Fate of orphans of Canada geese harvested by hunters in Connecticut, USA, depends upon which month the parents were killed

Little is known about what happens to juvenile birds after one or both of their parents are harvested by hunters during the post‐fledging dependency period. Here, we compare the fate of juvenile Canada geese Branta canadensis that lost ≥ 1 parent to hunters (orphans) during this period to other juveniles that retained both parents (non‐orphans). For 25 years, we placed large leg bands and neck collars on juvenile and adult Canada geese nesting in New Haven County, Connecticut, USA, and followed them, their parents, siblings and offspring until their deaths. Mortality rates for orphans (0.37) and non‐orphans (0.38) were similar during their first year of life. Similar proportions of orphans (22%) and non‐orphans (24%) were recruited into the breeding population, and those that were recruited produced similar numbers of fledglings during their lives. Age at death was the same for orphans and non‐orphans. Becoming an orphan during the early‐hunting season (September) was more catastrophic than becoming an orphan during the late‐hunting season (January–February). Over half (59%) of early orphans (those with parents harvested in the early‐hunting season) did not survive their first year of life compared to only 19% of late orphans. Early orphans were less likely to be recruited into the breeding population (5%) than late orphans (33%). Additionally, early orphans that were recruited nested for fewer years (= 0.1) than late orphans (0.9) and produced fewer fledglings (0.0) during their lives than late orphans (2.6). These data suggest that hunting Canada geese during the early September season has an adverse effect on their orphans, but hunting seasons later in the year do not.