Geese are coming. Need answers. Updated!!!

[Kola16]

It's getting closer. Sept. 1st for some  I have always hunted duck, and I do not know to much about geese. I want to go out for geese in the September season, but I have some questions......

1. I have a goose call, but it is a cheap $7 call. It makes sounds that sound good to me, but I don't know much about goose calls. I can pick out a good sounding duck call if I heard one, but I probably shouldn't do that for geese. It is a Lahrmens? gold series call. If I had to get a new call, what call would you choose for no more than $25?

2. I have 4 nice floater decoys. Should I hunt on a lake, or in a field? I am thinking feild because I see geese more often in fields.

3.  And since I do not have to many goose decoys, should I put some other ducks in there as well? What other ducks (species), and how many, and so on.

I will be in Skagit, and Snohomish county if that makes a difference. Sept. 10 opener

[seth30]

Every Goose I shot was over water, and I always lug around 4 to 6 floaters with my duck spread. I use a cheap call as well and it works.  Once you hear them stay still!  They can cover ground quickly and lift like no other, not sure about you but I enjoy them coming over the blind in shotgun range.  Upwind does a lot of field hunting, I would shoot him a PM for info just incase he doesnt see this thread.

Seth

[hdshot]

I don't like your chances for geese only.    I would leave the call at home because my guess is you might not know how yet.  But early season geese don't need much calling anyways.  Some flagging would help for geese off in the distance.  If you can spot fields and find them just put out your floater geese only no duck deks.  Then on the 1st few flights see if the decoys will do all the work 1st before you try to call with basic honks.   Geese will circle a few times and after each pass they get lower, your doing it right and see if they touch down.  1st time goose hunters panic when geese bail for a pass and shoot. 

I like the video Goose Society vol 1. I use these basic practices while goose hunting.   

     

[Kola16]

Wow. Someone doesn't want me hunting. I have had plenty of geese come to my call while duck hunting, but I never had goose decoys so they would get to about 100 yards, and then kinda become less interested.

[bone collector 12]

TAKE THE CALL dont call much and once you get some geese comin ur way quit calling and just let them do there thing,if they like ur spread they will come in no matter what

[ctwiggs1]

In my experience, even late season geese are way easier to call in than ducks.  I'd keep the call and put the floaters out where they can easily be seen.  You may be able to get them close enough for shots.

4 dekes isn't much but I've called them in with no dekes before and had them set on me.

[upwind]

KOLA 16 I have some honker decoys if you would like to borrow them. I live in oak harbor .

[Kola16]

KOLA 16 I have some honker decoys if you would like to borrow them. I live in oak harbor .

That is a great offer, but I am ok. I live in Arlington. I would love to take a trip out to Whidbey anyway to do some fishing, but I need to save gas.

[WSU]

Buy a dozen or so lesser full bodies.  There are some relatively inexpensive ones that will work great.  As said, call only enough to get their attention.  Just like ducks, you will need to be hunting where the geese want to be (fields they have been using) and it should work fine.

[h2ofowlr]

Look on line.  You can pick up some avery shells from various places for about a $100 or less.  Rodger's is having there truckload sale.  Spend some time scouting and see which field they are in.  Being camoed out is the most critical element and set the spread.  The large honkers come in good, if they have been using the field and you don't flare them.  Our group of 8 were limited out in about 45 minutes from the time they started flying.  Fun shoot.  Good luck.

[Ned]

In my experience, even late season geese are way easier to call in than ducks.

Its very obvious you dont have much experience then 

.

[hdshot]

Wow. Someone doesn't want me hunting. I have had plenty of geese come to my call while duck hunting, but I never had goose decoys so they would get to about 100 yards, and then kinda become less interested.

Not me, just trying to help someone singing a tune. 
The kinks low budget

[jgoetz]

I have like 10 floaters.  I live up in Whatcom county if you want to pool resources for a hunt let me know.

[Kola16]

I have like 10 floaters.  I live up in Whatcom county if you want to pool resources for a hunt let me know.

Thanks for the offer, but I am taking a couple friends with me. We are just going to see what we can do with relatively few amount of decoys. Thanks again for all the offers from y'all.


So leave the duck decoys at home 

[Dustin07]

In my experience, even late season geese are way easier to call in than ducks.

Its very obvious you dont have much experience then 

.

the thumbs up doesn't' hide the *censored*. 

[92xj]

I have like 10 floaters.  I live up in Whatcom county if you want to pool resources for a hunt let me know.

Thanks for the offer, but I am taking a couple friends with me. We are just going to see what we can do with relatively few amount of decoys. Thanks again for all the offers from y'all.


So leave the duck decoys at home 

It's going to be real hard to convince a DNR officer that you are not hunting ducks out of season with duck decoys in your spread, if this is only a goose hunt during goose season with no duck season in.  Just a thought. 

[CP]

It won’t be hard at all.  Duck decoys don’t equal duck hunting.

[92xj]

It won’t be hard at all.  Duck decoys don’t equal duck hunting.

Duck decoys dont equal duck hunting, but sitting in the field with a gun, shells and duck decoys could cause some questioning by an officer. 
And sitting in a tree stand over bait with a gun in hand in a closed big game season does not equal hunting big game, but can be pretty hard to talk your way out of that.
I have been questioned by things in the field that I didnt think about before heading out and wish someone would have thrown out the idea to me.  I was just suggesting it to keep the peace, doesnt really matter to me. 
Personally I would not hunt duck decoys in my goose spread if I was only going after geese.  Not because of the above situation, but because I dont think it helps being the geeese in.

[Kola16]

In my experience, even late season geese are way easier to call in than ducks.

Its very obvious you dont have much experience then 

.

the thumbs up doesn't' hide the *censored*. 

 
 

It won’t be hard at all.  Duck decoys don’t equal duck hunting.

Duck decoys dont equal duck hunting, but sitting in the field with a gun, shells and duck decoys could cause some questioning by an officer. 
And sitting in a tree stand over bait with a gun in hand in a closed big game season does not equal hunting big game, but can be pretty hard to talk your way out of that.
I have been questioned by things in the field that I didnt think about before heading out and wish someone would have thrown out the idea to me.  I was just suggesting it to keep the peace, doesnt really matter to me. 
Personally I would not hunt duck decoys in my goose spread if I was only going after geese.  Not because of the above situation, but because I dont think it helps being the geeese in.

I just see on the outdoor channels that a lot of times, they have duck decoys in their spread while they are goose hunting. I would think that the geese might like the ducks their because there would be more eyes to look for danger 

........and 20 more days  10 for some 

[WSU]

I don't think the duck decoys will add anything to your spread.

[Cougar125]

I've never hunted geese, but have asked the question to my friends that do.  What they tell me is that if the geese want in, they will come in. 

[Kola16]

Well, thanks for the answers. I guess I will leave the duck decoys at home.

[quackattack90]

All I have to say is set up you decoy spread the way the real geese are in the field.  In a field or on water do what they do.  If there are ducks mixed in with the geese, throw some duck decoys in with the geese.  And most important be on the X.

Happy Hunting

[snowshoes22]

Set up where they want to be and life is easier.

[Ned]

In my experience, even late season geese are way easier to call in than ducks.

Its very obvious you dont have much experience then 

.

the thumbs up doesn't' hide the *censored*. 

And his comment is still stupid 

[Kola16]

In my experience, even late season geese are way easier to call in than ducks.

Its very obvious you dont have much experience then 

.

the thumbs up doesn't' hide the *censored*. 

And his comment is still stupid 

If you are just on here to make people feel like $h!t, and not even help a brother out, why be on here 

[Dustin07]

In my experience, even late season geese are way easier to call in than ducks.

Its very obvious you dont have much experience then 

.

the thumbs up doesn't' hide the *censored*. 

And his comment is still stupid 

 

[ctwiggs1]

In my experience, even late season geese are way easier to call in than ducks.

Its very obvious you dont have much experience then 

.

the thumbs up doesn't' hide the *censored*. 

And his comment is still stupid 

your mom goes to college

[h20hunter]

Wow.....

What is up with everyone these days? Lots of threads going downhill. Meet up....hope I do.....Nice!

I caught you a delicious bass.

[bearpaw]

OK guys, let's please clean it up and show a little respect for each other. WE ARE ALL HUNTERS AND SHOULD TREAT EACH OTHER WITH SOME RESPECT. Thanks for your help,
Dale

[ORCA_SIX]

I am going out for 4 days of the early season. Should be good. I have thrown in some duck decoys every once in a while during a full season and I don't really notice a difference to be honest. However, if there is a pond nearby to the field you are hunting, that seems to help both situations.

During the early season I strictly hunt fields and just having a good spread, concealment and not making to much movement is your best option.

[Kola16]

The day was fun, but I didn't get anything. I did no scouting, but I found out I should have. The fields I was in had 8 ft. tall corn  I set up my decoys in a path between the corn just for the heck of it (I didn't have my boat with me or I would have gone to a lake). I had a teal and a dove fly over at first shooting light, and that was it. An hour and a half later I said screw so I packed up. I was walking back to my car, and all of the sudden "Honk! Honk!"  8 geese flew over me. A little later another  flock so I thought what the heck, I am going to call at them. They actually were turned towards me  They started to wander off so I called again, and they came back  I did that 2 more times, and they finally left after not seeing any decoys. I guess my calling isn't that bad after all  I kept hearing gun shots to the west of me so someone was doing well  Then another flock flew over me. I did see some awesome woodies so it wasn't a total waste of time  Kola had fun running through the corn rows chasing little birds, and little mice. She was more than happy to be back waterfowling.

[ORCA_SIX]

The day was fun, but I didn't get anything. I did no scouting, but I found out I should have. The fields I was in had 8 ft. tall corn  I set up my decoys in a path between the corn just for the heck of it (I didn't have my boat with me or I would have gone to a lake). I had a teal and a dove fly over at first shooting light, and that was it. An hour and a half later I said screw so I packed up. I was walking back to my car, and all of the sudden "Honk! Honk!"  8 geese flew over me. A little later another  flock so I thought what the heck, I am going to call at them. They actually were turned towards me  They started to wander off so I called again, and they came back  I did that 2 more times, and they finally left after not seeing any decoys. I guess my calling isn't that bad after all  I kept hearing gun shots to the west of me so someone was doing well  Then another flock flew over me. I did see some awesome woodies so it wasn't a total waste of time  Kola had fun running through the corn rows chasing little birds, and little mice. She was more than happy to be back waterfowling.

I am going out tomorrow for the next four days... but all of the scouting I have done tells me they are not out on the fields until like 10am. Good luck.

[Kola16]

I don't have a field to hunt till the farmer harvests his corn. I think that I will hunt the river tomorrow so i can throw a line in the water as well