Early Goose 2017

Migrator Man · Aug 9, 2017

I'm surprised we haven't started an early season thread yet.

Has anyone been out scouting yet? With the poor crops this year I was concerned about geese utilizing the poor unharvested bean fields instead of the harvested wheat fields, but so far the geese I have seen have mostly been feeding in huntable fields. I did see a group of birds in a poor barely field but most of the fields around it were being actively harvested.

I'm hoping 2017 will be a turnaround year for early goose. It would be nice to see them group up in larger feeds like they did in the past and actually decoy better than the last couple years. We had some decent hunts in 2016, but nothing like the last year of the 8 goose limit.

Who all is ready to get out next week? I'm hoping to pick up a few more decoys for the spread and then I'm ready to rock.

FishSticks · Aug 9, 2017

This will be my first year hunting early goose. My friends and I bought 5 doz field decoys so we will probably give it a whirl next week sometime. I have seen a few small groups driving around for work but nothing spectacular. I really want to give the teriyaki goose leg recipe a try (see 'Goose Nirvana').

Duckslayer100 · Aug 9, 2017

We are overrun by out of state hunters around here thanks to our stupid early season and 15-bird limit. I wait until September 1. That way most of them have gone back to their home states where their own early seasons start, and the pressure decreases dramatically.

I did that last year (first hunt wasn't until Sept. 3) and it was a hoot. Birds were flocked up. NRs were gone. Even got stopped by the CO and he said "you should have seen it last week" in regards to the number of hunters.

Screw the heat. Screw all the pressure. Screw antisocial honkers. And screw August hunting.

;:;rant

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Migrator Man said:
I'm hoping 2017 will be a turnaround year for early goose. It would be nice to see them group up in larger feeds like they did in the past and actually decoy better than the last couple years. We had some decent hunts in 2016, but nothing like the last year of the 8 goose limit.

It was gravy when we still had a Sept. 1 opener and 5-bird limit. By then they were flocking up and SOCIAL. Not still in family groups and landing everywhere but in the decoys.

Fly Carpin · Aug 9, 2017

Is it too early for my annual plea not to throw every trick in the book at these birds opening day? If you play it right you can whack and stack all early season. Throw out a giant spread right on the X, sit in the field until 11 every morning, blowing your best call sequences at any bird that flies by, and they wise up real quick

DirtyMike · Aug 9, 2017

Upland>waterfowl

there, I said it.

Captain Ahab · Aug 9, 2017

I want the dove season moved up a week, please.

Duckslayer100 · Aug 9, 2017

DirtyMike said:
Upland>waterfowl

there, I said it.

This time of year when it's hot as balls, last thing I want to do is walk around chasing upland game. And in November when it's cold as balls, last thing I want to do is sit in one place and watch my decoys freeze.

For every season, there's the ideal critter to chase...

jdinny · Aug 9, 2017

walleye>honkers and the shit show that comes with august geese as mentioned by duckslayer. sure there can excellent hunts to be had if you A) know someone that saves the field for ya ( only way you will see my ass out in august) B) catch the right field, on the right day with the right weather and be extremely lucky nobody shows up at sunrise and weasles there way in.

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I do disagree with slayer about late season cold weather..i love that shit. decoying honkers in the snow/cold

Fly Carpin · Aug 9, 2017

DirtyMike said:
Upland>waterfowl

there, I said it.

Any dunce can shoot a pheasant. I've seen you do it

Retired Educator · Aug 9, 2017

For some reason I just don't get excited about swatting mosquitos and hunting in t-shirts and shorts. Have nothing against those of you who do, just not for me.

jdinny · Aug 9, 2017

Retired Educator said:
For some reason I just don't get excited about swatting mosquitos and hunting in t-shirts and shorts. Have nothing against those of you who do, just not for me.

your not missing much....its a young guys game....jacked up trucks covered in stickers with large trailers covered in stickers. you must wear a straight billed hat and wear it cocked to the side, slight angulation upwards. you also need to wear a black or dark colored hoodie, the great ones wear their lanyard full of calls and bands around into gas stations etc. you must take the muddiest way into and out of the field to get street cred.....

Duckslayer100 · Aug 9, 2017

jdinny said:
I do disagree with slayer about late season cold weather..i love that shit. decoying honkers in the snow/cold

Only reason my opinion shifts is because I purposely get my fill of ducks and geese in the warmer months. By November, my freezer is full and I'm ready for white meat. So it's pheasants until the snow gets to deep at that time. With GWPs, I find it's the perfect mix of fowl that makes my fall that much more enjoyable.

jdinny · Aug 9, 2017

any other things I'm missing please feel free to add on

Vollmer · Aug 9, 2017

I used to decoy for honkers and ducks all the damn time. Over the years, it has become far less often. In all honesty it is maybe my favorite hunting. That and bow hunting. I get a raging hard-on when birds come into decoys, or a deer crosses my stand. My kids are finally getting to the hunting age, so I will start chipping away at building another decoy spread. If anyone in my area has room for an extra blind, don't hesitate to give me a shout.

BBQBluesMan · Aug 9, 2017

jdinny said:
your not missing much....its a young guys game....jacked up trucks covered in stickers with large trailers covered in stickers. you must wear a straight billed hat and wear it cocked to the side, slight angulation upwards. you also need to wear a black or dark colored hoodie, the great ones wear their lanyard full of calls and bands around into gas stations etc. you must take the muddiest way into and out of the field to get street cred.....

This! Don't forget the “I love shooting waterfowl but hate eating them” attitude. Pictures of piles and piles of birds, freezers full way past the possession limit, and I can only imagine a lot of wasted meat. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but by and large most of the "new" waterfowlers are in it just to go a whackin and brag about it on facebook or instagram. Sad but true in my best Lars Ulrich voice.

I hate to say it, but waterfowl hunting has become quite the sh*tshow the last 5 or so years. I used to hunt waterfowl a lot. There are still good field hunting opportunities to be had, especially if you have some exclusive access to fields, but the days of just scouting around and finding that unposted gem are far and few between. The last couple of years pretty much every good field I have found has 1-3+ vehicles already watching it, or is posted up and access denied. The hours and miles and knocks on doors scouting the last few years just have not been worth it for me.

Is what it is, but gets extremely frustrating knowing what we once had. Gets worse especially once the NR floodgates are open. I have pretty much resorted to hunting fields a couple times a year, where I know I have exclusive access. Other than that I hunt water for ducks and now bowhunt way more than my hardcore waterfowling days.

NodakBuckeye · Aug 9, 2017

Vollmer said:
I used to decoy for honkers and ducks all the damn time. Over the years, it has become far less often. In all honesty it is maybe my favorite hunting. That and bow hunting. I get a raging hard-on when birds come into decoys, or a deer crosses my stand. My kids are finally getting to the hunting age, so I will start chipping away at building another decoy spread. If anyone in my area has room for an extra blind, don't hesitate to give me a shout.

Sooooo stay away from your layout blind eh?

KDM · Aug 9, 2017

I'll be out with wild abandon chasing geese every day I can so SDMF will have the waterfowl he so earnestly craves in sufficient quantity to satisfy his almost insatiable LOVE for goose meat. The NR's don't even enter into my equation. In fact, I kind of look foreword to "Educating" sconis and others, but especially sconis, on the unwritten rules of goose hunting that say the first ones to the field OWN the field or if the field is big enough to support two or more spreads, that one NEVER sets up between another hunters spread and the roost. I've had some pretty good times doing that. In any case, I'll be out enjoying sunrises and the smell of gunpowder as soon as I can. Be safe out there guys!!!!

guywhofishes · Aug 9, 2017

Yup - SDMF sure does enjoy his fowl.

Account Deleted · Aug 9, 2017

There's about 300 walking across the highway every morning at the local lake to destroy a wheat field. Figure lll just post on the highway and roll them as they cross.

buckhunter24_7 · Aug 9, 2017

I've hardly hunted the early goose season since they moved the date to August 15. Totally wrecked my labor day weekend hunting opener excitement idk why but it did

Early Goose 2017

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