Early goose season

R@nger_BO@TS

Honored Member
Joined
May 28, 2019
Posts
208
Likes
0
Points
78
Location
Bismarck
Whoose planning on hunting opening day, it’s gonna be a warm one for sure. Has anyone been seeing a lot of geese we haven’t found very many at all yet?
 


snow1

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Posts
1,875
Likes
16
Points
151
Not fired up yet,in my area the molting is over for ducks and geese so birds are in the air every evening,the youngens are testing they're flight feathers as well,12ga non toxic game loads are still in short supply for those slackers that didn't plan ahead and iffin ya find some ammo,best have deep pockets.
 

Migrator Man

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Posts
3,968
Likes
26
Points
261
Not fired up yet,in my area the molting is over for ducks and geese so birds are in the air every evening,the youngens are testing they're flight feathers as well,12ga non toxic game loads are still in short supply for those slackers that didn't plan ahead and iffin ya find some ammo,best have deep pockets.

Haven’t seen the same issue trying to find waterfowl loads. If someone is picky they might not find what they want. Either way prices are ridiculous, I should not have to pay more than $10 for blue box federal.

I’ve been waiting for Apex to restock their blended steel/tss loads but no luck so far. Might have to try that hevi x 12 if I ever see any of that, but it’s more than I paid for my tss!

- - - Updated - - -

Whoose planning on hunting opening day, it’s gonna be a warm one for sure. Has anyone been seeing a lot of geese we haven’t found very many at all yet?

I hear there are still a lot of geese around but they are grouped up on bigger water that hasn’t dried up. Crops being off shouldn’t be an issue this year unless they decide to try and feed in stunted bean fields instead of wheat/barley fields.
 

snow1

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Posts
1,875
Likes
16
Points
151
MM,I agree on prices iffin ya find some,no hevi 12 or tss for early birds here,blue box or expert steel for early young and dumb and small shell family groups for dekes for a few weeks.local ball fields and golf courses are loaded with these shitting machines,few years back we opened the season on a local golf course,I was amazed at the damage those goose turds do to kentucy blue grass greens,down side to golf course geese,consumption advisory...full of chemicals.
 
Last edited:

Migrator Man

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Posts
3,968
Likes
26
Points
261
MM,I agree on prices iffin ya find some,no hevi 12 or tss for early birds here,blue box or expert steel for early young and dumb and small shell family groups for dekes for a few weeks.local ball fields and golf courses are loaded with these shitting machines,few years back we opened the season on a local golf course,I was amazed at the damage those goose turds do to kentucy blue grass greens,down side to golf course geese,consumption advisory...full of chemicals.

I use early season to try and shoot up all my old BBB shells and sometimes T shot. Been years since I used any 3.5” shells but depending how this season goes and I may have to break into my last boxes. Hevi shot or tss would be way too expensive for close range shots.
 


snow1

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Posts
1,875
Likes
16
Points
151
Agreed MM,been years since shooting 12ga 3.5 ammo here as well,infact rarely use steel loads except early season,1's and duces,4's for early ducks...

odered some hevi bismuth to try out this season,pattens well outof my A400 with a briley extended ported choke (IM contriction)after 15 years shooting benelli not liking this beretta A400,might switch back to benelli?Nothing wrong with beretta just a flat shooting shotgun and the dang safety in front of the trigger guard is annoying,but really a soft low felt recoil shotgun.
 

Duckslayer100

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2015
Posts
4,611
Likes
189
Points
293
Location
ND's Flatter Half
I might use early season as an excuse to get out and scout for regular season opener.

Plan right now is to strictly hunt bigger water and hopefully target more divers (or whatever flies by). I'm not going to even attempt to field hunt, and my normal sloughs are likely bone dry (or the water is in the middle and a long ways from cover).

The old Carsten Pintail is going to get a workout!
 

Kurtr

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
18,862
Likes
3,061
Points
858
Location
Mobridge,Sd
Lots of geese down here. Got about 5 different spots with 100 coming into it
 

R@nger_BO@TS

Honored Member
Thread starter
Joined
May 28, 2019
Posts
208
Likes
0
Points
78
Location
Bismarck
How did everyone do this morning? We couldn’t hunt as we weren’t able to get permission on the feeds we did find but didn’t really find that many birds and scouted from long lake to Nelson and from Nelson all the way to Douglas and really just not that many birds
 


zoops

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 17, 2015
Posts
1,843
Likes
213
Points
288
How did everyone do this morning? We couldn’t hunt as we weren’t able to get permission on the feeds we did find but didn’t really find that many birds and scouted from long lake to Nelson and from Nelson all the way to Douglas and really just not that many birds

Curious if you were told no on the fields or just couldn't find the right person to ask?
 

Migrator Man

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Posts
3,968
Likes
26
Points
261
Agreed MM,been years since shooting 12ga 3.5 ammo here as well,infact rarely use steel loads except early season,1's and duces,4's for early ducks...

odered some hevi bismuth to try out this season,pattens well outof my A400 with a briley extended ported choke (IM contriction)after 15 years shooting benelli not liking this beretta A400,might switch back to benelli?Nothing wrong with beretta just a flat shooting shotgun and the dang safety in front of the trigger guard is annoying,but really a soft low felt recoil shotgun.
I’m stuck shooting Beretta but no complaints really with my a300. I actually have the opposite problem with safeties behind the trigger. I can’t get used to that safety position especially upland bird hunting so no Benelli’s for me. Looking back all of the shotguns I have ever used all have the safety in front of the trigger so I guess I’m stuck with that instinct forever.

- - - Updated - - -

How did everyone do this morning? We couldn’t hunt as we weren’t able to get permission on the feeds we did find but didn’t really find that many birds and scouted from long lake to Nelson and from Nelson all the way to Douglas and really just not that many birds
Douglas is a tough place to get permission
 

snow1

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Posts
1,875
Likes
16
Points
151
Hey MM,curious if you dug in to the make up of "tss" material? I sniffed around,nothing,curious what they use for density and weight.As spendy as tss shotshells are,maybe "gold" j/k...Hevi 12 and 13 is tungsen,nickle and tin but tss 18 g/cc?

I broke my teeth shooting a rem 1100 once my dad shit canned my 20 ga H&R single shot as a youngster,then later in life belgium browning's as the remington's always had cycling issues in the cold,both shotguns have rear safety,one gets use to pheasant hunting with his finger on the rear trigger guard safety,benelli the same,for waterfowl either way is fine,plenty of time to hit the safety in either position.
 
Last edited:

Migrator Man

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Posts
3,968
Likes
26
Points
261
Hey MM,curious if you dug in to the make up of "tss" material? I sniffed around,nothing,curious what they use for density and weight.As spendy as tss shotshells are,maybe "gold" j/k...Hevi 12 and 13 is tungsen,nickle and tin but tss 18 g/cc?

I broke my teeth shooting a rem 1100 once my dad shit canned my 20 ga H&R single shot as a youngster,then later in life belgium browning's as the remington's always had cycling issues in the cold,both shotguns have rear safety,one gets use to pheasant hunting with his finger on the rear trigger guard safety,benelli the same,for waterfowl either way is fine,plenty of time to hit the safety in either position.
Tungsten Super Shot is the densest shot material on the market at 18g/cc. What makes it so much heavier is it’s makeup is primarily tungsten. Tungsten is very expensive to mine so that’s why the shot is so much more expensive. Blended shot loads of tss and steel are the best for large bore shotguns such as 12 gauge as a full payload of tss would be very expensive. TSS is ideal for .410 shotguns because it elevates the performance of that gauge with such a small payload. The cost is $2.69 per ounce for tss. My buddy gets his supplies from Prairiewind:

http://www.prairiewinddecoys.com/p/1647/18-gcc-tungsten-super-shot-tss-free-shipping
 


Enslow

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Posts
5,088
Likes
72
Points
298
I saw a field full of honkers right after the combines left. Instead of hunting them I’m gonna drink heavily instead.
 

Rut2much

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
2,577
Likes
218
Points
303
Location
Devils lake
I saw a field full of honkers right after the combines left. Instead of hunting them I’m gonna drink heavily instead.
Might as well before honkers join the list of shortages after shells and beer;:;boozer
 

snow1

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Posts
1,875
Likes
16
Points
151
Thumbs Up made your effort worth while,how were the bugs?
 
Last edited:


Recent Posts

Friends of NDA

Top Posters of the Month

  • This month: 547
  • This month: 248
  • This month: 190
  • This month: 178
  • This month: 144
  • This month: 107
  • This month: 104
  • This month: 94
  • This month: 91
  • This month: 81
Top Bottom