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The Time Is Now For Some Early Waterfowl Action

On Sept.1, early season waterfowl hunters will be taking to the field for the opening of another exciting hunting season. With the early goose season traditionally running 25 days and a liberal limit of eight birds per day, now is the time to get in some early season wing shooting. Final season dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Years have taught hunters to observe the game they are chasing. This time of year provides a great opportunity to spend extra time watching and listening to local waterfowl. Watching how geese and ducks react in groups, when they land in the flock, and the type of sounds they make are all things that we can use to make us successful in the field.

From scouting to calling to blinds, early season goose hunters need to understand these flying critters from the north.

Understanding why geese hit a field and not another, then knowing where they are going, when they are going to be where and how to get them to set their landing gear in your spread is a lifelong passion.

When looking for fields to hunt, I prefer areas close to water where birds are spending their evenings or roosting. These fields do not need to be right on top of the roosting areas, but I like to get as close to possible to the roosting areas.

We hunt several areas that are located so close that we can hear birds as they lift off in the morning. These are great the first few days, but they go dry quickly.

Being this close has its pros and cons. Getting set up in the pre-dawn hours needs to be done very quietly. As the season goes on, geese will get wise to the sounds of truck doors closing and banging of decoys. This often times is all it will take to have these birds fly over your spread. If you set up close to the roosting area/water when the first group lifts off and shoot at them, the next group that lifts off figures out really quick that they don’t want to come to your spread.

The first couple days these setups can work, but as the season continues and birds get educated, they will stay clear of the spread too close to their roosting areas.

Remember, more than not, geese are smarter than we give them credit for.

Back in the day, early season decoy spreads were insanely simple, but today there are more ways to place your decoys than goose calls.

The first rule of thumb to remember is that geese will generally land into the wind, so we need to set up accordingly. I prefer setting up small family groups with our blinds in the middle of the sets. A good rule is to have decoys for several small family groups (four to decoys) and placing them in J or V format.

Place your hunters on the outside of the closed area of the J or V and let the open areas of the J and the V act as landing zone.

Geese like to land in the middle of the family groups and then feed their way in their own family groups outside the landing zone. Having proper knowledge of how to set up your decoys will do more for success than anything.

Each year I spend hours before the season watching geese land in fields and on the water and how they communicate with each other. There is nothing like firsthand experience before the season begins. I have learned more by just sitting back and watching birds in their natural undisturbed states than any hunting video.

Once you have your spread set up it’s time to place your hunters. Over the years of guiding hunters, I have learned many things. One thing is for sure: If you tell a hunter not to look up when birds are on their way into spread, the hunters will look up. It doesn’t matter how many years they have been hunting or how many birds they have killed, they will, with a doubt, look up. With that in mind, I figured out the best to keep birds from flaring is to keep my hunters well hidden. That is a difficult task when your lying in the middle of a freshly cut field with no cover around.

One of the best, and in my opinion, the only way to keep hunters hidden is the use of portable blinds. Placing your hunters in ground blinds is one of the best ways to conceal their movement and not scare off the birds.

There are many ways to hide hunters. In the early years of field hunting, we would lay in the field with corn stalks or grass thrown over us. This system had several faults and wasn’t full proof. Hunters will still move their heads as geese cup their wings, only to have them flare off at the last minute.

Avery’s Finisher ground blind is the Cadillac of ground blinds. With a padded head and back rest area, it would take a lot of water to get you wet. The Finisher isn’t the No. 1-selling ground blind for nothing. From the gun rest to zippered flagging ports and plenty of room for any size hunter, it’s easy to see what makes the Finisher the top-selling ground blind in the world.

Calling geese is as much a part of the hunt as anything, but I have watched as birds with their wings cupped pulled away when a caller lays on a call too hard. Like anything to do with calling wild critters, we all need to know when it’s time talk or shut up.

When choosing a goose call I look for a short reed call that is easy to work. This is not to say that I would use a good flute, but I prefer a short single reed for new callers.

When calling, keep in mind to use your call appropriately. One of the old wise tales about calling geese is you need to be a master caller to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have watched first-time callers turn birds and get them close enough to get some shooting in. Now I’m not saying anybody who walks into a store and purchases a call can call in birds, but it’s not rocket science. Calling waterfowl is an art form. The more time put into practicing, the better you will become, which will make you a better hunter.

Beginning to learn to bowl a goose call one needs to understand the basics of calling.

One of the biggest mistakes I see new callers make is puffing their cheeks. Air needs to come from your diaphragm not your mouth. Whether it’s feeding or comeback calls, where your air comes from will allow you to control your calls and make your calling more realistic.

The main rule of thumb I tell new callers is to imitate the same call the geese are making. Once you are able to do that, you are on your way to becoming a goose caller.

When calling don’t overdo it. Call when the birds are talking to you. Don’t over blow a call, but call loud enough so the birds can hear you. Talking to geese is exciting, and some think the most important part of the hunt.

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