DES MOINES--The majority of this year's crop of giant Canada goose goslings are already out and swimming. For local honker flocks, it is the earliest hatch ever recorded. And although goose babies still have a long way to go until the end of the summer, things are looking good for Iowa's most popular waterfowl. Good to above average goose production is the prediction for the 2005 nesting season.

"This spring's nesting effort was at least a full week ahead of average," said DNR state waterfowl biologist, Guy Zenner.

"The first broods of goslings were already out of the nest by April 15, which is the earliest we've ever documented. One of the most exciting developments is that Canada geese are continuing a strong expansion into the farm pond regions of southern Iowa," said Zenner. "Farmers are constructing farm ponds at very significant rate and many of those ponds are several acres in size. Nesting geese are taking note and have begun to plug into that unused habitat. When we flew this year's spring goose breeding survey, we noted one or two Canada goose nests on virtually every single farm pond that contained an island or artificial nesting structure. Southern Iowa's potential for [goose] production appears only to be limited by how many goose nesting structures people are willing to build."

On the more traditional wetlands of north-central and northwest Iowa, spring goose populations remained strong. Although there was some flooding loss due to extremely heavy rainfalls that hit the region on April 11 and April 12, overall production from northern Iowa is expected to be at least average.

"I think that things are looking extremely positive for the future of Canada goose hunting in Iowa," said Zenner. "Our birds have become well distributed, and people no longer have to travel great distances to hunt geese in the extreme northern portion of the state. Nesting Canadas continue to spread into new habitats statewide and, in the future, will provide tremendous recreational opportunities."

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