I live in west central Montana about 200 miles south of the Canadian border. Some local Canadian Geese here for 10 months.The babies are in the bush around the water.I never see geese in the air after late June. I assume they are molting (Maybe).I mark my calendar yearly when I see things for the first time . Geese flying last year on July 24. But I do not think there was any young ones flying. A Audubon Society guy said to me " oh yes the adults can fly before this".So when can adults fly again after they are molted ? I heard them gabbling by the river today and it sounded like they were in the air but I could not see them. Honk ,Honk

They just started flying around here again this week. Not sure if it's just the one year olds (geese do not mate until two years old) I would assume it is. Because we have had a great hatch this year and I would b think I would see a lot more flying info this years were I the air already.

That's my thoughts on your question

I can say for a fact, that the week of 21 Aug last year some puddle ducks still could not fly due to molting. Most were getting where they could. I would not think it would be much different with geese. I think it is stretched out over a couple month period. I don't think they all molt starting and ending the same time.

grouse,ducks and geese all started in the last few weeks here.

I just did a search and found this.
Like most waterfowl, adult Canada geese go through a complete molt every year. Molting is an opportunity for geese to replace their worn, frayed, or lost feathers with new ones. The molt takes 30 to 45 days and is completed by mid-July, a time when the adult geese are free from activities such as nesting, brood rearing, and migrating.

The young are still with the adults during the molt, and at this stage none of the family can fly—the young because they haven’t grown their full flight feathers and the adults because they are replacing their flight feathers. Thus, the birds often move to areas that provide adjacent water for escape opportunities.

By late summer all of the family can fly, and they move to areas where there is abundant food, joining with other geese to form large flocks.

Still pooping in my backyard. About 20 to 30 in a lake where I live.

Still pooping in my backyard. About 20 to 30 in a lake where I live.

neat read thanx,i only really worry about them around sept.1.

Had several flocks land in the lake at our new property this morning

Sept 1 come soon

All of the wheat came down back a couple weeks ago around here. Within a few days the big flocks of 2 year olds were everywhere. However, I didnt see any young of the year birds at first. Within the last 5-7 days the parents and new birds have been coming off the water and going to the fields each morning and afternoon. Looks like about an average year here. Probably 4-500 milling around in their normal haunts by me. If we could shoot more than 5 a day might get interested in it again. otherwise i'll stick to better opportunities

Every year I have to keep a sharp eye on my drahthaars during July and the beginning of August, lest they bring me moulting waterfowl. Temps are high, so I want the dogs in the water... just can't have them bringing any uninvited guests home for dinner! lol

The first four just went by ! A bit of a wobble to them.

Don't take it for granted....I grew up huntin geese in SEMO and S IL ..Southern Illinois was known as the Goose Capital of the World.
Today they don't migrate this far south. A way of life for a whole area dried up.....Hunting clubs....hotels....restaurants.
And BTW.....we were never able to kill more than two a day,yet there were thousands of hunters came from around the country to hunt here.
Enjoy it...cause it can come to a screeching halt !!

P

Unless you are observing Canada geese in the Arctic, you are observing non-migratory geese whose ancestors have not migrated in several decades.
Migratory Canada geese have to follow hard fast rules for when to begin the molt, otherwise they will not be able to make the trips back and forth to the Arctic.
Non-migratory geese do not have hard fast rules to follow as to when they all must begin and then end their molt. There is no penalty to pay if they begin too early or to late. As a result, some of the Resident Canada geese will begin the molt as early as May, or some not until July.

A non migrating canada goose was flying here last week for sure. It flew into a power line and knocked out power to half a town 10 miles south of here.

They have been flying for a couple of weeks here, seen around 150+ in a wheat stubble field. Waiting for September 1st.

Interesting 52 Carl I never thought of that.They don't stay in this valley I do not know where they winter.

Around our area the geese over winter here a lot and are moving off the large created wetland areas and roost out on Lake Michigan in the fall. With many of the fields now being combined and fence rows buried and trees removed they have large open areas to feed on during the day. The whole goose hunting activity has changed dramatically around here the last 10-15 years.
The non migratory geese are more successful in their reproduction as well and don't suffer the mortality as they don't fly near as far. Our early goose season here is only mildly successful in reducing numbers. We have way to much good habitat for them to feed and raft on where hunting is not allowed.

Bryce

Banding studies here in Michigan have proven that a high number of our local "non-migratory" geese that are non-breeders, actually migrate up to Boco's area (southern James and Hudson Bay) to molt in the summer. Go figure.

Here in Western Alaska on the lower Yukon river delta ,is a major nesting ground for waterfowl on the pacific flyway.
The young are just starting to fly here now. They are molting and flightless in late June/ part of July and hang out on big lakes.

They are now going out to the tundra everyday eating blueberries and getting fat, along with the cranes before the long haul south next month.

Time to hunt here soon before they are all gone.