TABLE 5. Summary of Canada goose nest fates from study sections on the lower 

 Yellowstone River, 1975 and 1976 



Study Section 



Number of 

 Nests 



Successful Flooded Predated Deserted 



1975 



Bighorn to Hysham 

 Hathaway to Miles City 

 Miles City to Sunday Creek 

 Fallon to Glendive 



TOTALS AND MEANS 



47 (8) 

 40 (2) 

 84 (11) 

 80 (8) 



35 (6) 12 (2) 



60 (3) (0) 



(0) 8 (1) 



(0) 20 (2) 



6 (1) 

 (0) 

 8 (1) 

 (0) 



64 (29) 20 (9) 11 (5) 5 (2) 



1976 



NOTE: Nest fates are given first as percentages of study section nests, 

 then (in parentheses) as number of nests. Nests in which eggs were injected 

 with colored dyes were excluded (see page 38 )• 



The average height of goose nests above water was between 1 and 3 m 

 (table 8), similar to the height above water of goose nests on the upper 

 Snake River as reported by Dimmick (1968). Flooding of goose nests was more 

 pronounced in the upstream study areas in 1975. Figures 6 through 9 show the 

 increase in gage height during the nesting season in 1975 and 1976. More 

 nests in the Bighorn to Hysham and Hathaway to Miles City study sections were 

 flooded than in downstream study sections because gage heights in the upstream 

 sections increased more rapidly. The stage in 1975 substantially increased 

 before the peak of hatching in the upstream sections (figures 6 and 7) and 

 little in those downstream (figures 8 and 9). In 1976, no flooding occurred 

 in any section prior to the hatching peaks. 



The average distance of goose nests from water was variable between study 

 areas (table 8) and indicative of the nature of the islands surveyed. Nest 

 searches on islands with steep banks and high relief revealed nests close 

 to the edge of the island and close to the water. The average distance from 

 water of goose nests in all study areas in both years was 23.2 m (76.1); 

 distances ranged from .3 to 126 m (1 to 413 ft). These figures are similar 

 to those reported by Dimmick (1968) for geese nesting along the Snake 

 River in Wyoming. 



26 



