By Bob Lee
Snow Geese and other waterfowl will soon move from the wintering grounds to their arctic breeding grounds. Many stop over at Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Choteau, to rest and rejuvenate for a few days before continuing their northward journey. Flathead Audubon will make the trip on Sunday, March 23 through Monday, March 24.
We will meet at 10am on Sunday in the Evergreen Burger King parking lot, 1363 U.S. Hwy 2 E. (corner of Hwys. 2 and 35). I will provide a suggested schedule and route. We’ll proceed to Choteau, birding along the way. We should arrive in time for some afternoon goose watching. After a night in Choteau, we’ll head back out to Freezout just before daybreak on Monday to watch the “mass ascension” of Snow Geese from the WMA ponds. Then we’ll search out birds in the local agricultural fields for closer observations. After the morning’s birding, participants can return to Kalispell in the afternoon at their own pace.
In recent years, there has been an extraordinary number of people coming to watch this Snow Goose phenomenon. There is no indication of how many geese might be there this year. Please make your own arrangements for lodging and make them early, as these places tend to fill up quickly. Primitive camping is available at the Freezout Lake WMA; if there are lots of people, these sites may fill up quickly as well. Local motel options include the Stage Stop Inn (406-466-5900), Gunther Motel (406-466-5444), and Big Sky Motel (406-466-5318). An Airbnb cabin is also available in Bowman’s Corner (andrewgertge@gmail.com).
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) now requires that anyone who recreates on state lands have a Conservation License. These are available through the FWP website: http://fwp.mt.gov or license dealers. The cost is $8 for residents, $4 for youths and seniors, and $10 for nonresidents. A tip – wait until after the March 1 new license year to purchase your license, so it will be valid for the FAS trip dates.
To sign up and for more information, please contact me at, RML3@centurytel.net. Note that I will be out of town for part of this time, and it may take a while to respond.