Does anyone hunt geese?

[Japhy]

I’ve met many AZ hunters and NOT ONE has EVER been goose hunting. In the Midwest it’s big. I was not a fan after freezing my —— off before dawn finally downing a goose after a half box of pricy ammo, then bringing home the worst tasting game I’d ever eaten. I didn’t goose hunt after that.

[Zee]

I’ve been once. Years ago.
Wasn’t I’ve decoys or calls. We just hid in the harvested corn rows of a field and pass shot as they thousands flew over. It was fun and the geese tasted amazing. Smoked and wrapped in foil with brown sugar and onions.
I’d love to go on a real goose hunt some time. Decoys and calling. I think it would be a fun experience to do at least once on a grand scale.

[Chiro1989]

I have in the past, can’t say I have ever had bad goose, hunting with a thermos of Irish cream and coffee is never a bad thing

[jbp-ohio]

If you like the dark meat on a turkey, you may be more inclined to like goose. Had it once for Christmas dinner. It's was ok.

[fisheadgib]

I’ve met many AZ hunters and NOT ONE has EVER been goose hunting. In the Midwest it’s big. I was not a fan after freezing my —— off before dawn finally downing a goose after a half box of pricy ammo, then bringing home the worst tasting game I’d ever eaten. I didn’t goose hunt after that.

Migratory birds generally follow the same routes every year (ducks, dove, geese) and if you happen to be near a flyway, people will be into hunting that species. A source of food and water is kinda important along a flyway and Arizona doesn't have any major flyways passing through it. I hunted Canadian geese as a kid in Wisconsin and up there it wasn't much of a challenge. The Horicon Marsh has the biggest migration of Canadian geese in the world and it's not very challenging to harvest one. My mom used to chase them out of her garden with a broom.

[sakodude]

You only have to go to the golf course to find them here. They do frown on you shooting them there however

[rberg]

Does taking one with an Explorer count? No real excuse for not hunting them, Just have not hunted any since moving to North Dakota.
And yes they are very good cooked in the smoker.

[jaywapiti]

When I lived in Texas during duck & goose season we would hunt Anahuac NWR every tues. & thurs , mostly snows and speckled bellys, some canadians, IIRC limit was 5 whites & 2 blacks, when i moved to Wisconsin it was mainly canadians, in Wisc we hunted Fish Lake and the farmland around Grantsburg. I never liked eating ducks or geese so i gave away all i killed to friends or local food banks.

JAY

[CPJ 2.0]

Never had a Canadian goose.

[CPJ 2.0]

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[Freezer]

I hunted duck and geese in Ca. I like Canadian and speckle bellies. We called snow geese sky carp. They made ok sausage. There is not a lot of duck or goose hunting in SW Pa. I have to travel 3.5 hrs north.

[CPJ 2.0]

There’s a fly way over where I hunt. Back many years ago when we’d spend two days on the weekend from dusk till dawn in the stand we’d see a bazillion of them overhead. You’d hear them for a long time before and after they flew by. Pretty neat to see that many birds make a flyby.

[shotgunshooter3]

I never have (haven't hunted any game birds actually) but I am curious about it...

[CPJ 2.0]

I never have (haven't hunted any game birds actually) but I am curious about it...

I know a place you could get a Canadian goose.

[T'owd Mon]

Only occasionally. I used to like to take the big double 8 bore but have not shot it in England since the lead ban. I last used it in Scotland where lead can still be used if not over wetlands. I shoot cormorant under licence to protect a fishery and stand on a dam between two lakes. Geese pour over me all the time; both Canadas and Greylags. I don't bother but someone wanted a goose so, loaded with 3 1/2" steel 1's in a Winchester SX4 and not a one showed up to go over. After a few trips a single Greylag came over and was bagged. I then again waited ages for another and dropped that. As soon as the season ended at the end of January they started pouring over me again.

Normal situation:

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The one that was unlucky:

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[shotgunshooter3]

I never have (haven't hunted any game birds actually) but I am curious about it...

I know a place you could get a Canadian goose.

Color me interested. I have a concern, however: Does taking out a member of the Canadian Air Force count as friendly fire?

[FJB]

Been hunting ducks and geese for almost 60 years now and still love it. Both ducks and geese, depending on species, most are great tablefare if not overcooked. Pressure smoked Canada geese and most puddle ducks except Shovelers are prime vittles when done correctly.

[Japhy]

I always enjoyed duck hunts. The early teal season in N Missouri was first rare. Usually mallards and pintails in the regular season. I thought baked goose was awful. the goose season was later and colder since it’s wet, all sitting and no moving.

[Freezer]

Just a cool duck/goose hunting story. I was teaching my son's friend, Slick, to hunt. He had just gotten back from Iraq, where he had had a bad time of it. This day we went to the refuge for waterfowl and we couldn't get a blind. I knew he wouldn't want to be on the firing line with a bunch of other hunters, so I took him to the south forty of the refuge. I took him to a pond that was 400 yards long and 100 yards wide. Near one corner was a tooley island for cover, and that's where we set the decoys. It was an impressive spread set just right with an open landing area in front of him. At the edge of the tooleys in front of him, I set a Greater Snowy Egret decoy as a confidence decoy. The Egret will detect trouble and be the first bird in the air.

It was a blue bird day and at shoot time the only thing flying were Spoonies, Greater Northern Shovelers. We don't shoot Spoonies, they taste like liver! After an hour, even they stopped flying. Slick was sitting on his swamp stool playing around with his phone, and I was watching all the cool little birds twittering in the reeds. On the other side of the pond near its edge was a Greater Snowy Egret, dabbling around for food. I sat in admiration as this big bird took to flight, glided just feet above the water and did a slow bank toward our island. Little did I know he had love on his mind!

Slick was sitting on his swamp stool, head down, phone in hand, engrossed in what he was doing as the Egret approached the decoy. Suddenly, his wings flipped back and feet dropped, he was going to land on Slick's shoulders! When that bird's feet touched down, Slick came off of that stool dancing, stomping, waving his hands and talking in tongues like a Jehovah's Witness. The bird wasn't faring much better as they exchanged pleasantries, both trying to recompose themselves and get away from each other. Slick's gun and stool were now in the water, but he didn't drop the phone. I wish I could say I admired that bird as it flew away, I was laughing so hard I almost fell off my stool!

[Freezer]

Waterfowl hunting isn't much different than any other style of hunting, you just need the right gear. I have breathable waders and can layer up under them. A good waterproof parka, the right base layers, something to sit on, and you're set. Some folks choose to be mobile and that can be productive too. A bike with a couple baskets can be the key to finding waterfowl, there's also jump shooting. I enjoyed sitting in a pit blind with a stadium seat, flip covers, and my lunch. Layout blinds are great for fields but can be too comfortable, snoring doesn't call in many geese.

[Orchidman]

I have hunted 4 different species of ducks, 2 different species of geese, quail, pheasants, swamp hens, swan etc, in short, all the legal game birds both upland and waterfowl available in NZ.
Nothing beats getting camo'd up, setting a spread of decoys and then relying on your ability to talk to the birds in such a way that they fly towards you in anticipation of getting an invitation to your place for dinner....
Hunting geese/waterfowl can be very long periods of boredom with interspersed brief intense periods of excitement and adrenaline for most people.
For me, I never get bored during the long periods of inaction. I spend my time watching sea birds and other wildlife going about their daily chores ....or either reminiscing of past hunts or using the time to reflect on life without all of the normal daily distractions like other people.....
There is something extremely rejuvenating and serene about the time spent....sort of like fishing but more intense.

And, I have had some of my best 'redneck ideas' while sitting in my duck blind .........

[Jayhawker]

Was an avid waterfowl hunter for years...and have shot a lot of geese...as far as tablefare...geese suffer from the same problem as most waterfowl...people just don't know how to cook them...overcooking renders a plate of tough, livery meat...undercooked fowl is just gross...there's a sweet spot that when you hit it produces delectable meat...I like it with a plum sauce or apple cranberry chutney...

[Zee]

A couple of the hunters I’ve taken for pigs are avid waterfowl hunters. I might his them up for taking me duck/goose hunting as a trade.

[CPJ 2.0]

A couple of the hunters I’ve taken for pigs are avid waterfowl hunters. I might his them up for taking me duck/goose hunting as a trade.

I’ll give you a Canadian goose in a few weeks.

[Freezer]

Specklebelly are the best!