# Another failed Season



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Well another failed season for my spring snow goose hunting :******: This is now the 3rd failed season.

I went scouting wed this last week and found some good fields north of jamestown. I felt pretty confident in my location. There were geese coming in everywhere to this field. Woke up at 12:45 AM the next day and drove 2 hours to the field. I then proceeded to try to drive into the field. It was pretty snow covered and we had my dads pickup. We got to the approach and started digging down and decided to just carry in by hand. Well me and my dad carried 12 dozen shells and 20 dozen socks, blinds, ecaller, shells, guns, and food and misc stuff 1/2 mile out into the field. Well after 4 trips each and nearly having a heart attack it was time to set up.

WE got our decoys set up in an open area in the corn field where the geese were feeding the other day. It was about 100 yard stretch by about 30 yards wide of open corn and the rest was snow. So we set up our decoys and had a strong wind and thought we had a good set up. Well it was pouring rain, thunder, lightning in the morning leading to a late leave of the birds which was ok gave us some extra set up time. I found out that 12 dozen shells are a PITA for 2 people to set up and am never buying another shell ever!!!!! HAHA.

It started out good with the first time using the homemade ecaller in the field. A larger flock of about 1500 snows came in. Came in fast and kind of at a bad angle shot and didn't get any. So we decided to turn the blinds to get a better angle. Well the geese that we just shot at landed further out in this field. Then the rest of the geese that should have came into our decoys decided to join the first group we shot at that landed in the field.

I did have a ton of specs and canadians keep trying to land. It was very annoying to have these birds that I cant shoot 5 yards in front of me hovering over my decoys.

Well the rain cleared and it became sunny and the snow melted rapidly. SO we decided to move the spread into a more open area rather than waste the whole day. So 2 more hours of dragging decoys further into the field to more open area of corn. Well all the mean time the geese continued landing out with those other geesee. After getting the spread setup my dad decided to try to scare the geese out of our field to give us less competition. They just kept flying further out until finally they just left the area. Well then we sat the rest of the day watching large flocks of migrators flying very very high with a strong wind pushing them north fly over our decoys.

Things I learned!

1. I am buying a 4X4 this summer because there is no bird out there worth that much work.
2. Stick with sock style decoys they weight nothing and take no time vs setting up shells.
3. I need to figure out how to get some snow geese! I have better luck in the fall vs spring I have never shot a goose over decoys in the spring but have in the fall? This is where I need your help.

I also have a question what happened to the blue geese? When the geese flew over low and when we saw other snows flying over they were not blues with them. They were specs. They looked like juvies because they were juvie specs they had grey wings with the speckly belly. Is this because it was so late in the year that the specs got more mixed in when the snows were waiting to fly north?

What do you guys think I need to improve on? How do you get them high migrators to come in? Or is it just luck and timing?


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## Trapperjack (Feb 25, 2007)

1st thing you should've done is run the live flock out of the field. This is almost always the case once in awhile you can feed off the live flock but they attrack amost all the new geese coming to the field.
As for no blues. The birds you suspected were specs in with the flocks of snows were indeed juvy blues. Gray wings and imature feathers on the chest are common for them this time of year. It takes awhile to get it all down pat.


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## GK1 (Oct 20, 2008)

You still have 2 weeks of hunting left. Why give up after 1 bad day? If every snow goose hunter gave it up after getting his arse handed to him there wouldnt be a single goose hunter left. It happens to the best of us more than we like to admit. Go scouting in the next week and you will find some juvies in the jamestown area. One day of juvie shooting will make you feel like a pro. Until the next time they kick your but.


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## Condn (Jul 16, 2010)

Yup, sounds like it's all over for you this year. We shot our last birds of the year this past Saturday in Iowa near the Mo. border... I'd say you have plenty of time.


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## thedeerhunter1982 (Apr 7, 2011)

lol only three seasons man this is my 5 th season of getting my arse handed to me .i have never shot a snow or blue yet but damed if i am going to quit at this point .just keep trying and dont give up try something different everyday and remember to have fun.


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## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Thanks guys. Well it is the end of the season for me because I have a bunch of things coming up preventing me from hunting. I think next year I am going to plan to hunt the juvies.

Also does anyone have a pic of what a juvy blue's belly looks like? I have tried google but couldn't find one. I am curiuos because I had entire groups of what I thought were juvie specs. The grey wings and whiteish bellies with some grey.

I have yet to hunt late in the season like I have heard of with the juvies. It seems to me that I always can't find birds. Maybe I just don't put enough on scouting once the main groups left.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Juvie Blues and Specks look almost identical.The differences are that the Speck has yellow feet and bill.The juvie blues are grey.Plus the Blue has a white patch under the head.


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## Sask hunter (Sep 11, 2008)

It's not a failed season because you learnt something wich will help you bag some next year.


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## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

Codeman said:


> I did have a ton of specs and canadians keep trying to land. It was very annoying to have these birds that I cant shoot 5 yards in front of me hovering over my decoys.


If this is annoying, I might suggest finding a new hobby. It's not about the killing, have fun with the experience my man!

But I do agree with you, walk-in field hunts can be a real pain.


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## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok sweet I feel better cuz they were specs. I was almost kicking myself in the butt. But they had orange beaks and orange feet. So they must have been specs. I could have shot my limit on them and canadians haha to bad they weren't in season. I at least got them to decoy so close they were honestly 5 yards in front of my blind and I got some to land then take off. I was hoping they would bring in some snows if they stayed.

I also learned that I need to have more people hunting to help in the setup and carrying of decoys if we have to walk in haha :lol: .

I should have taken some pics of my setup to get some pointers on it.

Do you guys really pack the decoys around your blinds to help in hiding them? I did that and had a probably 60 percent by my blinds in a large group to simulate feeding. Then I extended the rest out.


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

i dont.. it makes the blinds stick out as it "frames" them.


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## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok thanks maybe I will try not to.

So I was looking at some pics on here. I saw that they had taped or strapped a decoy or two to the door of the blind. Does this work pretty good?

Also maybe it is my scouting? How many days scouting you guys usually do before a hunt? This time I went out the afternoon before and just found a good field you know. Maybe I am rushing things and should be more patient and scout the area at least the evening and 1 day so that way I can see how the birds are working and then set up accordingly?

I am excited for early canada. Maybe I can practice some on canadians and use my experiences and apply it to the snows again in the fall. I am teaching my dad and uncle to call this summer so that will help in the fall with 3 people calling.


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## XFactor (Apr 4, 2011)

Might i suggest asking someone to go hunting with them that has been doing it for alot of years? Thats the best way to learn, its all about hands on! Good luck


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## Horker23 (Mar 2, 2006)

This is how we hide 4 blinds and 2 dog blinds


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

Horker23 said:


> This is how we hide 4 blinds and 2 dog blinds


that is awsome...

i space my dekes out a bit and set the blinds in with a bit of space between.. 
the only draw back is that shadows can become an issue late in the afternoon.. usualy though, by that time it is time to pick up and move..

here is how i hide in bare fields for canadas.. 5 blinds and a camera guy










i was goona post a pic of how i hide in wheat for snows, but i dont have any pics loaded just for that reason..


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## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Hmm... Maybe my concealment was a little problem?

Honestly in both those pictures I have a hard time spotting the blinds at all which obviously is how you want it.

Maybe I need to practice that some more. I am wondering if that is why. Because early in the morning we had a fog we got one flock to come in but once the fog cleared they would flare. SO we just figured it was cuz of our location. So we moved to more open corn. Maybe it was our concealment. I mean maybe what I need to do is step out in the field 25 to 50 yards from my blinds and if I can see them obviously the geese can, if not then that is pretty good. I usually take a pretty fair amount of time canadian goose hunting and hide them but due to time constraints that morning and running low and a lot of snow it was difficult to use corn cover that was in the field.

Also I might have to go on a hunt with someone who has done it for years. That is the best way to learn from the wise who already know what they are doing.










Here is a picture of my blind in a wheatfield after I was picking up decoys during early canada season. Does this look pretty good for cover?

EDIT: THe picture won't show up cuz photobucket is being weird I will try getting one up for you guys to see later.


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## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

What do you think of this? This is how my blinds are normally hidden. Obviously there would be decoys around them but just so you can see the blind.


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

canadas are not nearly as observant as snows... the mesh part needs to be well covered as your face is the most likey thing the birds will see..

remember that some of those birds are 20+ years old.. they have been around the block and have seen multiple spreads and lots of their kin fall victim...


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## Alrik-MN (Apr 15, 2011)

Blinds need to become invisible. Hunted a few cow pastures this spring and it took 2 and a half guys longer to stubble 7 blinds in a fencerow than it took 3 and half guys to set 1900 hundred decoys.
Every strap (if necessary depending on field type), every face mesh net needs to be covered. Forget ur blind even is camo because that sticks out like a soar thumb, you have to become 1 with the field. Make your blinds melt away so to speak. We had better luck putting our blinds side by side n filling in the gaps between blinds, less shadows, less bumps, just looks smoother, n safer in most cases and don't frame ur blinds by putting 15 sillosocks in the stubble straps, hide them, not just cover them. And look for an area in the field that can naturally help make ur blinds disappear, a low spot, a weedline, a certain area in the field that has more stubble, etc. Good luck n remember they're not canadas.


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

early goose is good practice, but if you can easily spot your blind, so can the geese


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## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok thanks guys.

How do you see if you have the stubble over the mesh? Also do you just use the straps right besides the mesh and have the grass or whatever go over the mesh?

I will definatley practice and fine tune my blind hiding skills. This has been my first year using a blind hunting and it has been the best investment ever. So much better laying in a warm blind. Also it is much easier to hide.

And thanks, I will have to pay more attention when scouting to look for potential blind spots. Such as little valleys stuff like that so I can make it lookk like the ground is flat across my blind if it is down in the valley. Also thanks I didn't know snows were more picky on the blinds, but I suppose there are way more eyes looking at your blinds at one time. Also thanks for the info about the decoys I will just hide the blind.


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

i do mine so that it droops over.. dont worry, you will be able to see fine.. the closer you are to a mass, the more obvious the holes are.. it like lots and lots of peep holes.. im to tired to explain it properly i guess..


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## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok well I can't wait to practice my blind hiding skills this summer in the early canada season.

I am pretty sure that was a majority of our problem was the blinds not being well hidden.


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