Head/Tip Selection For Geese?

[matthothand]

A recent trend in my hunting career has been to do things the hard way. The Barta way. I want to use the recurve to take a goose but am not sure which head would be most effective. I have a couple 'bird basket' heads but those I think are better suited for smaller birds. I also have the G5 small game head and that looks pretty devastating. Lastly, I have a bunch of old yet sharp broadheads that I just never used for deer and won't. I plan on taking a shot while in flight but might bring some guilletine heads for a head/neck shot if one lands. Can I use what I have or is there a better option out there?

[mnhunter79]

Not sure on the head selection, but it would be awesome if you had a cameraman for this

[Neighbor_guy]

Your regular broadheads will work fine for you. I would recomend you put a game keeper or something simmilar on the saft to keep the arrow from blasting all the way threw the bird.(hard to fly when there is an arrow in the bird)

A flat washer has worked well for me in the past (sm game). If you are a traditional shooter, then you know a change in tip can change the spine a bit, so if you do add a washer, make sure your still getting good flight, or drop down a size in Bhead to make up for the addition of said washer.

I would also add that if this is something you are serious about, then you will be tossing a lot of arrows into the sky. Two things, #1. BE CAREFULL!!! What goes up has to come back down. #2. Get a bunch of Birch or Cedar shafts. Make half of them up as Flu-Flu's and half with regular fletchings. Add the washers or keepers to half of those. Try them out, you will find what you like.

Good Luck.

[StillwaterAaron]

I would use a large cutting diameter expanding broadhead. You will not have a problem with your arrow blasting through with a recurve. It is much like shooting turkeys with a bow. They are not like deer where your shot is solid, many times the bird will fall over from the impact reducing your penetration. I use a hammerhead for turkeys it is an expandable that I believe is 2.5 inches and I have not lost a turkey yet and never had one go more than a foot after my shot. I even was feeling confident last fall and took a turkeys head off with one. Large cutting diameter is key it is a very small target for a clean kill so it gives you an edge!

Good luck I would be chasing geese also but I have a baby due soon.

[matthothand]

I will have a cameraman. I am obviously looking to get a quick kill but if that doesn't happen then I want a crippling and flight disrupting shot leaving the arrow in the bird to bring it to the ground. Has anybody done this themselves? So far I'm still planning on using the G5 and random cut on contact broadheads. Are the smaller sized bird basket heads practical? They are the bird heads with 4 1.5" wire loops resembling a clover leaf pattern. I do plan on bringing many carbon and aluminum shafted flu flu arrows. No cedar, yet. We'll be field hunting so arrow recovery won't be too difficult. I appreciate the comments and please keep them coming.

SWA, congrats on the baby!

[Jmnhunter]

how about a flu-flu with one of those "snare" tips?

p.s. did you hear Barta is parlayzed from his waist down

[Archerysniper]

What happened. to Barta

[DonBo]

What happened. to Barta

Fell off a horse in Alaska and got a spinal stroke? Never heard that term, not sure what it means.

[surewood]

He was packing his bags in the car for a trip to Alaska for a bear hunt on his tv show. Noticed loss of feeling in his leg. Decided to hike up the mountian by his house to see if he could handle the hunt and it got worse. He went to the doctor and in four hours lost feeling from the waste down. They said spinal stroke happens to about 12 out of 100,000 in the US every year.

[matthothand]

Yeah its pretty sad. I'm hoping he keeps his head up and recovers as best he can. He's a good man and I like his style. He inspired me to get a recurve in the first place. I'm after a 'working man's trophy' by taking a goose with recurve out of the air.

[broken_line]

well you have 2 days left then you have to wait a while..

[matthothand]

Yeah it'll be a few weeks.

[mrklean]

is it legal to shoot geese with a bow in mn?

[MinDak Hunter]

From the Code of Federal Regulations 20.21, the CFR governs MN waterfowl law.

Migratory birds on which open seasons are prescribed in this part may be taken by any method except those prohibited in this section. No persons shall take migratory game birds:

(a) With a trap, snare, net, rifle, pistol, swivel gun, shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery gun, machinegun, fish hook, poison, drug, explosive, or stupefying substance;

( With a shotgun of any description capable of holding more than three shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not exceed three shells.

I don't see bows prohibited here.

[matthothand]

There really isn't anything that mentions archery. I suppose they don't figure anyone is crazy enough to want to try it. No worries though. I'll be leaving my battery gun and fish hooks at home.

[sticknstring]

I've got some flu flus rigged up for them low-flying honkers this fall too. We built a deck this spring so at least I won't have to climb up on the roof this year. Just waiting for the crops to go out and it'll be time!