Early season Goose Season

[Ozzy169]

I have been out doing a little scouting and haven't seen a lot of birds, anyone else seeing any birds? Are they not flying or am I in an area were the count is down? Southern metro (Belle Plaine)? Two weeks away and I've got the shakes.

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Puff-Puff-Pass

[Mark Christianson]

Thats been my thoughts as well. I have not seen nearly as many geese around. Not just locally(Plymouth), but also up where I goose hunt east of Fergus Falls.
Doesn't seem to be nearly the density of geese as years past.

[Finlander]

Wait until all of the waterblasters scare all the geese off there roost and you know they will, and you will see more geese than you thought existed.
I think we will be hunting a water/field setup on early goose opener and hope they see all of there plastic and paper cousins enjoying them selfs and drop on in!

[Gissert]

I'll echo CD on the Fergus area birds.

I had geese all over me the other morning when I was working a beaver damage permit.
I could have knocked some down with a wrist rocket. They were young, dumb, and eager to get into that grain stubble. They paid no attento to me at all. Of course, that will end about 30 seconds after the opening shots once the season sttarts.

Brood numbers looked to be much improved over last year.

[Mark Christianson]

EXCELLENT!!!!!
My trips have been limited up there, so I was hoping I was just missing out on where the birds were.
My typical spots have been lacking, but I guess that doesn't mean much.
I can't wait to set up between the field and sit on the waters edge. I can already hear the "thud" in the field.
Around work here, there is no question a lot fewer birds. Normally we have a ton of them on the small lake below the building, and several broods in the spring. This year, I think we had only 3 broods, and very few birds coming in daily.
If I could only set up decoys next to our office building................

[Farley]

Saw a flock of about 60 flying over hwy. 7 this morning. Usually see them there every morning but not always so many. Besides that I really haven't seen a lot around my hunting area, we had a group hanging around for a while but haven't seen them since it got so hot. There was also a big group on the golf course in Cokato that would walk all the way across the course from the water hazard on the south side over to the lake on the north side around 8:00 every night. Mean little f***ers.

[IceHawk]

There are quite a few geese around the Richmond Eden-valley area. We have had groups of between 30 -50 birds feeding in the oats fields in the area. I think once this heat breaks you will start seeing more flying out to the fields to eat. The St Cloud area does not seem to be holding the numbers of birds I have seen in the past, but maybe with this heat most of them are loafing in the Missisippi river.

[Guest]

I've seen a bunch of geese around my house (Fergus Falls area) and it looks way better than last year. The geese started using wheat fields, but with the high heat they have been laying real low in water. Last week, just before the real hot weather hit, I saw a field LOADED with geese.

Almost all the geese I have observed are loafing right now, laying on people's beaches near water, in the shade, in ponds in the shade, etc..

Don't get nervous. As soon as some cooler weather hits these birds will be using fields left and right and moving around. The hatches are still kinda small up here and not all that willing to fly. They have been hanging around their nesting areas a lot.

I am really looking forward to the 6th. I think it will be really good.

[This message has been edited by CD (edited 08-20-2003).]