Pics from this morn's hunt

[josephmrtn]

Me and one of my buddies went on my 2nd hunt ever this morn... (he has gone a couple times before but were both new at this game...) we had a blast and saw tons of geese but none quite wanted to commit... however we did alot better than last time, im thinking a combo of better camo (we added more to the blind and also covered ourselves better) more decoys and (slightly lol) better calling helped a lot... 

[mike rossi]

Eventually you should look into layout blinds or make a "coffin blind" from wood. You need to "grass" or "brush" them pattern.regardless of the camo pattern. Some recommend "mudding" them as well, that is painting them with mud before using, I don't find that necessary, but I certainly don't wash them either when they get muddy until the season ends anyway...

 

Besides the low profile the other advantage is that you can "flag" geese. I suppose that can be done in an upright blinds as well, but it seems that wouldn't look as natural. Flagging is just as important as calling and decoys.

 

The disadvantages to layouts are that they are harder to shoot from and you must watch out for road hunters or on foot pot shooters who will take a rifle shot into the decoys. A few goose hunters have been killed this way in Canada by farmers and one in Iowa by a deer hunter who pulled off the road and claimed he was shooting at a coyote. Off course it is illegal to use rifles for waterfowl to begin with...  And, if you use a retriever, the dog must be completely steady or staked on a short chain or cable, or it could get shot if it lunges forward at the same time you shoot at low or landing birds. If you kill a few geese it might not be intuitive why you need a dog, but if you do a lot of shooting or the X is located where a few birds will sail off a crop field into heavy cover, the need for a dog is more obvious... The "X", by the way is a waterfowler's term for the location the birds are landing on a field or in the water. If you set your decoys on or close to the X, you have a better chance than pulling in what is called "traffic birds" or "traffic"..

Edited November 3, 2013 by mike rossi

[josephmrtn]

hanks for all the tips man!!! yes we are lanning on building some layout blinds

[F-150]

Joe you got do like the TV program Heartland Bowhunters they were goose hunting with Bow and Arrows. The program is on the Outdoor Channel and simulcast on the internet I believe tonight at 9:30, They hunt something every week. Good Luck goose hunting!!!!!

[Paula]

Amazing that you get so much hunting time during school hrs. Think i am jealous at how much time you have. . Are you even allowed to hunt alone, your only 15 right?

[Water Rat]

Hooky ?

[Adkhunter1590]

You need more decoys. Birds will be more likely to come in with more decoys around. When I go hunt waterfowl in kansas we put out a minimum of 500 decoys in a field. Usually much more than that. Layout blinds are deff a good idea too. Good luck!

[Yotehntr]

_{Corn needs to be cut lower than what it is.  They don't like landing in the tall leftovers.  Easier to land they might not think twice about just dropping right in without even calling.  Thats what they do on our lease barely even circle.}

[josephmrtn]

Paula im 16 so i can hunt alone and i goose hunt saturdays... 

Yotehntr the corn is all smashed down out where me put the decoys which is why we put them there

[mike rossi]

Paula im 16 so i can hunt alone and i goose hunt saturdays... 

Yotehntr the corn is all smashed down out where me put the decoys which is why we put them there

 

Are you guys conservation officers on here playing games?

 

It violates federal law to harvest crops in a way which deviates  from ordinary local agriculture practices. You can not harvest a crop in a non-conventional way to aid your hunting - that is illegal...

 

Likewise, you would be legal to set up in a low spot that's smashed down from ordinary farming operations, but it would NOT be legal to stomp it down or something. I am not sure if there is even any benefit to setting up in short or bent over stubble, but that's beside the point about the law...