Torrington, WY March 18th, 2024 — Members of the Goshen County 2Shot Goose Hunt Committee spent the day on Saturday sprucing up new homes for the next generation of Canada Geese.
For decades, the Goshen County 2Shot, in partnership with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, has helped maintain nesting structures for geese at the Springer Wildlife Habitat Management Area and the Table Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management Area. The project is scheduled for mid-March in order to have the artificial nests ready before geese begin mating.
Artificial nests are constructed with recycled tires, wooden platforms and a metal pipe. The tire and platform are secured on top of the metal pipe in order to elevate the nest above the reach of would-be predators. Committee members venture out every year to place new hay inside of the nests, which provides fresh nesting material for the coming incubation period.
Female geese incubate their young for up to 32 days. Goslings are immediately able to walk, swim and find their own food after hatching. On average, a female goose can lay 5 eggs each spring.
The next generation of conservationists helped out with this year’s nesting project
New hay is placed inside of an artificial goose nesting structure
About the Goshen County 2Shot Goose Hunt
Started in 1987, the 2Shot Goose Hunt initially began as an Economic Development Project to showcase the hunting, landscape, and people of Goshen County. The 2Shot Goose Hunt consists of a whole series of events that focus on a shooting event taking place the second Saturday each December. The hunt allows approximately forty teams each year, a number that has grown from the original twenty. Each team consists of two hunters who are allowed two shots each to bag their geese. The team with the most geese wins the contest. In the case of a tie, the overall weight of the geese is used to determine the winner. The teams are guided by experienced local guides that take the teams to heated blinds that are provided by local landowners. The hunt is conducted according to the rules of the Wyoming Game and Fish.
The funds raised from the 2Shot Goose Hunt are used for various activities throughout Goshen County and the great state of Wyoming. Hunter Safety education is a priority for the 2Shot. Several surrounding counties have received funds from the event to support Hunter Safety courses for Wyoming youth. The 2Shot also sponsors three scholarships each year to Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington. Habitat projects have always been a priority for the committee. Participation in many projects over the years include construction of pits for the public on the Bump Sullivan public hunting project, habitat improvements and aerators on the Table Mountain and Springer Wildlife Habitat Management areas, cleanup of the Springer, Bump Sullivan, and Rawhide units, and goose nesting improvements.
The 2Shot Goose Hunt is a non-profit organization run by a volunteer board of directors and composed of hundreds of volunteers from throughout Goshen County and other parts of Wyoming and Western Nebraska.
