Suggestions?

[Throbbin Rods]

I know of a fairly large (45 - 50) flock of "native" Canada geese that spend their days hanging out in a farmer's yard and pond. Permission to hunt is a flat no. I am 95% sure they are spending the nights in a smallish flow area a few miles away that is a bitch to get to. Because of the difficulty I don't think there will be much competition. Where I enter the wide spot (150 yards) in the flowage, the geese seem to be spending their time in a back corner to the left. Huge collection of feathers and scat there. There is treeline on 2 sides, I would be coming in from a third side and the obvious escape route for them is crossing from my right to my left. I am thinking I could try to come in quietly, not easy because the access path is brushy and most of it is on suspended ground with holes that you can go into up to your crotch. If you bounce on the ground you can see it go up and down. Dragging a canoe over there wouldn't do it due to the distance and noise at that time of the morning. There are wooden pallets in the trail that eventually just sink out of sight and are replaced every 4 or 5 years. I am thinking of sneaking in there with my float tube and gun and try to slip into range that way before they leave for the morning feedbag. They appear to spend the entire day at No Shoot farm so no chance to get them coming back from the morning feed. Other option is to go in the afternoon and hope they come back before the end of legal shooting time.
I have attached a crude drawing of the spot, any suggestion will be gratefully considered, as long as they don't start with "just show me where it is and ..."
Thanks
Bill

[aunt betty]

You're planning on shooting the roost. You'll get one or maybe two shots at them and that's it so make it epic.

[SpinnerMan]

Sounds pretty tough. I'd try picking a day that has got some have clouds and maybe even a little rain so it gets dark a little earlier. I have a spot where if they let us hunt that extra half hour in the evening, you would kill a ton of geese. However, most days they show after LST and often bomb in on you when you are picking up decoys. When it is not bright and sunny, I've had more luck with birds showing before the final bell goes off. I literally set an alarm on my phone so I don't have to be checking the time. I've shot geese within a minute or two of the end and rarely see any 20 minutes before the end. But when they do, odds are good and I'm not hunting where they plan to roost, but they are content to go wherever they see a few geese on the water.

I'd give that a try first. If it works and they don't come back all at once, you might get a couple shoots out of them. If it doesn't, even if you bump them on the way out, you probably haven't messed it up for trying and putting the sneak on them.

[don novicki]

You could take your stuff in the day before when they are at the farmers field and then you would only have to get yourself in there as quietly as possible. One things for sure though it is dam difficult to sneak up on a flock of geese. Usually they will bust out at the first sign of anything unusual..............

[aunt betty]

Have never shot a roost but if I was gonna do it I'd shoot the first two that came and split hasty fast and I'd do it at sunset. Then pray the rest didn't notice that Bill and Nancy are gone.

No decoys required.

[SpinnerMan]

Have never shot a roost but if I was gonna do it I'd shoot the first two that came and split hasty fast and I'd do it at sunset. Then pray the rest didn't notice that Bill and Nancy are gone.

No decoys required.

Take just a few decoys just in case Bill and Nancy were planning to roost somewhere else They don't seem overly particular about where they roost and often are persuaded to a new spot when they see a few "friends" on the water already roosting.

Otherwise, I agree.

I was fishing last night before sunset. Quite a few came back before LST, if only the season were in and I was hunting. Also, where were all these geese a few weeks ago when early goose was in.

[aunt betty]

Have never shot a roost but if I was gonna do it I'd shoot the first two that came and split hasty fast and I'd do it at sunset. Then pray the rest didn't notice that Bill and Nancy are gone.

No decoys required.

Take just a few decoys just in case Bill and Nancy were planning to roost somewhere else They don't seem overly particular about where they roost and often are persuaded to a new spot when they see a few "friends" on the water already roosting.

Otherwise, I agree.

I was fishing last night before sunset. Quite a few came back before LST, if only the season were in and I was hunting. Also, where were all these geese a few weeks ago when early goose was in.

Molting

[SpinnerMan]

I actually know, I was just complaining.

[Throbbin Rods]

I appreciate the input from all, I hate to shoot a roost but my crock-pot is crying for attention. I have considered just going out there in the afternoon, setting up decoys a hundred yards away and spending the night. I would be in place to see them come back and maybe intercept a couple on their way out if I have any blood left from the mosquitoes. There are 3 other spots that are traditional roost spots for the native birds that haven't shown a bird this year, which tells me they haven't been molested yet in this spot. I may go out there tonight and stand out there to see when they come in.
Thanks again

[DukMan]

Too much work for a couple geese... (my 2 cents)

[aunt betty]

The harder you work the better they taste.
I make jerky out of every goose. (not specks oh hell no)


Two turtle doves
Three French hens
Four calling birds
Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a laying
And a crow in a ginko tree.
Ha!












If you think I'll ever say what I shoot you're nuttier than I am.