Judging geese is almost like judging bears. If you haven't done a lot of it it can be tough. I always get a kick out of stories I hear from my hunters about limits of 18 pounders.
I have been hunting Canadas for 20 yrs and a guiding goose hunts for 10years from Alberta down to the Dakotas. Just to throw some numbers out there, I have seen approx 40,000 Canada geese harvested and have seen 1 @17lbs, 2@16lbs, none at 15 and maybe 50 @14 pounds. Bottom line is the big ones are pretty rare.
You can't realize how big 18-20 pounds is until you actually hold a 20pound swan by its neck, and then imaginne a Canada goose getting that big.
I will agree with most of the guys on here. Most of our larger Canadas in Alberta are in the 8-12 range. I carry a digital fish scale in the field to prove this to my hunters. Try it this fall, you'll be amazed at how much lighter they are than you think they are.
|