Wild Geese
"Goose, goose, goose," cried Earl B. Hill who resides at "Deep Hole," also called "Eastern Side" on Chincoteague Island. At the call of this island son whose forefathers were born and raised here, they came out of the marsh grass. Can you see them? Look at them as they follow their master to the feeding place, wild geese all. They sway from one side to the other like a rolling ship, turning their long necks in all directions that nothing might escape their attention.
Mr. Hill, owner of the game reservation has heard the call of the wild since his boyhood days for at eleven he became interested in wild game. His early training was received under the leadership of that interesting character, Joshua Whealton who originated the idea of raising wild feathered game. About three years ago Mr. Whealton passed away at the age of eighty-four. His knowledge of wild geese, wild ducks, wild swan and pheasants was phenomenal. On account of his familiarity with wild game the government gave him an unusual license with few restrictions, for Uncle Sam knew well that men like Whealton are valuable servants of lovers of the great sport of hunting. This license similar to the one issued to Earl B. Hill permitted this expert to raise and ship wild geese to any state alive or dead at any time. The license requires an annual report to state and national government, giving an account of every egg, and every bird handled on the reservation. May the ashes of old man Whealton rest in peace, for he was a benefactor of all who defy snow and ice when the birds are brought down to satisfy the appetites of those who love the wild flavor of game.
When he was still a lad, Mr. Whealton gave Earl B. Hill a pair of Canada geese and he started on his career in dead earnest. At seventeen he had thirty geese and he and Whealton worked on shares. The game reservation is an ideal place. Facing the salt water, it contains one hundred and twenty-one acres of land and water. Within the confines of the place the game has a feeding pond with brackish water. Here the duck grass grows in profusion. Another pond with fresh water has natural and artificial "tumps," small elevations above the surface of the water. On these elevations the ducks and geese lay their valuable eggs. Aside from the duck grass the birds are fed like chickens. They need more feed in the winter than in the summer and during the moulting season in August and September they require more feed than at any other time. Among the various species raised by Mr. Whealton and his successor are black and gray mallard ducks, snow geese, white and black swan and Chinese geese. In these later years Mr. Hill seems to have specialized in the raising of Canada geese.
Some times we call a man a goose, meaning to say he is not very bright, in fact we mean by the expression that a man is below the average in intellect. This expression does not do justice to the wild goose, for we wonder if there is a more intelligent creature in the animal world?
It is often stated that cases have been on record where a wild goose has lived one hundred and twenty-five years. One thing is certain, among Mr. Hill's flock there is a gander that has been on the place for fifty-six years. Wild geese are the healthiest of all fowl. No medicine is ever given and disease is practically unknown among them. The owner clips the wings of the goslings when they are from five to six weeks old and after that he need not worry any more, for they never fail to return to their nests after they have grown to maturity. The two enemies of the birds are dogs and shotguns, for when they go on their periodical excursions to see the world or to find a mate some hunter may shoot them. For this reason the wings are clipped during the gunning season. Talk about intelligence and fidelity! My dear fellow, if men and women were as loyal to one another in the holy bonds of matrimony, this world would be a paradise. Ganders are not polygamous, they select a partner for life. When once the goose minister has pronounced the solemn words: "for better, for worse, till death us do part," there is no running off with someone else's wife or husband (like church members do some times) but they can sing: "Blest be the tie that binds." Year after year Mr. Gander returns to Mrs. Goose, the same Mrs. Goose, mark you. He would not even stoop to look at another goose. He does not "talk" goose talk to another goose, his devotion is all given to the one who went to the altar with him. Really such devotion is beautiful to behold.
Once a goose was killed by dogs while she was on her nest. Dogs, by the way killed $245.00 worth of geese three years ago on this place and the Board of Supervisors agreed to refund the loss. To return to our remarkable story: father gander took the place of his departed wife and raised the goslings. Later on after the goslings were shifting for themselves, father gander was in an enclosure with a hundred or more Canada geese, but he would not mate with another goose. The following spring he built his own nest. For two years since his life companion was killed he has called for the one he has lost. His master told me that his call is different from the usual call of the wild, a weird lonesome call.
Among the game owned by Mr. Hill is a wild duck, a black mallard. He raised her from the egg. She too is a monogamist. Once a year she leaves her home grounds and finds her mate. Twice she has returned with little ducks. She leaves in the spring and returns in September. Mr. Hill told me that he has had Canada geese to rebuild the same nest in the same place for twenty years. If the eggs are removed by man or beast, the mother goose will never lay another egg in that nest. She'll lay elsewhere free from the defiling hands of man.
Fidelity! We talk about love unto death. Here is deathless devotion. No crow or any other bird of prey succeeds in stealing a gosling, not even a hawk. If a dog approaches the young to kill, he can only get them over the dead body of the gander. He will defend his own until he is killed. When the goose is killed the gander will always finish the job and take care of the young until they are grown. If extra eggs are added to the original nest, the goose or the gander will roll them out.
There are three species of Canadian geese. The smallest species is called the Southern goose. Next to the smallest in size comes the Northern goose and the Alaska goose is the largest. The latter species some times reaches a weight of sixteen pounds.
While the stock law was in effect requiring the fencing in of property, Mr. Hill had some interesting experiences with his stock, for when they returned from their mates for the hatching season they called him to open the gates of the reservation. This usually took place at night. Some times they brought wild geese from the outside world with them.
Do you not agree with me, that wild geese show better sense than mere men? At any rate they are not deceitful and disloyal like men are. They are true and faithful unto death. Do you wonder that Mr. Hill loves his feathered family? And his hobby is not entirely unprofitable. The price of a pair range from $10 to $30 depending on the age of the birds. Some times he sells eggs. The largest number of geese he has ever had in captivity was four hundred and fifty-eight.
The birds are shipped to many parts of the United States and sometimes orders come from Canada. Strange paradox, like shipping coal to New Castle. The beautiful creatures are sold to Zoological gardens, including the famous New York Zoo in the Bronx, the Richmond and Philadelphia Zoo. Quite a few of the geese serve as decoys. When they are thus used they are tied by their feet to a weight, or sometimes a harness is put on their necks and over their heads. The decoys are placed among wooden decoys and when they call the flying geese the hunter is on his qui vive.
This afternoon the writer found out that he knows very little about geese. When he met Mr. Hill he discovered that he had failed these many year to know Mr. Gander and Mrs. Goose. And yet there are people in this world who know it all. We pity them, don't you? We should utilize the golden hours to know how the other half of the world lives, for life is short and "time is the stuff life is made of."