The World’s Largest Goose Is Here in Missouri!

The world's largest goose is here in Missouri, in the self-proclaimed "Wild Goose Capital of the World," and its name is Maxie.

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Maxie isn't real thank goodness, otherwise, that could be kind of messy. Maxie, the largest goose in the world, is 40 feet tall with a 65 foot wingspan and is the creation of Kansas City artist, David C. Jackson, who graduated from the Kansas City Art Istitute with a degree in sculpture in 1973. This is according to the Maxie - World's Largest Goose Facebook page.

Maxie's home is Sumner, Missouri, a mere 90 minutes north of Sedalia. The town of Sumner commissioned Maxie in 1974 to commemorate their status as the "Wild Goose Captial of the World." So why is Sumner so committed to being the "Wild Goose Capitol of the World?"

Simple, according to Wikipedia, the Sumner area is located on a migratory flyway and over 100,000 geese fly over the area. That many geese attracts a lot of hunters, which benefits Sumner and the entire country of Chariton. Maxie doesn't like to talk about that though.

According to Roadside America, Maxie, gets overshadowed by Grady, a goose in Canada that Maxie was built to surpass, because well Maxie is a Canada goose and most people would expect to see the world's largest goose in Canada, not in a small Missouri town way off the interstate.

So what's there to do in and around Sumner? You can visit Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge which is a good place for fishing, hunting, and hiking. Hunter's might also enjoy checking out the home lodge of Habitat Flats near the Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Truthfully, I couldn't find a lot of things to do, if you're not into fishing and hunting except stopping by an visiting Maxie on Park Drive.

Of course there is the Wild Goose Festival which is held the third weekend of October every year. This year, it's being held October 21, 22, 23 a soup and chili supper, activities at the Natonal Guard Armory, a Prince & Princess contest, a baby show, a Gooseberry Pie contest, a fish fry, and lots of small town fair fun. You can learn more at the Wild Goose Festival's website.

As far as Maxie goes, the goose is currently undergoing some major repairs and preservation. The fundraising effort for Maxie's repair and preservation has been spearheaded by the daughters of Maxie's artist Debbie and Denise Jackson, along with the Sumner Community Betterment organization and the Chariton County Community Foundation so Maxie can continue to bring joy to the many who come to visit her and enjoy the outdoor activities near Sumner. If you'd like to see how they've been restoring and preserving Maxie, or you'd like to make a donation you can check out their Go Fund Me page.

Mostly though I bring up Maxie because like a lot of people, I had no clue the World's Largest Candadian Goose is 90 minutes from us. I think the next time my wife and I are bored on a Sunday afternoon I'll suggest going to visit Maxie, and maybe stoping somewhere along the way for an ice cream cone. It seems like a fun way to get out of the house and spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.