# residents



## ganderlander (Oct 9, 2003)

Im hunting a lake with huge mud flats. My problem is that the geese dont ever seem to leave the area to feed. They essentially have everything they need. My question is, do you think its possible to walk into the flats in the dark (which will scare them out) and set up a few doz decoys and have any reasonable expectations for success when the sun comes up?


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Well here are some suggestions. Make 100% sure that the geese are not going somewhere to feed and that your not shooting a roost. I have not really seen too many geese stay on water for days on end. Ducks are another story. Those geese must be getting up for exercise or something. I would say you may have some good shots at pass shooting on high wind days. You don't want to be too close to the birds on the water as once you start shooting well most of the birds will probably fly off. You may try scaring them off. I know it works for ducks. I just think that they have to be flying at some point of the day. Got any more details you can give????


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Pretty odd to have geese not leave........they have to be eating something?

I've never had success in "pushing" dark geese in hopes of a return, and we've tried it a couple times on rare occasions. Ducks are a given if you don't shoot, but the geese catch on...

My .02


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

yaa that is what I am saying. Even in Cold Bay AK where the geese feed on the eel grass they still go out to the Tundra to get on land and eat some blue berries. High Tide may have something to do with that. I would say spend a day just watching them. Geese don't like to get pushed off of an area. They will leave. They may come back but like Chris said they catch on quick and will find other places.


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## ganderlander (Oct 9, 2003)

they are staying on the mud flats on the edge of the water and apparently eating eht new green chutes of grass growing on the flats. The grass line is about 50 yards from the water should I set up there? Ive done alot of scouting and have never seen them leave this general area at all throught the day??????????


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

I would say yes as long as all the birds are not right there meaning that they are flying to that grass and not just swimming 50 feet to it. Other if that is what they are doing then you may only get one shot. If they are flying from the other side of the lake (not sure how big the lake is) then you may be fine. You may have to work with the wind so it does not carry the sound of your shots towards the resting birds.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Okay...in the warm weather it makes sense they're eating the shoots. When a cold spell comes through I can guarantee you they'll be gunning for barley or corn. In the meantime....tough call. You'll have to push them off gracefully in order to set up...but whether they come back or not is questionable, and if you plan on hunting the surrounding fields later you're burning that opportunity for those birds...assuming they'll move to another roost or out of the area.

I'd see what they do when this slight cold spell comes in tomorrow.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

With the warm weather I am seeing the geese on the local urban lake leave after dark to go feed and here them come back just before daylight. They spend most of the day grazing on the green grass around the urban lake or on the water. I would wait until this front mves through to see if things change.

These same geese up to the warm temps had been leaving early morning then again in the late afternoon.

Chris I saw four on Bluemont today that have a pink band around the neck. Have any that you have taken around town here had these same bands?


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Any other geese around? Sounds to me like this could be a waste of time until they decide to go out to feed. I would find some other birds, by the time you figure these birds out, somebody is going to jump shoot em and all your work will be wasted. Good luck!


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