Early goose over water?

[ole matty]

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Agreed. Sometimes moving to different spots from time to time isn't a bad thing.

Another tip for hunting geese over water is try setting up a confidence decoy also. A crane or egret or heron works real well here.

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will coots decoys work good as confidence decoys as well?

[Fish'n guy]

I guess I have always been extremely against blowing the roost as far as any waterfowl. But I gotta say that with the intent of the fall special conservation season I have now problem killing them anywhere as long as them f---ers die!! they are an EXTREME problem when it comes to crop damage!! The same concept goes with snow geese. I won't be hunting honkers over water this year but for the early season I have no problems with anyone who does as long as you aren't screwing it up for others. WHen it comes to the regular waterfowl season hunting hunting the roost is 100% off limits for me as well as my hunting partners and for those that do it they are just shooting themselves and others hunting the same area in the foot!! just my 2 cents!

[fish4cats]

I have to somewhat disagree with you fishnguy. I think that early and late season hunting the roost is ok. I believe that with the migrators coming on a consistant basis that hunting the roost is not a bad thing, because of the new incoming birds. I dont hunt water that much in the regular season, but I know that the guys that do dont disturb our field hunting at all. Most of our birds are coming off of a refuge anyhow, so maybe it depends on where you are hunting.

[guppie]

last year opening morning we had a field with a bunch of birds in it, roosting on a lake 1/2 mile away. Way before legal shooting time most of the birds were scared off the lake from 6-8 different groups of hunters. the others just sat in the middle till daylight. then when they tried to leave the lake they got shot from every angle! some birds came back shortly after sunrise and they got whacked too. Yeah, the guys on water had a good hunt. But just that day. Not a single bird came back to that lake untill some migraters showed up late october! Needles to say 2 groups of hunter had a good hunt the first day of season and F@#$^& it up for who knows how many other groups of hunters for 2 months!!!! Thats where I stand, you guys can think and do what you what you want but just think about where you are hunting and also about the rest of the season before you whackem! otherwise, good luck to every body this year!

[delta hunter]

It doesn't matter whether you hunt fields or water, most of the time once a bird is shot at in a field or on water, it usually wont' touch that field or water again. So either way a hunter is going to have put a good amount of time finding new birds in different areas. A hunter can't just have one spot for the early part of the waterfowl season, that just won't make sense. Me and my buddies usually have like 5-6 different plans in place, just in case one doesn't work, we try a different one. All we say is "Aleast we tried, and its better than working" We don't care if we shoot anything, its great when we do, but that's not why we love this sport! Its just a time where we can get away from all the bu!!sh!t. Those couple of hours that we spend hunting during the days of a season, everything is simplified down to man vs. nature. Sometimes you win and some times you don't! To be honest, this is an expensive sport. I don't know about you guys, but I can't afford both water and field spreads that I would desire. So I made a choice and I chose water. Don't get me wrong I have some stuff for fields, but not as much as most! I hope you see where I am coming from. Do what you have to do!!!!!!!

[hanson]

I think a lot of guys don't choose to hunt geese over water, they just don't have too many other options. Unlike farmfields, most huntable water is public, with easy access. Most fields are as well but there are only so many to go around.

So when I'm out knocking on doors with the same result- sorry, got a couple other guys lined up, sorry, got a family leasing that, sorry, my kid is hunting that, sorry, I'm hunting regular season and would prefer no one else hunts it. You can see why guys tend to take the water option.

In an ideal waterfowling world, I think we'd all agree that leaving the roost alone and hunting fields will be the best outcome for everyone. But this isn't the ideal world, its the real world. In the real world, we have to deal with other hunters, pressure, and limited access. Sometimes the geese don't cooperate, sometimes they do, sometimes other hunters hurt your success, sometimes other hunters help your success.

[fish4cats]

Excellent reply hanson, totally agree.

I would much rather hunt fields than water, but sometimes you just dont have that option.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

i prefer fields over water for a few reasons, one being that i no longer have my yellow and chocolate labs i grew up with, two being goose floater dekes are too (Contact Us Please) bulky and i dont have a boat, as compared to full bodies and just being able to drive out and dump them, and three, theres nothing more amazing than having geese landing so close to you that you can hear them swallowing corn as they feed next to the layout blinds not even knowing your there!

[honker23]

I also agree with Hanson on this one.

Here's a thought....why not close the season at 4 or 3 for the entire season. This will allow the birds to feed and return to water at night without being hunted. I am pretty certain that the majority of evening hunts tempt most hunters into shooting late. How many times have you been out and you have 2 min, and the birds just left the water and you can see them heading straight to your field but it will take them 6 min to get there. I just think by closing it at 4 all year you could keep more people on birds both on the water and fields.

[Jaspernuts]

I don't know what all this roost talk is. They get shot at once and they go to the closest city and roost there. I hunt the same spot day after day in the early season (on water) and have shooting almost every day.

[Fish'n guy]

Fish4cats, You bring up a somewhat good point but in my experiences blowing the roost any time of the year is a major no-no! the reason being is that even with migrators coming through they are going to hit the refuges and tend to concentrate where a majority of the birds are at. Believe me with somebody out blasting away on their rest ground they certainly aren't gonna be concentrating there!!! Pretty much what I am saying that if the geese feel comfortable in that area and they have no reason to leave than that in theory should make the hunting better. This has worked out great for my group and the way we have always done it is we have a lake probly 200 acres that we have never touched for hunting and leave two adjacent fields alone as well. Every year 10-15 thousand ducks,geese,and swans roost on the lake and feed on the fields around it in which we hunt these alternating fields and there is never a problem shooting plenty of birds both ducks and geese. But then I hear of guys complaining that there are no birds around their areas yet they have more water than us. Hmmm...I wonder why???

I do understand your points though with there being limited access to the fields. The more hunters the less likely you are to get into the "hot" fields. I guess like delta hunter said as long as we are all out hunting and having fun its better than being at work or in my case in class!! lol!!

[fish4cats]

I the case you are talking about, thousands of birds, I see your point. Where we hunt I am talking 25-50 birds. Not even hundreds, let alone thousands. The lake we are hunting is a small lake and I guarantee you that if we dont shoot them, someone else will. Where we hunt there is 2-3 decent size refuges about 30 miles away, and every year it is the same story. Early season comes and you get good shooting for the first 2-3 days and then all the birds migrate to these refuges. I has been that way since I started hunting these birds 20 years ago. It is just the nature of the beast. We do get some good goose shoots in occasionally on water during regular season, but not often. Once regular season comes, it is all field hunting.

[Fish'n guy]

I see with 25-50 birds its a way differnent story.

[Flash]

I have a question here. We just had our roost area busted up by some others. Not that what they did was illegal and they have all the right to hunt there but I was wondering if anyone knows the answer to this. Wasn't it the idea to be able to hunt over water in the early season so that we could harvest more geese? The DNR wanted more geese harvested. I have not been able to find out if this is in fact happening or if harvest numbers are actually down. Years ago when you could not hunt water, the early goose season sure seemed like better hunting. I know I used to shoot a lot more geese when the geese actually hung around for a while.

[woody1975]

I agree totally with you Flash.

We get out early in the year to secure land to hunt on - Sometimes it is a prime field, other times it is not so prime, but with enough time scouting you can find a field to hunt. In our area, the early goose hunt has also affected the ducks in our area. Took the kids out on Saturday and maybe saw 15 geese and 15 ducks all day. You are absolutely right that there is nothing illegal about blowing the roost, but it is having a negative effect in our area.

My .02 - Get rid of open water shooting for the early goose hunt.

[hanson]

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Years ago when you could not hunt water, the early goose season sure seemed like better hunting. I know I used to shoot a lot more geese when the geese actually hung around for a while.

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Not sure how many "years ago" you are talking about but the early goose season didn't used to be as popular either. Now it is almost the official start to the waterfowl season. There are more hunters in the field, more competition for fields and obviously hunters hunting water as well.

My gut feeling tells me the early goose season plays a major role in our earlier season duck hunting success as well. Even though they are not getting shot at, their lives and routines I'm sure are getting affected.

[Flash]

I simply want to try to find out if this is doing what they wanted or if it is doing the exact opposite. I think that is something that we should know. If less geese are being harvested then things need to change. If more geese are being harvested, then great, whatever it takes.

[Sartell Angler]

careful guys, what you are saying might be a little controversial for this place

I agree though...the geese stuck around more and were easier to pattern and kill before they started to allow hunting over water. If people stayed away from the roosts then I am convinced that allowing water hunting would help cut down on the population, but the problem lies with the hunters who bust the roosts, which is inevitable given land access issues / outright stupidity.

Since I have tomorrow morning off I will be chasing geese, and plan to hit some water (non-roost) for the 2nd time this season...got 4 last week there so we'll see what is in store for tomorrow.

[commander019]

Idealy the no-water restriction should be back in place for Sept geese and they should shut it down at 4:00 daily. The birds would be a piece of cake to pattern and you would be able to pound them in the morning. If they want to keep the water rule to keep certain people happy, allow us to shoot until 1/2hr after sunset and up the daily to 8. My opinions from experience of course and there is a lot of experience there!