Alabama Goose Hunting Guides and Outfitters

Goose, common name for the female of any number of species of waterfowl game birds constituting the subfamily Anserinae in the same family, Anatidae, or Anseriformes, as ducks and swans. The goose is one of the most popular game birds in the state of Alabama. Many outfitters and guides offer trips and guided hunts in their services. The male goose is properly called ganders, but in ordinary usage they are often termed geese. Geese differ from swans in having the space between the bill and eye feathered, in having shorter necks and legs, and in having their legs covered with scales in the back rather than the front. Geese vary in length from about 26 to 45 inches. The feet are fully webbed. The plumage, the same in both sexes, consists of feathers and quills that are molted once a year. Most species have short, heavy bills. The majority nest on the ground, although some make their homes in trees.

A number of species are migratory, nesting in the summer in Canada and wintering near inland waters and long the coasts of the United States. One of these locations is Alabama and it is full of goose hunting guides and outfitters willing to book a guided hunt or trip for hunters of all kinds. When migrating, geese, like ducks, often fly in a V-shaped formation. This pattern is easy to recognize by hunters on a goose hunt.

About 16 species of true geese {genera Anser and Branta} exist, of which 8 are found in the United States. The greylag, A. anser, of Europe and Asia is the ancestor of almost all domestic geese. Among the various species found in both Europe and North America are the snow goose and the brant. The blue goose, a bluish-gray bird with a white head, is a color phase of the snow goose found in North America. Among well known species that frequent the United States is the common Canada goose, B. canadensis, also known as the wild goose, a gray-brown bird with a black head and neck and white cheeks, famed for its migrations, which in American folklore are regarded as a sign of spring. The Canada goose is indeed a popular waterfowl game bird and many hunters book hunts up to a couple of years in advance with some outfitters and guides because of their experience and knowledge.

A number of breeds of geese are raised domestically and not hunted or don’t fall under the category “Game Birds”. Among the most important domestic geese are the “Toulouse goose”, an all-gray breed originating in France; the “Embden goose”, an all-white goose originating in Germany; and the “African”, a tall, gray goose that fattens more rapidly than any other breed. Both the flesh and the eggs of geese are eaten. Geese are the source of the delicacy pate de foie gras, made from goose livers abnormally enlarged by overfeeding the geese and depriving them of exercise. Domestic geese are also commercially valuable for their feathers, which are used in pillows and for making insulated clothing and sleeping bags.

A number of other waterfowl game birds are frequently called geese although not considered true geese. Among them is the magpie goose of Australia, with strong toes that are only partially webbed, thus enabling the birds to perch.

Alabama Hunting Season Schedule

Alabama Hunting License

United States Weather

The links above should help hunters with the laws and regulations that cover goose hunting. The guide or outfitter you hire should be able to help you find additional information for this waterfowl game bird. Just ask and they will let you know more.