Fall Migration Period 



Geese Present . Numbers of geese observed during aerial censuses in the 

 study area during this period were second only to those observed on a census 

 conducted during the spring migration in 1975 (figure 4). However, more 

 geese were present for a sustained period of time during the fall migration 

 period than during the spring period (table 13). 



TABLE 13. Numbers of Canada geese observed during aerial censuses in the 



Fall Migration Period 



Number 

 Section ^ of Geese a Geese/km 



Billings to Huntley 

 Huntley to Worden 

 Worden to Pompeys Pillar 

 Pompeys Pillar to Custer 

 Custer to Bighorn 

 Bighorn to Hysham 

 Hysham to Sanders 

 Sanders to Forsyth 

 Forsyth to Rosebud 

 Rosebud to Hathaway 

 Hathaway to Miles City 

 Miles City to Kinsey 

 Kinsey to Zero 

 Zero to Powder River 

 Powder River to Terry 

 Terry to Fallon 

 Fallon to Gl endive 

 Gl endive to Intake 

 Intake to Savage 

 Savage to Sidney 

 Sidney to Fairview 



CONVERSION: 1 goose/km = 1.61 geese/mi 



NOTE: Fourteen flights from first arrival of large numbers of fall 

 migrants through departure of fall migrants. 



a All flights. 



Seventy-six percent of the geese observed on aerial censuses during this 

 period occurred between Bighorn and Kinsey (table 13). The greatest concen- 

 trations within that reach occurred in the Sanders-to-Forsyth section. More 

 geese were observed per kilometer of thalweg in that section during this 

 period than in any other section (table 13), probably because of the large 

 number of sprinkler-irrigated fields in that area, which serve as field- 

 feeding areas for large numbers of waterfowl (figure 14). 



42 



