January 2024 - 20

Jack Ballard and Percy wait patiently for geese to fly by. (Photo by Lisa Ballard)
T
he pre-dawn was so cold the air felt like tiny barbs
in the back of my throat every time I inhaled.
Each footfall squeaked despite the fluffy snow as
I trudged toward the river, following my husband,
Jack, and dog, Percy. My exposed cheeks tingled when I
smiled at the honking sounds emanating from somewhere
in the distance. Geese!
We found a spot by a tangle of willows on the
riverbank sheltered by a sandbar and got to work
putting out a few decoys and setting up a makeshift
blind. A sliver of orange appeared on the eastern
horizon and began to grow, pushing out the night.
Nary a ripple disturbed the patch of water in front
of us. Wisps of steam rose from the lazy, frigid water
from among the islands of ice that floated here and
20 | January 2024
there, but the river was basically open, and that
was good. Open, calm water meant a good chance
waterfowl would like this spot, too.
We settled onto our stools to wait. A cow
moo-ed. A chickadee scolded us. Then, they came.
A dozen geese circled above us, calling loudly,
their black necks extended, looking for a place to
land. They set their wings and dropped out of the
sky. The air roaring over their six-foot wingspans
sounded like a freight train coming toward us.
Percy quaked with excitement. My heart pounded
as they got closer.
" Now! " Jack whispered. We stood and shot. Two
Canada geese fell to the water as the rest reeled
away. Percy bounded after one, then the other,
bringing the two geese to shore.
When we got a better look at them, one was
much smaller than the other - only a little bigger
than a mallard duck. It had a shorter neck and bill
and a steeper forehead. It was a cackling goose, the
first Jack and I had ever seen.

January 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2024

January 2024 - 1
January 2024 - 2
January 2024 - 3
January 2024 - 4
January 2024 - 5
January 2024 - 6
January 2024 - 7
January 2024 - 8
January 2024 - 9
January 2024 - 10
January 2024 - 11
January 2024 - 12
January 2024 - 13
January 2024 - 14
January 2024 - 15
January 2024 - 16
January 2024 - 17
January 2024 - 18
January 2024 - 19
January 2024 - 20
January 2024 - 21
January 2024 - 22
January 2024 - 23
January 2024 - 24
January 2024 - 25
January 2024 - 26
January 2024 - 27
January 2024 - 28
January 2024 - 29
January 2024 - 30
January 2024 - 31
January 2024 - 32
January 2024 - 33
January 2024 - 34
January 2024 - 35
January 2024 - 36
January 2024 - 37
January 2024 - 38
January 2024 - 39
January 2024 - 40
January 2024 - 41
January 2024 - 42
January 2024 - 43
January 2024 - 44
January 2024 - 45
January 2024 - 46
January 2024 - 47
January 2024 - 48
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com