Canadian Goose Hunting

[BKhunter]

Hey All,

 

As stated in a few other posts, I am trying to get into waterfowl hunting. I think my best shot is to start going after Canadian geese as where we white tail hunt we have large corn fields all over the property and I constantly see geese there during the season feeding after the corn as been cut. I plan on buying a ground blind and some decoys. Can anyone recommend how man decoys I should start with and what kind (As they are pretty pricey) and also how to set them up. Any other tips are much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

BK

[scolopaxmatt]

As I understand it, a lot of decoys are recommended.  A LOT.  I've seen guys use gallon bleach bottles and milk cartons, cardboard cut outs spray painted like geese and plain old plastic bags in their spreads.  The sky is the limit for waterfowling as far as gear is concerned.

 

Or you could keep it simple and jump or pass shoot. 

 

As a novice myself (and a broke one at that) I opted for jump shooting.  I can't afford the gear and as an upland hunter I prefer to be on the move. 

[ants]

I use to hunt fields. We used plywood cut outs that we made and painted ourselves. We eventually added a few shells here and there, as we found them on sale, but mostly our spread was cut outs. We did fine.

[mike rossi]

Most people hunt off their backs, not like on TV and/or like outfiiter/guides. So for water hunting, you probably can only carry about 6 to 8 floaters stuffed into an Avery floating decoy bag per hunter. Unless you are the size of herman monster, buy a large avery bag, not an extra large. 

 

For field hunting, dont forget a "flag" and  use silhouettes, carry as many as you can, but a dozen is enough. When it gets cold, and/or you are hunting on solid ice; a few sleeper shell decoys should be added to the mix. Sometimes you cant get the silo stakes into the ice without a screw gun, hence the sleeper shells. Plus when it is cold and/or when geese are on ice, they sleep, so it is a natural set. The beauty of sleeper decoys is that it is natural for sleeping geese NOT to move and NOT call, So flagging and calling are less important.  And although it is now common to use other styles of shell decoys with motion stakes, obviously you dont want motion in a sleeper decoy - so no stake just set them on the ground. many are one piece, and they are stackable even with the attached head. Some are designed to be heavy, so they dont blow over, but NY doesnt get the winds of the Dakotas. Other sleeper shells are designed so the tails dont catch the wind, however this was engineered by a marketeer/ engineer, not a goose hunter, becuase geese sleep with their heads toward the wind, and that is how you should set your sleeper decoys. Yes, the wind shifts, but then again, ideally, you should be rearranging your decoys when it does. Unless the wind direction is going to be constant for some time, (again, around here, the wind direction  is constantly variable in direction and not often " prevailing" as they say), I wouldn't obsess about moving decoys. However, on those occasional days (the best for goose hunting) when you have a constant wind direction, especially from the north or north west, I certainly would make sure the decoys are orientated naturally the first time you place them.  

Edited February 28, 2015 by mike rossi

[Twax10]

In our spread we run about 5 dz fullbodies, 3 dz sillos and about 4 dz shells. IMO the more the better when it comes to waterfowling. With that said you can certainly kill birds with 10-20 decoys, especially early in the season. If you're not trying to break the bank go with silhouette decoys. They're easy to pack in, still give you good realism and a lot cheaper than the fullbodies. BUT if you're willing to spend the money buy the fullbodies. Quality can make a difference.

 

We typically run the "U" pattern with our decoys. Leave some landing room in front of the blinds and keep the wind at your back. And as Mike said invest in a flag and learn when to use it. Only flag at tips and tails. It can be a game changer at times.

 

And lastely pick up a call and start practising. We all run short reeds but they can be tricky to get the hang of. For a beginner a flute call is great. Easy to run and easy to get good tone.  

 

Good luck. This game can be real addicting.

[BKhunter]

In our spread we run about 5 dz fullbodies, 3 dz sillos and about 4 dz shells. IMO the more the better when it comes to waterfowling. With that said you can certainly kill birds with 10-20 decoys, especially early in the season. If you're not trying to break the bank go with silhouette decoys. They're easy to pack in, still give you good realism and a lot cheaper than the fullbodies. BUT if you're willing to spend the money buy the fullbodies. Quality can make a difference.

 

We typically run the "U" pattern with our decoys. Leave some landing room in front of the blinds and keep the wind at your back. And as Mike said invest in a flag and learn when to use it. Only flag at tips and tails. It can be a game changer at times.

 

And lastely pick up a call and start practising. We all run short reeds but they can be tricky to get the hang of. For a beginner a flute call is great. Easy to run and easy to get good tone.  

 

Good luck. This game can be real addicting.

 Wax,

 

Thanks for the input, it was very helpful. Can you go into more detail on what you mean by flag at the tips and tails? Also, have you ever used sillo sock decoys? I was reading about them recently and they seem very reasonably priced. When you say U pattern, I assume that s the shape, and I want to put my blind facing the bottom of the U? I assume that is where the geese would like to land correct? How many yards of space do you suggest. Thanks again. 

[Twax10]

This is close to what I was talking about. Obviously this is a larger spread but think the same concept except shrunk down a little.

 

 

As you can see the blinds are at the base of the "U" facing the kill hole with the wind to the hunters backs. Geese will almost always land with the wind in their face so use that to your advantage. Typically if I have a real light or changing wind I will keep my "U" tight like what is shown in the picture. This helps keep the birds that are decoying in a more concentrated area and less unpredictable. If I have a nice strong wind I will open that "U" up more and provide a larer area for them to land. Keeping the wind at your back will ensure the birds in your face.

 

When I say flag at tips and tails I mean only when the birds are not facing directly at you. When their wing tips or their tails are facing you. Motion in the spread is a great thing and it helps us kill a lot of birds that aren't fully commited yet. But, you also don't want them busting you when you stick your hand out of the blind to wave that flag. Flag to get the flocks attention while they're way out and as they get closer stop (say 100-200 yards). If they aren't coming on a string and decide to circle give that flag a few flaps as they're on the edge of their swing around the spread. The idea is to catch their eye with some movement, sort of a confidence booster.

 

As far as the silo socks go we only use those for snow geese in the spring. The reason being because we like to run around 500 minimum and I would have to sell my house to buy that many fullbodies  . I'm a fan of quality over quantity but you have to start somewhere and I'd be lieing if I said I didn't think you'd kill some birds over them.

 

And the last and probly most important thing, that I left out of my last post, is to scout like crazy.You'll learn way more from watching geese land and feed in a field from the side of the road than you will reading what I have to say. Watch the formation they're in, where they land, what they're feeding on and what they sound like.

 

Here is a picture from the last weekend in Sept 2014. 48 birds in about 2 hours. Thats what its all about!! I'm the idiot on my dads shoulders but I shot a band that day (bird I'm holding) so I was pumped. As I said it can become real addicting real fast. Good luck!  

 

[BKhunter]

Wax,

 

Thanks for the info. That was all very helpful. I bought a book on duck and goose hunting as well as the identification book that Mike talks about above as well. I went duck hunting down in FL for the first time in January and its all I can think about. Where I hunt in the Hudson valley is on a farm full of corn fields and I always see Canadians flying over and landing in the fields when I am sitting in my deer stand. I'm hoping to hammer em this upcoming season. Looking forward to learning and hunting.

[Al Bundy]

You could go it without decoys actually.  If the fields you hunt already attract the geese then you should be in good shape without them with some caveats.  If the field(s) are monster corn fields with no hedgerows or usable brush then decoys might be better. If however the fields do have cover and some hedge rows then you can stalk them. Often times this is lots of effort, but its do-able.  a good number of days of my youth were spent belly crawling through a corn field or sneaking through a woods.  Use the terrain of the field and your brain to figure a good stalk approach. Many times you can get within shooting range by being stealthy. Also helps to have a non shooter. You can get into a position where the non shooter pushes the geese toward you for times when you cant sneak up.  Maybe there are a few knolls or a patch of cover you can get to. The non shooter stands where the geese can see them and feed away from the non shooter, toward the shooter.  Ultimately the non shooter walks toward the geese "pushing" them to fly over the shooter. The wind comes into play in this scenario if blowing.

 

 I have almost never hunted with decoys, but have shot many many Canadas using the techniques listed here. Its possible.

 

One more thing to mention, safety. Safety. Safety....  Now and again stories about stalking decoys circulate.  I actually had a very scary situation years ago with this. Be careful. good luck. Snow season is coming up and if you are fortunate to attract snows to your fields its really a blast.

[Two Track]

Growing up, we used a portable blind on skids the we could drag to change position.  It was a heavy one.  Wooden sides of 1/2 in plywood  and partial slanted roof all covered with corn stalks. Even had a locking door on on it.

 

For decoy's the five us carried sets of silhouettes, about 14-16 each on rubber bungee straps so could carry gun at the same time.  The geese did come in consistently with the blind out there, but only after it was too dark to shoot.  They circled around and wait for us to load the truck up to go home.

 

Birds never committed for us, even when using calls.  They seem to know if there was a truck or car parked on the field edge by the road, someone was out there.  Didn't matter if we used a pickup or a station wagon (they were different colors too), vehicle there, no landing.

 

I would suggest parking in a spot that is harder to spot from the air, to reduce chances of being spotted.

[mike rossi]

In our spread we run about 5 dz fullbodies, 3 dz sillos and about 4 dz shells. IMO the more the better when it comes to waterfowling. With that said you can certainly kill birds with 10-20 decoys, especially early in the season. If you're not trying to break the bank go with silhouette decoys. They're easy to pack in, still give you good realism and a lot cheaper than the fullbodies. BUT if you're willing to spend the money buy the fullbodies. Quality can make a difference.

 

We typically run the "U" pattern with our decoys. Leave some landing room in front of the blinds and keep the wind at your back. And as Mike said invest in a flag and learn when to use it. Only flag at tips and tails. It can be a game changer at times.

 

And lastely pick up a call and start practising. We all run short reeds but they can be tricky to get the hang of. For a beginner a flute call is great. Easy to run and easy to get good tone.  

 

Good luck. This game can be real addicting.

 

I like BK and do not want to offend him or others on here but you have to consider he lives in the city. Does he have a cattle trailer to transport full bodies? Does he have the storage at home? Not everyone has 5 hunting partners to assist with decoy placement and/or the permission to drive out onto fields either.  Much enters the equation when someone asks what kind of decoys they should buy or how many.

 

I don't want to debate the effectiveness of full bodies versus silos or any other decoy type, but I dont think what you are saying is always true and depends were and when you are hunting. On the water, were the current/wind imparts motion, flocked floaters seem to fool more birds. But if you drive around any areas were field goose hunting is popular, you see toy soldier like spreads of full bodies every other section and realize they look anything but realistic from a distance, especially after the birds have already been exposed to them. A spread of silos in the next section, better yet socks if you got the wind can look much more appealing to birds in those situations. . A large set of FBs, especially without calling, can be the kiss of death... Without calling and flagging, worse yet... 

[Twax10]

Just to clarify, everything I said above isn't to be taken as the bible. That is all just information on what I use to kill geese and what works for me. As far as transporting decoys I agree that fullbodies aren't an option for some, thats why I suggested sillos. But if you can swing it than I think it helps.

 

There's a hundred ways to get it done for sure. You just need to find what fits your style of hunting and particular situation.

[mike rossi]

In theory the silos flash and appear to move to flying birds as well, since they are flat. A set of silos in the wind waddle like feeding birds, but without wind I rather pick them up. 

 

Probably should get a robo duck too in case ducks work the field. But most hunters think these scare geese, so get one with a remote so you can shut if off or keep it shut off until  you see or hear ducks. 

[BKhunter]

Thanks all for the advise. Space is very limited for me so storage is definitely something I need to keep in mind when purchasing a transporting gear. The sillosocks seem appealing for the storage aspect. I do plan on getting some full bodies but need to figure out the storage situation. The robo duck idea is a good tip as well. Mike any idea how to place them in the spread? Thanks again to all for the tips. This thread has been the most helpful one so far for me. 

[mike rossi]

. The robo duck idea is a good tip as well. Mike any idea how to place them in the spread? 

 

Most ducks will not fly across others sitting in the water or feeding in a field. They land into the wind, behind the feeders and walk into the flock. I would say mallards can be aggressive and cut the line.... Not with geese though and I am assuming you will have goose decoys and one robo. make it look like the duck is landing into the wind and down wind of the decoys.  If you do add some other duck decoys , keep them separate from the geese, If I am using one duck robo with only other  geese decoys I might place it off the side and/or a little further away then normal, becuase even mallards will give geese room. 

[BKhunter]

Most ducks will not fly across others sitting in the water or feeding in a field. They land into the wind, behind the feeders and walk into the flock. I would say mallards can be aggressive and cut the line.... Not with geese though and I am assuming you will have goose decoys and one robo. make it look like the duck is landing into the wind and down wind of the decoys.  If you do add some other duck decoys , keep them separate from the geese, If I am using one duck robo with only other  geese decoys I might place it off the side and/or a little further away then normal, becuase even mallards will give geese room. 

Thanks Mike. When you say a little further away then normal do you think 20 yards is the right distance? And based off of the picture that Wax posted above, would you place them off and particular top of the you or both sides (I guess depending on wind?) or would you place them outside of the tops of the U?

[mike rossi]

Thanks Mike. When you say a little further away then normal do you think 20 yards is the right distance? And based off of the picture that Wax posted above, would you place them off and particular top of the you or both sides (I guess depending on wind?) or would you place them outside of the tops of the U?

 

It depends on where you place your blind and if there is any wind. It is not always the case, but it is a safe bet, both ducks and geese will land downwind of the set. If your trailing decoys, or those most downwind are too far or at the edge of shotgun range, you will be getting marginal shots. It does not take much wind at all to direct birds, it takes more wind to impart motion in decoys, so do not confuse the two. (wind also encourages migration, FYI) The obvious solution is to simply set your blinds down wind, but like anything else when your out in the field you cant always conform to a plan, plus, the wind may not be there, then the birds might drop on the other side of your spread... So, as a general rule, understanding you need to be flexible and adapt, place your blinds on the downwind side, but not so far you cant reach the other side of the spread. That doesn't guarantee anything either, because you will get birds that will still land too far downwind. If that happens more than once, then move your blinds and hope the wind doesn't shift.. You need to strike a balance in your setup and you rarely will get shots at every swing or every commitment. That is one reason why waterfowlers like the wind. 

 

When you are dealing with a lot of birds, especially birds actively migrating,  AND a lot of decoys you will see hunters using  blind placement in the middle of the decoys and/or near some "hole" or empty spot in the large decoy set. That will of course work with the right conditions and sufficient decoys. Those conditions usually include, hungry, aggressive birds during migration, which it becomes a social norm to "cut the line", find a hole in the large number of  birds on the ground and plop right in.  

[The_Real_TCIII]

I found a flock using a cut hay field that I'm going to hunt tomorrow, I've got layouts but how best to hide them? Just gather up as much grass as possible and cover them?