The Goose Smackdown

[BilletHead]

So we take a play out of BirdWatcher's play book. Do a looooong scout trip. At the far extreme of our hunting territory more than forty miles away one way. Looking at a river or field hunt. What did we find? Other Hunters? What the heck? The first place a river and field combo was a couple of guys I know and they did good the day before and were going to hunt it again. We moved on to place number two. Get there to see a black SUV pulling a rather large enclosed trailer around the field. I turned around and waited and when they seen me they drove out. I t was a Cadillac Escalade with big rims and tiny tires. I said seeing anything? No just scouting. So where are you from. Lake of the Ozarks, we have been watching ducks on Stockton and trying to find where they are going. I said do you know who owns this place. The driver studders. Well so in so said so in so owns it and that they don't care who hunts it. Mrs. BilletHead pokes me in the side and quietly says calm down. I do and we drive off. So home we go and discuss what to try. I give her our options for an afternoon hunt. Either go to the nearest field we can hunt that is next to a roost pond that has a couple hundred mallards and give it a whirl. This is a crap shoot as the roost lake is surrounded by two miles by one mile of field we cannot hunt. Told her I did not think we would have much of a chance at those birds. Other choice is for geese. A bigger crap shoot. At home we stare at each other. What are we going to do. Well how about the geese? So there is a place, a mega roost and a no go zone. Holding maybe three hundred geese. I guess not a mega roost to some but it is to us. Well they have kept this place open and it has been kind of cold and they did not fly out this morning at 7 degrees. With the hard South West Wind and a warm up to 36 I knew there would be a big fly out this afternoon to find grub. Only problem is the closest field was a heavy disked corn field,. More dirt than corn stalks. I have only seen geese there twice this season and it was cruddy weather when they stayed close to the roost. I had and have no idea where they were really going to feed so it would be one of those lucky traffic hunts where you would only hope you might get one to drop in on there way out. Took every full body I had and a dozen shells/ This gave us four dozen decoys. Needed twice to three times that many I think. We find a burm of sorts where a terrace/catch basin in the field was. Nice deep fescue to hide in. Mrs. BilletHead set up and grassed the layouts. I scatter the decoys. Most in the field but a few up on the raised burm. Set up by 3:30 . Shooting time ends tonight at 5:17. Lay and relax as the wind kicks up dirt across the field. Things start to happen with twenty speckle bellies flying over and they even turned and set wings for a second and then fly off. Wow that was neat. Then flocks start coming off the roost. Fifty, sixty fly over just cocking their heads as they fly over. This isn't looking good I tell the Mrs. Another large mass comes over and several do their twisting turning di do's I call it and the whole group begins to circle. It is going to happen, it is! and they set wings and land way out of range! Crapola I said. More coming and landing out of range. Then more and I bet we had a hundred too far out. Then a group started trotting across the dirt our way. hehehe I mean they are moving fast across the field to us and them more geese circling to come in. I thought there isn't room and they will have to land in our spread. The runners on the ground are now in our decoys and still closing the gap to our blinds. I say hey lets just pop up and shoot them. Mrs. Says we will be shooting our decoys. I say it won't happen as when we get up so will they. So up we go and up they go trying to fight the wind and they roll right to us and we shoot and five drop. Mrs. said She shot twice and got the two she shot at so I suppose the other three make my limit. We start to laugh as there are now geese going everywhere heading out of the field. We gather our birds and the Mrs. says She is happy with five and should we go home? Heck no look more birds coming off the roost. We hunker back down and all these want in. First two break off and sail right in front of us. I mean close and I tell her to shoot. So close you could see their beady black eyes. Up she goes and one shot last bird down. I thought that bird will be bad, shot up bad but nope one in the head and two to the neck. Well done bride of mine. We snap a photo and pick up. A full half hour before quitting time. The smile says it all. I would rather be lucky than good. She thinks I'm special but wouldn't be that way without her,

[Nathan Shaw]

Awesome!

[Boobie]

It doesnt get any better than that!!!! Cool beans.

[Boobie]

Billet, Your living the dream for me. Been home sick with the flu for last 7 days. Thanks

[Feathers and Fins]

way to go Marty and Pat. way to go

[Bird Watcher]

You have my utmost respect. A well planned and intentional field traffic hunt for local Canadas that resulted in a full limit. It's a sign of a goose hunter that has studied and intimately learned the stimulus, habits, and tendencies of his quarry.

IMO, there is nothing in Canada goose hunting more satisfying than shooting them someplace they weren't planning on going.

[JohnP]

Awsome hunt and great pic BH.

[mhowerton]

Nice hunt.

[cpriest]

That's an awesome hunt. Well done.