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Who's excited for early goose? Here's my plan.


TNtoMN_HuntFish

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I've talked to about 15 landowners and all the fields are locked up it seems. I'm having a tough time but did get one hopeful "maybe" and am waiting for a phone call. Despite that, I can't wait to shoot some blacknecks. Canada Geese are probably my favorite piece of game meat. 

I located a roost lake with about 200 birds and a nice size lake downstream of their flight path for breakfast. So if I never get a field I'll wait until they fly out to feed and set up. Then wait patiently for them to trickle back in after being blasted out of the fields. It may work, may not. I'll resist the temptation to pass shoot them overhead unless it's the last small flock. I'll just make some soft clucks and moans so they notice the dekes and remember it as a safe spot to return to. You think it will work? I've never hunted them over water but it looks like I'm going to have to. 

What's everyone else's plan? 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I used to have many fields but some guides came in and pay for the fields. I am down to 3 farms but they don't have any small grains this year. So I am going to take the early season off. As I know the geese will use some ponds to rest and I have access to them so I will wait until the regular season to pick off a few geese.

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I will probably go out to my parents farm and set up in a pasture. The cattle have it mowed down pretty good. The geese seem tp pile in there pretty good. I won't hit it to hard, just get out a few times and hopefully get my son to get his first goose...

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  • 2 weeks later...

@TNtoMN_HuntFish

it sounds like you have a chance to make the most of your opportunity!  Not shooting the roost is a good plan to start.

I might be hunting water too, maybe not.  It depends on if I stick around home.  Either way, I'm craving some smoked goose breasts!

Good luck all.

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I finally got permission to hunt a farm and now the geese haven't used it in a week :(

I think I'll hunt it anyway because if they liked it once, they're likely to return after being shot off the surrounding fields opening morning. 

I sure hope I get to smoke some goose breasts...and make soup with the legs and thighs! 

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Two nights ago they were back! Well, kinda. They were barely over the property line of where I have permission to hunt but it's still a great sign to see them. I'm sure we can call and flag them over to us. Can't wait!!

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

You can get them to where you need them to be.

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Well they came back to our field and I was very excited to take a first timer and get him hooked on goose hunting. 

Sadly two minutes after legal shooting time we heard several shots fired in the direction of the roosting lake and I immediately knew what happened. It's such a shame the lack of ethics some people have. We did get a few flocks to swing by and dropped 3 geese from one of them.

We still had a good time with good friends but it could have been so much better. To anyone getting someone into waterfowl hunting, please teach them why shooting a roost before flyout is never ok. If you want to hunt water, set up after flyout and wait for small flocks to trickle back in for loafing. Don't bust the roost and ruin it for everyone around there. 

20170902_090935.jpg

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Nice work and way to get a newbie started!

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