Early goose

[jdinny]

i did as I said, went fishing and picked up another limit of walleyes with the kiddos on sat. got up and shot the rifle this am in the light wind this morning. maybe give it a go next wknd, if not ill be ripping lips again!

 

[Migrator Man]

No you can shoot birds of the road and highway except I really frown upon it for geese. It busts up the roost and ruins the past patterns of geese. For small sloughs with a few ducks shoot away!

Went out Friday and only got 2 birds. There was literally 200 birds there the night before. Not many showed up the next day and the ones that did would not decoy in. Frustrating early season birds.

Went out yesterday and got 9. Could not hunt the X because it was too close to a house. Birds still came in ok but lots of short landings. Not bad for a spot with only 70 birds. I have been having a tough time finding bigger numbers.

Today we shot 6. Some jack wagon decided to park his car next to the roost and persist to scare birds off of it. We were lucky to get six after the roost got busted. I guess it was a crap shoot anyways because we could not again set up of the X because of the proximatey to the roost.

 

[dean nelson]

Coming back from Bismarck yesterday, around 6:30 between Max, and Minot a guy had jumped a slough along 83. This slough was 1/3 in the ditch of the highway, and when I went by he was using a 2x4 to fish geese out of the water in the ditch. Isn't there a law about shooting that close to a highway\road?:;:huh Don't say non resident as he had ND plates.

Like said its perfectly legal and a guy could theoretically stand in the interstate ditch right next to a farm they don't know and blaze away to their hearts content. Its simply government ground so it ends up being de facto public hunting area with no more then the general rules apply.

 

[Duckslayer100]

Nice little story that paints a brief picture on the shit-show that has become the North Dakota August goose season:

http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/2016/08/29/10655/

 

[remm]

That's not only the August goose season, pretty much goes for all waterfowl hunting in general. Used to get up in the morning at the predetermined time that allowed the deeks to be set up, truck parked and back to the decoys just before wings started whistling. Never once do I remember having to battle multiple groups of people to get to a field, (if someone did happen to beat you to a spot, you just simply moved on or went home without bitching) and it would have been thought of as completely stupid to spend the night camped out in the field. Too bad these younger guys that have had to resort to this never got to experience what is used to be like.

 

[Duckslayer100]

That's not only the August goose season, pretty much goes for all waterfowl hunting in general. Used to get up in the morning at the predetermined time that allowed the deeks to be set up, truck parked and back to the decoys just before wings started whistling. Never once do I remember having to battle multiple groups of people to get to a field, (if someone did happen to beat you to a spot, you just simply moved on or went home without bitching) and it would have been thought of as completely stupid to spend the night camped out in the field. Too bad these younger guys that have had to resort to this never got to experience what is used to be like.

Case-in-point why I've basically given up field hunting. I'll miss this fat corn-crazed Halloween green heads, but I won't miss the stress and anxiety of worrying about getting to our A, B, C, D, E, F, G or H field without someone already setting up.

 

[jdinny]

there is decreased numbers throughout the state. not just the SE. I know numbers are still high but cut done what 70,000 birds, increase hunting pressure by 2-3x if not more and you get a recipe for a shit show.

I only hunt posted fields of people I know/netwoek with now days. went out sat for the first time this past weekend. 2 of us killed 12. could have been much much better but I did my typical drive by scout on my way to work. texted the farmer for permission ( I know his family well) as I come to find out the field is bigger and the x was apparently just east of us as the birds kept wanting to slide just east to this low bottom in the field that I couldn't see from the road. and apparently the 80-90 I thought turned out to be 130 or better they just weren't visible from any roads so after 90-100 came out there was a 10 minute lull I decided to walk to get the truck..yep 3 more flocks came out. haha damit

 

[Trip McNeely]

i stand by my convictions; fuck early season

 

[jdinny]

o trip your an early goose hunter we all youve been out

 

[Migrator Man]

Just saw a jacked up Chevy with a decoy trailer heading west on highway 2. Sconies of course. I just hope they don't hit up my areas because I'm waiting for the birds to group up bigger. Last weekend the birds didn't even show up to my 2 best fields in the morning. Probably found 5 fields of birds with none either anymore than 50 birds.

 

[jdinny]

o 50 birds is prime for the raping. those boys drove from wisc they sure as hell aint going home empty handed. 10 birds, 12 birds, 50 birds shit its all fair game. there gonna hunt that 50 bird feed and use there whole trailer of decoys every last god dam one of them why? because they can! once you see a NR in your area shes only gonna get worse. SE and SC are over run with them.

I haven't seen many big feeds at all this year couple 100 bird ones but certainly none even close to 200. I haven't put a lot of time in however.

 

[dean nelson]

This is just the natural progression of the birds and will keep getting worse. Evolution by hunting is what I've heard it called and is the logical outcome of killing the dumb ones leaving only the smart ones. It's far more pronounced in geese compared to birds like pheasants because of how long they live. There are likely birds still out there that were around for the first early goose season. Can you imagine how hard a whitetail buck would be to hunt if they lived to be 20! Good God they have a PHD in avoiding hunters by 5 and would probably pass Einstein by 10. Every year the flock has more and more older very educated birds. If we as hunters were smart we would sacrifice some days each early season and blow up the hitchhiking flocks that walk up into fields to try and teach them that that is a bad thing for them to do or soon enough it's going to be the only thing they do. At this point with the early birds I won't fault guys getting them anyway they can including detonating the roost. I know I would love to smoke a roost at first light with a good old jump shoot just to get some revenge on the little bastards and there random field changing ways but odds are to high of getting ducks mixed in.


Guy should just find a sandbar on the river that's has good walleye fishing and set up some rods with bells then put some decoys out and soak up the sun and if you happen to get some birds with the fish it's a bonus. Hell I bet if we stopped trying to hide from the river birds and just stand on the shore fishing the priqs would probably decoy better.

 

[Duckslayer100]

Well, I got a call from my landowner buddy and I guess we'll be field hunting this early season after all!

I know...I'm a hypocrite.

 

[Migrator Man]

Anybody else having issues with groups of birds all spread out in the same general area but in different fields. Between all the birds in he area I have prob seen 200-300 birds but the max in a field is only 50 if that much.

To top it all off the birds seemed to disappear when scouting last night. I know no one hunted then the day before too.

What a strange early season. If any of you find a big feed and need a trailer of decoys let me know!

 

[dean nelson]

I don't know man that sounds pretty par for the course that last few years. Would guess this cold front might bring back a chunk of the molts so things might pick up for you soon hopefully!

 

[dean nelson]

So has anyone stacked them up yet. Never seen a year with so many guys saying F them I'm going fishing.

 

[jdinny]

Dean, I think a lot of guys are getting sick of the work needed to hunt geese and the BS that goes with waterfowling. This last week I saw 2 feeds over 200 one I got turned down on the other is the only field I hunted in August and its in the river zone so I have to wait til regular opener now. I can honestly say I didn't miss a dam thing about early season and think I enjoyed my last few weeks of summer more!

you old timers are not dumb!!!����

ive got my own Mike deer tag and MT goat tag as well as my bros ND goat tag so plenty of fun ahead

- - - Updated - - -

Mule not mike deer

 

[Mort]

I haven't yet...can't till I heal...but my cousin in Mandan went out a slayed them I guess, got a pile of honkers

 

[dean nelson]

Yeah I finally "knew" a guy who went out a week ago and shot 12 in a few minutes called it good and was back home shortly after sunrise for breakfast and then he hitched up the boat and went back after the eyes. He's the only guy I know that I talked to who even went out one day this year. Everybody else just had no real desire to get after them during the early season.

 

[Migrator Man]

I never did hear of any big hunts in the early season. I never did see a flock of even 100. I have a feeling this coming weekend will be no different for geese. Good thing is we can finally shoot some ducks!