o%nds

of meat( It also increases $rofits for conservation de$artments( Every year, several h%nters

$%rchase conservation order $ermits in order to h%nt these geese( 'his generates a s%bstantial

amo%nt of additional reven%e( 'his money is then $%t bac& in to $rograms to im$rove habitats for

other animals( In addition to this $rofit, g%ide services can also $rofit from the harvest of these

birds( ost #aterfo#l seasons end #hen #inter does( 3o#ever, conservation orders for sno#

geese do not go in to effect %ntil s$ring #hen the birds are ret%rning to their northern breeding

gro%nds( 4%ide services are able to e"tend their services thro%gh s$ring time( Not only does this

increase their income, b%t it also serves as a #ay of introd%cing novice h%nters to e"$eriences

they normally #o%ldnt be able to $arta&e in( any $eo$le co%ld never afford to s$end several

tho%sand dollars on e)%i$ment, b%t by going on a g%ided h%nt for a small fee, they are able to do

%st that( 'his is #hat my family has done for over a decade(

3%nting sno# geese can be a da%nting tas& for many beca%se it re)%ires so m%ch

e)%i$ment and $re$aration( 'o ma&e matters more diffic%lt, sno# geese are some of the most

diffic%lt birds to h%nt beca%se of their travel in massive gro%$s and their life s$an of over forty

years( 'heir great length of life gives them am$le e"$erience of being h%nted( It ta&es great

dedication to accom$lish s%ch feats( 'o begin, yo% m%st first ac)%ire decoys( 'he general r%le of

th%mb is that the more decoys yo% have, the better( For this reason, many $eo$le often %se a

s$read of decoys n%mbering in the tho%sands( !ccording to my father, a $rofessional g%ide, there


3/7

Boden

are three things that matter most7 motion, n%mbers, and noise 8Boden9( ovement is essential to

getting sno# geese to decoy( /ften times, h%nters #ill %se flyers #hich resemble the geese( 'hey

are made of corr%gated cardboard and a cloth fabric #hich fla$s in the #ind( 'his sim%lates a

goose flying( 'hey may also %se vorte" machines( 'hese are rotating machines #ith metal $oles

e"tending from a base( *tyrofoam birds are $laced at the end of these $oles and a$$ear to be

flying aro%nd in a circle as the machine rotates( In order to generate the a$$earance of large

floc&s of geese, fabric bags attached to sta&es called #indsoc&s are $laced in the gro%nd( 3%nters

may also %se f%ll body geese( 'hese are hard $lastic decoys molded and $ainted in the form of a

sno# goose( 'he last ingredient for this reci$e to s%ccess #o%ld be noise( *ometimes h%nters %se

mo%th calls to attract birds( 3o#ever, since there are no limits d%ring a conservation order,

h%nters %s%ally choose to $lay electronic recordings of geese %sing s$ea&ers and a media $layer(

!fter h%nters have ac)%ired all of the $ro$er gear to attract birds, there are only a fe#

more $re$arations they need to ma&e( !s my father #o%ld say, :If yo% arent on the ;, the birds

#ont come(< =hat he means is that yo% have to find %st the right s$ot to h%nt( 'he best fields

are %s%ally the ones the geese have been %sing( !ccording to the isso%ri De$artment of

onservation, in the $ast fe# decades, they have beg%n eating leftover grain in cro$ fields and

other agric%lt%ral grain #aste, as #ell as fields of rice, #heat, corn, and other grains, $l%s ne#ly

seeded #inter #heat cro$s( /nce h%nters have fo%nd a s%itable field s%ch as these, their $%rs%it

can begin(

! ty$ical h%nt rhetorical #ill often res%lt in great e"ha%stion b%t an even greater

satisfaction( For avid goose h%nters, h%nting geese re)%ires ha%ling decoys in an enclosed trailer

the evening before a h%nt and setting them %$( *no# geese have a tendency to be greedy(

'herefore, #hen setting %$ decoys, h%nters #ant to $%t the most decoys #here they intend for the


4/7

Boden >

geese to land( 'his imitates geese feeding, and act%al geese #ill desire to oin in( !side from that,

there is little else that matters #hen setting %$ a decoy s$read( y father, my %ncle, and I

$ainsta&ingly #al& ro#s of a c%t field( =e have a b%ndle of flags in o%r hands #hich #e stab into

the gro%nd facing the #ind( !s #e heave b%ndles of decoys onto o%r bac&s and begin sorting

them, #e reminisce abo%t $revio%s h%nts( :?emember that h%nt in the flooded rice@< my dad

in)%ires #ith a gleam in his eyes(

:+o% bet I do( 'hat #as o%r best h%nt yet( 2A birds< my %ncle res$onds( I listen to them

in silent admiration as they recall the many $eo$le they have ta&en on tri$s and the oyf%l times

they had( =e re$eat this $rocess doens of times %ntil every decoy is o%t, and o%r bodies are

sore( 3o#ever, no one minds beca%se the antici$ation of tomorro#s h%nt is all thats on o%r

minds(

'he follo#ing morning, at e"actly 6700 am, #e meet the clients at their lodge( 'he doors

of $ic&%$ tr%c&s slam sh%t, and the tr%c& r%mbles off to#ards o%r field( =ith the smell of coffee

and brea&fast sand#iches floating thro%gh the air li&e one of o%r flying decoys, #e chat #ith the

ne# h%nters( :*o, #here ya from@< my dad in)%ires(

:e and my boy are from =isconsin( y friend and his son are from *t( Co%is(

Documents

Investigating Essay on Snow Goose Hunting