You guys are partially right on this...
These dark geese that are located on the lower columbia are decendants from an illconcieved idea by the WDFW in the wake of the earth quake that decimated the dusky habitat at the mouth of the copper river in AK. In trying to breed more duskies, they bred some dark geese with westerns and created the dilemma we now face today, with these dark birds that are local geese. Often refered to as Wuskies or Weskies, these dark geese are non-migrating birds.
In the summer when the geese are molting the WDFW uses a helicopter to capture birds in the lower columbia area and fits the adults with white collars or black radio collars. They band the young that may not be able to wear a collar at that time.
This is so that hunters can distinguish the local birds from the migrating duskies that frequent the area, as well as allow biologists to identify dark geese as locals so that they are not counted in the dusky numbers.
The white collars are shootable but like was mentioned be careful of your shots on these birds. They fly in mixed flocks of duskies, wuskies with collars and those without. An unbanded wuskie will get you punched at the check station. And from experience i know that a banded bird still can lead you a punched card.
Be careful down there and please take only responsible shots.
Dont shut us down.
