March means one thing for thousands of snow geese; its time to head north.
And right smack in the middle of their route from California to Alaska is a little lake in Montana perfect for a rest stop. Freezeout Lake is the place where these feathered friends flock to recoup from their nearly 1,000 mile flight from California.
Just outside Choteau are Montana’s primary staging areas where as many as 300,000 snow geese and 10,000 tundra swans gather and rest before flying north. The snow geese usually reach Freezeout in early March. The largest migration numbers happen between mid-March to early April.
The Wildlife Management Area offers campsites and a few other amenities for a weekend stay which can be found here. You can get recorded updates on conditions and bird numbers at Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area by calling (406) 467-2646 day or night. FWP updates the message any time there is a significant change.
Photo by Wendy Evans, 2012
If you would like a little more structured and educational visit the Montana Natural History Center is offering a guided tour to this waterfowl wonder with guide, snow goose expert, and FWP volunteer Mike Schwitters.
Date: Saturday, March 23rd
Time: 7:00am-6:00pm
Location: Meet at the Montana Natural History Center. We will travel by MNHC bus to Freezeout Lake near Choteau, MT.
Cost: $50 MNHC members/$60 non-members
Registration is required and the course fills fast! Please call 327-0405. Full payment is due upon registration.
