Almost did not make this trip due to a health issue with my dog and in fact had already cancelled the duck hunting part of it. Blaze was doing well Thursday night so I was told by my wonderful wife I was being kicked out of the house.
Saturday was quiet with most birds seen far off. Portion of my decoy spread.
The official goose count on the refuge was just over 2700 birds. Worst I have seen it at this time. No shots fired on Saturday. We did have one flock of mostly snows fly over our blind right at 11:31am. Hunting time ended at 11:30, we were already walking out.
Still a nice morning. Lots of stories told. Lots of goose call practice and discussion.
We did have a coyote early come by. There were hunters in a pit across the field from us. I bet those guys thought we were the worst goose callers in the world when I started screaching a dying rabbit call on my Canada call to mess with that Coyote. The Coyote thought about it for a long time and eventually circled us.
Some of the biggest healthiest Turkeys I have ever seen were in the field behind us.
Saturday night was relaxing with steaks and wild turkey. That night we heard geese fly over camp several times. Sunday was to be a good day.
Some changes for this day. I went with as large a spread as possible as I felt with few birds we needed to be more visible from a distance. Changed from an open letter to one big oval that spread to the extremes of our shooting range. More snow decoys added to one half of the spread that intermingled with the Canadas at the middle. We probably had 175 decoys out. As well we more heavily grassed the front of the pit blind.
We had birds respond to the decoys with aggressive calling. But they kept flaring at the last moment. So for one we covered up our decoy bags next to the blind which we realized stood out and may have been a factor. Also we changed tactics by going silent the moment the birds were turned. Last year it had required calling all the way into the decoys or they never would commit. But this year, going silent was the ticket. Though they never would commit to landing, they would circle several times and eventually make a low pass.
The crew.
Looking cool in B&W
My shelf. Don't laugh at my choice of Cigar. I was on a budget.
Our two main volleys that rained Geese had lots of memorable moments with it. With no dog, cripples to chase.
I was standing next to a dead goose and talking to the guys and noticed they were looking at me funny. Then I felt something hanging onto my leg. I was being attacked by what I thought was a dead goose. I did not have to chase it to pick it up, it chased me.
We were placing the kills into the spread to add as decoys and what had been a dead limp goose suddenly stands up and runs away as if it had been playing possum the entire time waiting for a chance to make a break for it. Hunt partner Jason eventually caught it. I was laughing to hard to help.
A couple other moments. I made the call to "take em". It was the first volley of the morning after adding more grass to the blind. We all stood up throwing grass on each other and no one could see what they were shooting at. We all missed.
Oh and when pit blind hunting, never ever let anyone in your hunt party eat gassious foods the night before a hunt!
Geese still flying after 11:30
Good time had by all.
Saturday was quiet with most birds seen far off. Portion of my decoy spread.
The official goose count on the refuge was just over 2700 birds. Worst I have seen it at this time. No shots fired on Saturday. We did have one flock of mostly snows fly over our blind right at 11:31am. Hunting time ended at 11:30, we were already walking out.
Still a nice morning. Lots of stories told. Lots of goose call practice and discussion.
We did have a coyote early come by. There were hunters in a pit across the field from us. I bet those guys thought we were the worst goose callers in the world when I started screaching a dying rabbit call on my Canada call to mess with that Coyote. The Coyote thought about it for a long time and eventually circled us.
Some of the biggest healthiest Turkeys I have ever seen were in the field behind us.
Saturday night was relaxing with steaks and wild turkey. That night we heard geese fly over camp several times. Sunday was to be a good day.
Some changes for this day. I went with as large a spread as possible as I felt with few birds we needed to be more visible from a distance. Changed from an open letter to one big oval that spread to the extremes of our shooting range. More snow decoys added to one half of the spread that intermingled with the Canadas at the middle. We probably had 175 decoys out. As well we more heavily grassed the front of the pit blind.
We had birds respond to the decoys with aggressive calling. But they kept flaring at the last moment. So for one we covered up our decoy bags next to the blind which we realized stood out and may have been a factor. Also we changed tactics by going silent the moment the birds were turned. Last year it had required calling all the way into the decoys or they never would commit. But this year, going silent was the ticket. Though they never would commit to landing, they would circle several times and eventually make a low pass.
The crew.
Looking cool in B&W
My shelf. Don't laugh at my choice of Cigar. I was on a budget.
Our two main volleys that rained Geese had lots of memorable moments with it. With no dog, cripples to chase.
I was standing next to a dead goose and talking to the guys and noticed they were looking at me funny. Then I felt something hanging onto my leg. I was being attacked by what I thought was a dead goose. I did not have to chase it to pick it up, it chased me.
We were placing the kills into the spread to add as decoys and what had been a dead limp goose suddenly stands up and runs away as if it had been playing possum the entire time waiting for a chance to make a break for it. Hunt partner Jason eventually caught it. I was laughing to hard to help.
A couple other moments. I made the call to "take em". It was the first volley of the morning after adding more grass to the blind. We all stood up throwing grass on each other and no one could see what they were shooting at. We all missed.
Oh and when pit blind hunting, never ever let anyone in your hunt party eat gassious foods the night before a hunt!
Geese still flying after 11:30
Good time had by all.
