Is it just me or are these geese getting smarter and tougher to predict and decoy this year or not.Don't get me wrong we have had some good days but lately it's been tough for us.Like wensday went out not a good set up but solid geese from 2 till lst landing in the same field didn't fire a shot.Went back Thursday set up right about the same wind, weather and clouds and didn't see a goose till 4:20.The reason we weren't prepared wensday because Tuesday only a handfull of geese was using the field then wensday 100s then Thursday just a few and the flew by.
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Is it just me or are these geese getting smarter and tougher to predict and decoy this year or not.Don't get me wrong we have had some good days but lately it's been tough for us.Like wensday went out not a good set up but solid geese from 2 till lst landing in the same field didn't fire a shot.Went back Thursday set up right about the same wind, weather and clouds and didn't see a goose till 4:20.The reason we weren't prepared wensday because Tuesday only a handfull of geese was using the field then wensday 100s then Thursday just a few and the flew by.
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It's been tough for me. I've been watching geese for two weeks and their numbers keep dwindling. I've yet to see any geese today. Hopefully there's more flying close to sunset, but I'm worried. A field that had probably 100 geese in it with plenty more in the area on Wednesday was a ghost field last night; didn't see a single feather.
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1,857 Posts
The past week has been terrible! There not feeding consistently and are jumping from one field over here one day and then another field 15 miles the other direction the next day. Honestly we need some colder weather and some snow on the ground to get these birds back to normal feeding habits
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2,198 Posts
I'd say they are tough all because of the weather, these low cloudy skies and no wind makes it very tough to decoy birds regardless if they are getting a lot of pressure.
It looks like Sunday or Monday will finally be better weather for field hunting. But until than, if you must get out, I always advise to try something different with decoy #'s/spread shape and blind placement. Mix it totally up and see how the birds react.
It looks like Sunday or Monday will finally be better weather for field hunting. But until than, if you must get out, I always advise to try something different with decoy #'s/spread shape and blind placement. Mix it totally up and see how the birds react.
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1,556 Posts
I'd say its because of the weather. 10 degrees and snowing one day, 50 degrees and raining the next. Mother nature has just been a bitch this year and has made patterning birds next to impossible.
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1,099 Posts
I shot number 40 today. This last week, I've been field hunting ducks, but lots of geese around for sure. They have been increasing in numbers. I wasn't too pleased to watch a guy in a neighboring field shoot at everything that went by him. I bet the guy had to have gone through nearly a box of shells, and literally was shooting at 80-100 yard geese. I never did see him drop a bird. It's people that do that stupid crap and shoot into tons of birds that make it hard for everyone. I tend to hunt the same birds in the same fields, but I don't hunt the same spot twice in a row unless its a get in get out hunt that nothing went back to tell the story of. I always throw different spreads at them in different field locations. Today, I had two land and the other few they were with finished on the other side of the field. Once the group was gone, I shot the pair. Tomorrow, I know right where the X is, and I will literally hunt with 3 decoys.
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There's no doubt these birds are being difficult, went out this morning and had no problem getting the birds to line-up semi set and then sail over just to high and not bank around for another look. Of course we had those flocks that would just slide around the end also. I'll try again tomorrow, Getting warm enough I might even try a water hunt this weekend.
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Ran 10 decoys this morning and never got one look they would land about 100 yards away from the decoys. This year has been one of the toughest! We're gonna give it a try with 3 decoys tomorrow and see what happens.
We tried a "bigger spread" yesterday. I emptied half the trailer and had a couple hundred decoys out and just couldn't get the birds to commit. We had very little wind. It sucked. Taking today off and will try it on Monday/Tuesday. We have a big feed field located and will try that.
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981 Posts
Try getting away from the decoys, side fuck em or shoot em on the swing. As long as they are comitted to the decoys you don't have to shoot em at your toes in the poody hole.
Birds are getting tougher each year IMO. Gotta get creative.
Birds are getting tougher each year IMO. Gotta get creative.
I think they are picking out the layout blinds too.No mater how good you brush em up.I think they see the bump in the field.I'm about ready to go back to laying under a goose shell like the old days.Remember the goose chair?Maybe that isn't so bad after all.
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239 Posts
we did that and they kept wanting to skirt off after the got to the corner so we brought all the decoys in close to blinds so when they would start to skirt off we could shoot them still. had success with that
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5,048 Posts
By now the geese have seen and heard everything. Keep the hunting parties small so that you don't have as big a "hump". Just 2 or 3 hunters and hunt off to the side, crossing shots and just some subtle clucks and moans if you feel you need to call at all. Geese aren't that smart and if you are where they want to be its your hide, calling or flagging that is making them slide off.
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294 Posts
Brent nailed it. Calling and flagging is causing birds to slide and not finish. When I hunt I rarely hunt the x. We hunt traffic on ponds corn fields and on an ice hole on a big marsh. For every situation in the past 2 weeks the birds have shied away from calling. Sometimes you just have to put the calls away and let the decoys do there job.
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Your giving away your position away when you are calling. Amount and timing is everything when your hunting tough geese. Then concealment.....
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