It's been four days since the Feds swooped into David Crockett State Park and assaulted my geese buddies against their will. Putting bands on their legs, to track their every movement, while totally traumatizing them to humans from now until they die.

That would be like a bunch of parents swooping in on their teenagers heading off for a party, and installing a life-long tracker on their ankles. Totally traumatizing them to parents.

The geese flock of around 80 and I were bonding daily. I knew where they would be as I came around the corner of the Cabins, hunkered down with the ducks in the grass, waiting for me!

As I parked they all rose together, like a slow motion movie, and soon I'm surrounded. The act of a wild creature eating from my hand with no fear, is special, and now I've lost a bunch of friends, who will probably never eat from a human hand again!

The wild geese that settle into the lake dock for the Summer, are amazing birds. They fight among themselves, they mate, they are a family. They are surrounded by humans, some love them, some chase them, and some feed them bread...

I was feeding the ducks and geese last week, and a couple of young kids (boy 7, girl 9), under parental supervision, were chasing them around. I intervened with my bag of quack and showed them how much better it was to let them eat from your hand! They got it, the birds loved it, and memories were formed in these kids heads, forever

Update: I need to issue a retraction. I thought about taking this post down when I saw the geese up there this morning, but I unjustly dissed the banding program, I'm sorry.