Did you know that geese:

- eat more than 1-5 pounds of grass per day
- produce about 1-2 lbs of waste per day
- average about 5 goslings per year
- weigh 20 to 25 pounds
- mate for life and will stay together
throughout the year
- are federally protected by the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Take Flight Goose Management, LLC
Mating
• Mating season is February to early April.
• Geese will find a new mate if the mate is killed or dies.
• Geese return to the area of their birth each year to mate
and nest.

Nesting
• Nesting season is Mid March to May.
• Geese begin to nest at the age of 2.
• Geese will return to the exact site of the previous years nest
or sometimes a nearby pond or other body of water.
• When geese are chased from their traditional nesting area they
find alternative sites to nest.
• Geese will appear in pairs during nesting season. A solitary goose
typically indicates that a nest is in the vicinity and "he" is
standing guard.
• The average number of eggs in a nest is 5-6. However, there can
be as many as 10-12.
• Incubation time is 28 – 30 days.

Hatching/Maturing
• The goslings will be able to fly in 2-3 months.
• During the maturing time the adult geese do not leave the area.
• The geese will attack humans while protecting their young.
• The maturing period of the goslings overlaps with the molting
season for the adults.

Molting
• Molting season runs from early June to late July.
• Adult geese lose wing feathers during this time and are unable
to fly.
• Geese can fly again approximately 6 weeks after molting.
• Generally by August all geese are able to fly.
• During the molt geese need to be near water (any water) for
easy escape from predators.

Migration
• Migration season is October through March.
• Migratory geese flight range can be 2 – 3 thousand miles.
• Migratory geese do not become resident geese unless they are
injured.
• Resident geese do not know how to migrate.
• Resident geese can fly long distances as their migratory cousins,
but generally have learned that it is not necessary.
• Generally, during this time (from end of molt to beginning to
mating) resident geese will be "pond hopping" and foraging
to find food, water and safety.
• Migratory geese will "pond hop" and forage during this same
period until their migration habits take them back north for
mating.