The spring goose hunt

I’ve been warned that there will be significantly less people coming to appointments in the next few weeks. The spring goose hunt is just around the corner and is a major event in the community. As families hope to get enough geese, which is smoked, dried, and canned, to last the entire year.

Many families congregate at their camps, some just near the town, others a hundred or so kilometres away. The hunt offers more than just food for the community, as family members who don’t see each other often come together to live off the land, for a few weeks. Community members also share what they can with elders, and others who couldn’t take part in the hunt.

The hunt is more than just a ritual, many families rely on the food to supplement their diet for a good chunk of the year. One client bemoaned the poor output from last year’s hunt, as she found it difficult to feed her large family. Most of us in Canada aren’t used to experiencing seasonal food shortages; at least not anymore. Supermarkets seem unaware of the concept of seasons, as you can get pretty much anything year round. Relying on the local environment for food is a foreign concept for me, but it brings with it many positives, such as fresher food, better nutritional quality, and a connection to your surroundings. The uncertainty of the harvest is the downfall.

With the high cost of food in Northern communities, living off the land is crucial. But food procured through hunting is hardly free. People invest heavily, with their time, (a couple of weeks to a month), and money, including the cost of ammunition, camping supplies, fuel, and transportation. Many people snowmobile out, but on the way back it is no longer possible, as the ice has broken up. Either boat, or helicopter is then needed to transport your stuff back to town.

 Petty much everyone here is talking about getting their camp ready. The Geese usually come early to mid April. Though last year there were Geese sightings as early as mid March leaving many people unprepared. I've already heard many goose calls as people practice their best imitations.

I was also able to check out the traditional goose decoys used by the Cree people. They are made by fashioning stick together with twine. Once completed, they are placed in various positions in the field, when the migrating geese see the decoys, and hear the hunters’ goose call, they will fly down to the field. Once in shooting range…well you get the rest.

(Miniature Goose decoy)