Evening Hunts

[Dahitman44]

I have gone out three times in the evening and I have not seen one goose. Is the heat really hurting them or are they still flying?

I have heard some say they are hiding in the beans -- is that true? Where do they go when it is hot? I would guess a lake, but they have to eat, right?

We have been hunting chisled grain fields. Works ok. in the morning but not later in the day.

Thoughts?

[jbell1981]

I was out Monday evening, didn't see anything close but seen lots in the distance so when I left I went to see where the all were going. After following them for a while they were all landing on a lake. Must have been a couple hundred of them there and I have never seen a goose on this lake before Monday night.

[Rost]

Hitman-

Are you running traffic or are they feeding in the field regularly?

[HunterLee]

evening hunts can be as good as morning, but they have to be using that field. i personally dont think that they fly as much in the evening, as the do morning. I personally dont hunt a field til ive seen geese in it. that way i know that i should get some action. For a water hunt i go out after they fly off and sit til 1 or 2 depending on the action.

[HunterLee]

evening hunts can be as good as morning, but they have to be using that field. i personally dont think that they fly as much in the evening, as the do morning. I personally dont hunt a field til ive seen geese in it. that way i know that i should get some action. For a water hunt i go out after they fly off and sit til 1 or 2 depending on the action. they usually dont get back to the water at night til its past legal shooting time.

[shae1986]

I personally dont hunt much in the evening hours for geese, mainly bc the fact that they dont' fly as much as during hte day. Now dont get me wrong, i have had decent hunts in the evening but usually nothing like during the day. Most of my nights are spent looking for fields for morning hunts or busy chasing deer around. Some people might get mad and tell me im wrong but for years now my evening hunting has been poor, IN THE EARLY SEASON. Now when the geese from canada start coming i will hunt both evening and morning if i have a field htey are flying to.

[huntnfish]

I would have to agree with shae on this. I have a couple of OK hunts in the evenings, but for the most part it has never been worth the effort during the early season. I normally hunt the mornings, go home and take a nap and then head out in the afternoon and find some more birds for the next morning. I would never set up on pond that the geese are using to roost in. All that does it run them out of the area. It is much easier and fun for me to find out where they are going and hit them in the fields. When the geese are headed south, if you have a good field you can have birds coming in all day long.

On a different topic, did anyone else see some of the local birds v'd up and headed south? I saw a few flocks that were doing that a couple hours after light on Saturday and the only thing our group could figure was that they were busted off the roost. Anyone else see this or have any ideas as to why they were leaving?

[tearin' lips]

I agree. Evening hunts are not as producitve as morning hunts, the geese aren't as worried about filling their stomachs and they can see better than they can right away in the morning. Don't get me wrong I have had some great evening shoots, but I had to be located in the particular field in which they were going to feed in.

Good Luck Hunting!

[Laker_taker]

Huntnfish, i also saw a couple flocks that were really high and v'd and i am guessing they were headed south probly because they were being shot at every spot they would try to land and they said the heck with this and headed for safer areas. but that is my theory, the weather is too nice for them to want to head south yet and canadian season doesnt open for a few days so.... and i am in fargo now for school and i have my gun and full body dekes here with me if u want to go hunting sometime let me know 218-929-8010. thanks steffan

[Dahitman44]

Rost --

They HAVE been there in the past and seem to go there in the morning.

[Dahitman44]

With the temps dipping down this weekend would it be any better tonight? They should move a little earlier tonight, right?

Can't hunt this weekend -- I'll be in da Dome!!!

[Sartell Angler]

looking forward to this weekend immensely...will be hunting near Park Rapids in some good fields with some cooler weather--who could ask for more

scouting up there this evening for the morning hunt.

SA/wdw

[honker23]

I think fields are the way to go at night, they feed, just not as long. In my experience the water is best from 9-3:30, usually after they eat in the morning and before they eat at night. The geese will hit the water at night, just usually after the season closes.

I've never heard of the geese hiding in the bean fields.

I also think the geese will move in the heat. It seems that the light affects them more. A dark cloudy morning usually keeps them on the water a little longer and a dark cloudy night seems to get them feeding a little quicker, just my observations.

I wouldn't get too worried that the geese are flying high and south, they are probably just heading to water or a field, and have been shot at enough to fly a little higher. It's way too early for them to think about migration.

[shae1986]

Those geese that you saw flying high hitman were probably the once that we saw come off the refuge. After those geese get shot off the roost they leave, and my group knows that. Even though i have some decent water i could have a good shoot off i know that if i hunt the fields i will probably get 3 decent hunts off and still be able to put a forth hunt together on the water if i really believe thats what needs to be done. Now is there anything wrong with hunting water, no, none, not at all. I just know the geese in my area leave when they even get jumped off the roost.

Now for the evening hunts with this cold them i will just get more excited for bowhunting and still probably scout my birds at night. It will be around Mid October before i am choosing between bow hunting and goose hunting in the evening hours.

A. Shae