Rochester Goose Guide

[Curly]

I'm hunting this Saturday with G&R Outfitters in Rochester, anybody ever hunted with them? Or know how the late season is going?

Thanks

[BarTender]

dont know them, but have heard there is good #'s of bird there. they havent been hunted in a few weeks either. that zone opens up on saturday,so the shooting has been real slow this week.

[knucklehead]

the late season goose opener is Friday morning and not on saturday. there are good number of birds here with most of them arriving during the break so they should not be too gun shy or call shy. G and R is a respectable guide service. I am sure you will not be disappointed. good luck......make sure you have a late season stamp. the dnr converges heavily on the area during the late season. knucky

[N Hardy]

Why do you guys need to use a guide? Paying $150 a day. Use the money to buy some decoys and go find some fields for yourself. Is that what this is coming to, lazyness?

[Curly]

Are you kidding me? You actually think that if someone hires a guide it is because they are lazy? Dude, well nevermind, I'm not going any further.

[knucklehead]

NHARDY....why would you hire a fishing guide are you nuts??? my 2 cents worth....under your bio it takes me your website for a fishing guide service.......besides no one in rochester costs $150 per day.

[metrojoe]

I hardly think it's laziness. Time, money, and lack of experience would be the reasons I’d go to a guide. It’s a lot more than just buying a handful of decoys and plopping them down in a field somewhere. For the person that has never hunted goose before, a guide would be an excellent way to gain some experience.

[N Hardy]

First of all I don't have a guide service or a website genius. Knucklehead (self explanatory), using a guide service is stupid, if you can't learn on your own find a new hobby.

[BarTender]

YOU EVER BEEN TO ROCHESTER?? The hunting pressure is indsane. the guids have all the land leased up and if you were lucky enough to find a field the some farmer lets you on with out paying, you will be too far away from the birds it would be wothless to even try to hunt.

the rochester hunts are the last of the season, alot of people pay because it is a traditional hunt for them and they dont mind it because of the good companionship and the love of going out, that one last time.

[Swamprat72]

N Hardy, I do not use a guide service, but the guides have most of the best fields around Rochester to hunt. They lease these fields from the farmers and have permission to be on them. If someone from out of town comes in for a day or two to hunt I think it is their best chance of being able to hunt the geese around Rochester. Lazy or stupid? I don't think so.

[N Hardy]

I have hunted Rochester for many years bartender and I have had no problem. If things have changed alot during the past two years where a person can't get on any land to hunt then I am wrong. Why support the guides that are leasing up this land, Rochester is not the only place in the state where you can hunt geese.

[uffdapete]

"I have hunted Rochester for many years bartender and I have had no problem."

I see you are a student in Ely and you've hunted Rochester for many years? Can I ask how many?

I've lived here for 26 and have hunted geese 5 times - once sucessfully with a friend who had access to good land and that access ended over 20 years ago. If you've been able to get permission on decent land, consider yourself VERY fortunate because you're an extremely small minority. Yes, you can go do the ditches, but that doesn't exactly trip my trigger.

It's very difficult to get permission to hunt anything within 10 miles of Rochester. It happens, but usually not on very prime habitat.

A couple years ago the geese extended their feeding area out past Byron during the late season, but that's the exception not the rule. The ponds created by the flood control project may begin to attract a few geese farther out during some years when the weather, harvest and fall tillage all work to the hunter's advantage.

I found other outdoor interests long ago and would rather eat venison, walleyes and panfish anyhow.

[J.A.Say.Tree]

Things have changed considerably over the last couple years... competition for prime spots has increased dramatically, and with that the price of field leases has as well. Personally, I've had two of my prime spots snatched up by a guide service and private group willing to pay THOUSANDS of dollars where I once only had to knock on a door and say "thanks."

I am lucky to be associated with one of the best guide services in town, so I may have a biased opinion. But the bottom line is it is a pretty large $$$ investment to be a hardcore goose "freelancer." Plus, most people simply don't have the time (time=$) to chase flocks out 10 miles into the coutryside... heck, most clients don't even live in Rochester. Nor do they want to invest all this cash to go lay on the ground in the middle of a field (10 miles outside of town) with the hopes of maybe seeing some birds. For some, yes, they'd have in no other way.

But for most, they really enjoy seeing birds (and shooting birds)... and to be honest I see the social aspect of it as important... being in the pit (a nice warm, dry pit I might add) with their good buddies or their Dad or their kids is very enjoyable. They see birds decoy, they hear great calling, and they have a great time.... worth every penny.

JA

[crappieflop1212]

Nhardy, What are you talking about? Your Bio takes one directly to a website with a fishing guide service link directly at the top. I clicked on the link and the charge for a day of fishing on the Mississippi was $150- $200! Can you say hipo-cryt? So I then ask... Who's the knucklehead?

[Mark Christianson]

crappieflop,

I just found the same thing.....

I anxiously await the answer too........

[N Hardy]

First of all I lived in that area for 22 years so yes I have hunted Rochester quite a bit and I never had trouble getting on land to hunt. Second that isn't my website, I have not checked my bio ever and don't know how it got there so no I am not a hipo-cryt. Lastly you guys are defending the people who leased up all your land to hunt so who is the knucklehead.

[g'eye pilot]

Ah, great goose debate continues... There are several good points floating around here. Bottom line is that over the last 2 - 3 years good fields are becoming increasingly hard to come by. It's not impossible to go out and freelance, but much more difficult than it was 5 years ago. Another factor that should be mentioned is that because of the mild winters we've been having, Roch has not seen the consistent #'s that we have enjoyed over the years. We have generally, and I do say generally, been on the warm side. That has certainly had a negative impact on goose migration into the area.

So, let's put the equation together: 1) You have increased hunting pressure, + people (guides as well as private parties) are using much more sophisticated decoys & erquipment, and everyone is competing for less birds. Draw your own conclusions.

I should add that Roch area guides charge around $100, maybe a little more or a little less. That is a steal when you consider outfits in Texas get a minimum of $250. If you're going to hunt once or even a handful of times during the season, it is still more economical to go with a guide service. You will be more comfortable, not have to invest in a lot of gear or find a field, and you should have better success.

[Howieroch]

I know the guys who run G & R and I have hunted with them a lot. They are a good group of guys and their hunts are always a good time.

In the last two years nearly every field around Rochester has been leased by either guides or people with enough money to do it. Several of the best fields around town went for well over $10,000 this year so that kind of takes the little guy out of it.

My biggest problem is the guys that can afford the dekes and the fields, but they don't know how to use either of them. Guys with more money than brains are educating the geese faster than the guides and the rest of us can hunt them. Saturday between Oronoco and Rochester almost every huntable field had hunters and dekes in it. It makes it REALLY tough when the geese are passing over 20 or 30 spreads before they find an empty field to land in. Just because a guy can afford 300 decoys, a $150 call, and a field, that doesn't mean he knows what to do with them. The farmers around town are also getting fed up with people using their fields and then leaving them a big mess to clean up.

[lawdog]

Quote:

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My biggest problem is the guys that can afford the dekes and the fields, but they don't know how to use either of them. Guys with more money than brains are educating the geese faster than the guides and the rest of us can hunt them. Saturday between Oronoco and Rochester almost every huntable field had hunters and dekes in it. It makes it REALLY tough when the geese are passing over 20 or 30 spreads before they find an empty field to land in. Just because a guy can afford 300 decoys, a $150 call, and a field, that doesn't mean he knows what to do with them.

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I hope you don't mean that quote to sound as arrogent and condescending as it does... What's your solution then, these hunters who should stay away and let you and your guide buddies hunt all the geese without having to compete with a bunch of other spreads??? This kind of attitude is exactly why Rochester goosin isn't anywhere on my "to do" list in the fall...

[Howieroch]

I didn't mean that post the way you took it, but if you want to stay away feel free.

My meaning was that there a LOT of people hunting geese around Rochester now. There are plenty of geese to go around if people remember to be courteous in the way they hunt. The geese get educated very quickly by people who shoot at every flock that comes within 150 yards of there dekes.

My solution is to hunt smart - If you have the decoys and the field, USE THEM. Don't pass shoot birds out of range and ruin the hunting for eveybody else in the area.

[MattKeller]

Leasing should be illegal...

For hunting purposes anyway.

[uffdapete]

I know exactly what you're saying Howie. The solution for a lack of success for some is get a bigger gun instead of learning how to use calls and dekes to bring a bird within real shooting range and holding off on birds out of range. 150 yds is not an exaggeration at all. When you see the distance at which some shots are taken you have to wonder if they realize they're shooting a shotgun instead of a varmint rifle.

[lawdog]

I would sure concur with that I guess. Skybusting is a major problem for waterfowl hunting generally. I've had that wreck more good ducks than I care to remember too and many goose hunts with birds, for instance, leaving the refuge at Talcot and being blasted at 100+ yards above the guys in the state blinds.

Your original post made it sound more like those guys with money were ruining hunting by getting land and having lots of spreads, when really that is the exact same thing your guide friends are doing too... Personally I think they are BOTH ruining it for most average people.

[g'eye pilot]

So what is proposed solution lawdog? If the guide services are not allowed to lease fields, then it would come to private parties competing for the fields, wouldn't it? There are plenty of private parties and a few hunt clubs doing just that today. You can point the finger at the guide services all you want, but they are not doing anything illegal. In fact, they probably do more to promote the sport of goose hunting & sound hunting ethics than most individuals.

Regarding sky busting, people have to be more responsible and hold each other accountable. Maybe we should have some dialogue with our local CO's? I know the DNR has provided education in the past on what consists of a reasonable goose shot. But, there does seem to be more sky busting that ever these days.

[MattKeller]

"In fact, they probably do more to promote the sport of goose hunting"

By leasing land that otherwise could be open to the average guy? C'mon. Most guides are in it for the money and the "publicity". There's no doubt they work hard, but unfortunately, I think that guides who lease and post tons of land will eventually be the death of waterfowling as we know it. The average guy down there just can't go out and hunt anymore. First they have to open up their pocketbook. Thankfully that's not the case up here but I do fear that it will happen in my lifetime.

[g'eye pilot]

I would beg to differ... I know most of the guides in the Rochester area. I can truthfully tell you $ is not the primary drive for most. There may be one or two guides that make all or most of their living by guiding. The rest of them just really love to hunt geese. Yes, they do put a few bucks in their pockets. But they are not getting rich by any means. They put a lot of the money back into the business, buying decoys, building pits, paying insurance, etc. What is gained beyond a little cash in the pocket? Being able to hunt the best locations with the best equipment, and sharing the experience with both clients and friends. It's like a hobby that supports itself.

If you think Roch is commercialized, you should check out southern IL. There is no such thing as a private hunt, and there are very few "public" guide services. Major hunt clubs lease (if not own) all the land. A membership can cost more than 15K, if you are lucky enough to get in.

You can see the glass half full, or half empty. True, it's increasingly difficult to freelance. But it can still be done - I have personally been able to freelance several locations around Roch this season with a knock on the door, and I know others who have done the same. Guide services or no guide services, people are paying money to hunt fields. The guide services contribute to that, but so are private parties.

[smalls]

Quote:

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I would beg to differ... I know most of the guides in the Rochester area. I can truthfully tell you $ is not the primary drive for most. There may be one or two guides that make all or most of their living by guiding. The rest of them just really love to hunt geese. Yes, they do put a few bucks in their pockets. But they are not getting rich by any means. They put a lot of the money back into the business, buying decoys, building pits, paying insurance, etc. What is gained beyond a little cash in the pocket? Being able to hunt the best locations with the best equipment, and sharing the experience with both clients and friends. It's like a hobby that supports itself.

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And in doing so they exclude many many sportsmen. Plus, if they are guiding then they shouldn't be "hunting" anyway. Before you try and tell me that $$$ isn't their driver let me put my hip boots on so my pants don't get stinky.

[MattKeller]

Someone post up from Nodak. Especially around Devils Lake. How has guides affected your freelance hunting? Lot more posted signs right?

I'm not saying guiding is wrong. I do it myself but in a totally different manner. I just don't like how all this land is now leased out to the wealthy. It's not healthy for waterfowling.

[Dan Thiem]

It's not hust waterfowling that lease land has it's grips on. It's everything. Alot of landowners are finding out that they can charge money to let people on their land to hunt. They have been paying taxes on the land forever and now they see a way for the cash to help them out.

[lawdog]

And why wouldn't they? If I can do something for someone for free or the next guy wants to pay me a lot of money to do the same thing for them, it would be dumb not to take the guy's money. I guess that leaves us where then? The fault seems to be with the hunters and the guides who've brought business and profiteering into hunting!