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OUTDOORS MARCH 12, 2014 | 61

EXPLORE
Freezeout Lake Geese Migration

By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon

I vividly remember when I was 13, my
mom wrangled up my family in Missoula

and drove us to a quiet prairie between
Fairield and Choteau. She weathered
our whining the entire trip, and I’m glad
she did. We arrived at Freezeout Lake
on an early afternoon in late March and
witnessed one of the most awe-inspiring
events of my life. Tens of thousands of

snow geese illed the sky, lapping above
the wetlands in a vibrant congregation.
Our young family stood and watched in
a state of wonder.
Every spring, up to 300,000 snow
geese gather at the Freezeout Lake wild-
life management area during their bi-an-
nual migration along the Paciic Flyway.

The massive movement typically occurs
at the end of March when the lake thaws,
and several organizations host trips to
witness the event, including Montana
Audubon and the Montana Natural His-
tory Center. For more information, con-
tact the history center at 406-327-0405,

or Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ re-
gional oice, 406-467-2646.

HOW TO GET THERE: From Kalispell,
drive 185 miles north and east along U.S.
Highway 2 through Browning and turn onto Thousands of snow geese ly around Freezeout Lake near Fairield last spring. Every March, as many as 300,000 snow geese and 10,000 tundra swans
Montana Highway 89 past Choteau.
gather and rest at the site.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB GAPPERT

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