Allegan County

	.. Fennville, Michigan Gateway to Allegan Game Area .. GOOSE FESTIVAL ...................................................................................... View: UNIT DETAILS
.. Images from: Wikipedia Commons	.. The Greater Canada goose nests over most of the state. The Lesser Canada goose nests in the northern parts of Canada (James Bay Hudson's Bay) The geese that migrate thru Fennville are Lesser Canada. The Greater Canada doesn't migrate, they just hang out around the state and shit on your lawn, beach and golf course. We have a special early and late hunt for the Greater Canada to keep the count down. The feds regulate the season on the migratory Lesser Canada according to population counts in the breeding areas in the north. The Lesser Canada weighs about 6 lb. The Greater Canada weighs 8 to 12 lbs. See: Michigan Department of Natural Resources. From my hunting classmate, Rod.
Another classmate hunter, who lived in the Pearl area, says that during the 1940's both the Greater and Lesser migrated into Canada during the early spring. No geese were left behind. While most still migrate now, a few do remain and nest. He would rather shoot the Greater because the Lesser were too tough to eat. PWR If I remember right, it was when one of goose pair was injured, they both remained here to nest, and it became quite common. Vern
Allegan State Game Area is a 45,000 acre (182 km²) forest attracting campers, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, horse trail riders and hunters. It's located in west central Allegan County, Michigan. One gateway is just west of the city of Allegan. It's more commonly referred to as Allegan Forest. It has two primitive campgrounds, owned by the state of Michigan but operated by Allegan County. Ely Lake Campground is on Ely Lake, a small inland lake. Pine Point Campground is on Swan Creek Pond, above a small dam. Both have swimming beaches. There are camping fees. The forest is a mixture, but largely hardwood. The Kalamazoo River flows through the northern portion. It's popular with canoeists. Behind the Calkins Dam the Kalamazoo becomes the large, but shallow and polluted, Lake Kalamazoo. During hunting season, many come to hunt whitetail deer, Canadian geese and wild turkeys. Trails are laid out for hikers in the summer and snowmobilers and cross-country skiers in the winter. The forest is broken up by private ownership with sections of woods and sections of homes. The state occasionally buys private land to add to the forest and fill in the gaps.