Several studies have suggested that ducks in poor condition are more likely
to be captured for banding or recovered by hunters than those in good cond
ition (condition;bias hypothesis). We tested the hypotheses that samples of
greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) captured with baited cann
on-nets, and shot by hunters in fall at the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife
Area, Quebec, were not biased toward birds in poor condition. Density of b
irds and the frequency of aggressive interactions at baited capture sites w
ere higher than at unbaited sites. Overall, condition indices of geese capt
ured in baited and unbaited cannon-nets did not differ for both adults and
juveniles. Even though geese caught with cannon-nets may be a heterogeneous
sample, we argue that they are nonetheless representative of the populatio
n with respect to body condition and social status. Mean condition indices
of juveniles captured with cannon-nets did not differ from those shot by hu
nters, but adults shot by hunters were on average heavier than those captur
ed. There was no difference in mass of abdominal fat between geese captured
with cannon-nets and those shot by hunters. We used body mass corrected fo
r structural size and recovery data from 2,242 geese banded during October
1993-95 at Cap Tourmente to test whether geese in pool condition at the tim
e of banding had a higher probability of being recovered by hunters. Among
12 separate analyses (by year, sex, and age), only 2 revealed a significant
negative relationship (juvenile males and females in 1995) between conditi
on of banded birds and recovery rate. We conclude that our results provided
little evidence that greater snow geese captured at baited cannon-nets or
shot by hunters were biased toward birds in poor condition.