. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Brame says wildlife managers must make sure an adequate adult popula- tion of snow geese is maintained for breeding. While the snow goose has its trou- bles in the Arctic, its cousin, the Canada goose, is having some problems in North Carolina. Once the wintering capital for Canada geese along the eastern shore, Lake Mat- tamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge drew 150,000 geese. Now, Steve Frick says the refuge draws only be- tween 20,000 and 25,000 Canadas. What has happened to the Canada geese? They're &quo
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Brame says wildlife managers must make sure an adequate adult popula- tion of snow geese is maintained for breeding. While the snow goose has its trou- bles in the Arctic, its cousin, the Canada goose, is having some problems in North Carolina. Once the wintering capital for Canada geese along the eastern shore, Lake Mat- tamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge drew 150,000 geese. Now, Steve Frick says the refuge draws only be- tween 20,000 and 25,000 Canadas. What has happened to the Canada geese? They're "short-stopping," which means the Canadas are stop- ping short of North Carolina for the grain fields of New York, Pennsyl- vania, the Delmarva Peninsula and coastal Virginia. Many northern farm- ers switched from truck farming to raising grain, while southern farmers began harvesting their grain crops earlier and leaving less in the fields for the geese to snack on. "Why should these birds come to North Carolina to get steak, so to speak, when they can get steak in New York with less travel," Frick says. Luczcz says North Carolina is tak- ing the plight of the Canada goose in this state to the Atlantic Flyway Council. The state is asking northern states not to open their season on Canadas so early. It wants to give birds that still have the instinct to win- ter here a chance to return before they are shot, Luczcz says. "The secret to maintaining a wintering flock of Canada geese is protecting the popula- tion already here," he says. The Wildlife Commission has short- ened the season and decreased the bag limit for Canada geese to take some of the hunting pressures off the birds in this state. "Right now we're buying time until an overall decision is made by the Council for the whole flyway," Luczcz says. "It will be a big com- promise. Everybody has got to give up ; To see some of North Carolina's waterfowl, plan a visit
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