# Spooky geese



## smalls (Sep 9, 2003)

Hunted a great field on Saturday morning, too bad are set up wasn't the greatest. Something (I believe tire tracks) spooked all the birds at about 75-80 yards in front of the decoys. The first flock was a group of about 250 lessors, then many groups of 10-50 bigguns a while later. Probably had 500+ birds lock up then flare off on us. Most circled three or four times then ended up scooting off.

The most disappoint part was scouting later that night onlywhen 10 birds came off the roost slough (our field was several miles away). I don't know if it was our setup that spooked them out of the area or if the hellacious north wind on saturday blew them out.

I did notice several other fields that had been holding several hundred snow geese also didn't have any birds left on them.

Anyone have any similar experiences?


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## smalls (Sep 9, 2003)

One thought came to me just after I posted. Perhaps pheasant hunters hunting grass around the roosts could have spooked them.

Anyway, it looks like I will be waiting for new birds around home as the rest are gone. Still quite a few ducks though.


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## Eric Hustad (Feb 25, 2002)

We had the same thing happen to us. We watched over 500 Canadas come into the field and the next morning they were really spooky and fed in a field about a half mile away. We did get into a pretty good mallard shoot so it wasn't a complete bust, but we need some new birds down otherwise pheasants here I come...


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

We were set up in a bean field that had about a hundred Canadas on it on Thursday night. There were also several sloughs on the field that were holding Ducks. Well, come Friday am we had about 70 geese coming right in so we let the two committed ones go(dumb), and the others slid off with that strong wind and then landed about 75 yards behind us in the same field. None of the ducks would come in. I thought we were very well camo'd in the final approach blinds and had out24 bigfoots, a dozen shells and 20 duck decoys. I thought we had 'em but they fooled us. The strong wind had the birds flying low but they seemed jumpy.????? :eyeroll:


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

Welcome to mid october hunting boys. Birds that have been getting pounded for weeks are learning the game. Most of the geese that we have been getting have been circling and circling and it takes a bunch of calling to get them in. We just need new birds. Huge spreads of goose decoys help too. But we need migrators pretty badly to get good feet down shooting again.


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## smalls (Sep 9, 2003)

I am glad I am not the only one... I have always had trouble with the lessers circling but never had any problems with the big guys. It didn't help that we had several newbies with and there were only two of us calling, and the other guy had a flute.


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## backwater (Jan 29, 2003)

We had the exact same thing happen last week while in harvey, we set up on a field that had about 400+ lessers and arround 100 greaters and the big flocks of lessers would set and they flare about 75 yds out. We talked it over and the next day we set up on a different group of birds but only used 18 foots and 12 grand mag shells a they did not think twice. The day before we put out about 75 deks. Try using less deks.


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## stoeger (Aug 20, 2003)

Hey backwater that was awsome watching them poor suckers commiting. We definately have to do it again sometime.


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## Nate (Sep 11, 2003)

I think Gandergrinder said it the best. We need the migration to get into full swing. Too many educated birds around. Just my .02


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

When the birds get pressured, they can't get patterned. We're witnessing a lot of birds not feeding in the same field twice, feeding once a day, and a lot of small flocks hanging out alone. Heck we scouted a bean field Friday night with about 300 big boys and they were all within 20 yards of the crest...and it looked like the tallest hill in the county! (couldn't find a plan B and hunted it....kind of weird having birds coming at you from BELOW)


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

GG we dont need new birds, if we have a big enough spread we will do just fine. But it will be fun when the migrators roll in!!!


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

While setting up the spread sunday morning I noticed that flocks of honkers where flying around and landing in 2 different fields.This was at 5:00AM.I figured well I will at least get a good nap in.Then at about 8:00 two guys jump the waterfowl rest area I was hunting by.No wonder the geese are so paranoid.


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## Leggie (Sep 15, 2003)

One thing you may try on windy days is setting your dekes behind you about 75-80 yards, it seems to work well for us. Down here in Kansas we get alot of windy days and therefore, oncoming birds have more time to hang around in the wind, looking things over and it never fails, they pitch out because there is something they don't like. Either lack of movement, blinds or pits that are not 100% covered, or just the mere fact that they can pick out a decoy. Set the decoys behind you about 75-100 yards so by the time they decide they don't like it, it's too late!!!


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

That is a good suggestion and is something I found was very effective on late season hunting geese in TX (January and on). One hunt I was on, I moved several times to get to the side of the huge decoy spread we were using and was extrememly successful.

So, if the geese are wary, and there is some wind, either leave someone in the decoys to call and shoot, and have the others move out to the sides or in front - just watch the geese and see what they do. Not much you can do when the geese do not want to go where your spread is located...


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