# what makes you different?



## hungoverhunter (Apr 10, 2013)

What, in your eyes, makes you better at goose hunting or more successful then the next guy. Not trying to measure dicks here just trying to see if anyone will let their small secrets, or big, out of the bag. Take it easy i could really careless, just bored and interested.


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## tilley (Jul 28, 2011)

Well I know the guys with the big trailers with lots of stickers must be really, really good. They are probably "pro staffers"..man that would be cool to be one of them..


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## teamflightstoppersND (Feb 20, 2009)

Well anyone can be successful with a trailer of decoys and fancy equipment. Being a pro staffer can have its advantage but the whole meaning if hunting can be overshadowed by all the marketing. To me it's all about the experience with friends and family. Shooting a ton of birds is awesome but shooting a few is still great. I really enjoy taking out first timers to introduce them to the sport and to share the good times in the field. I like to share all the knowledge I have gained and keeping secrets would be just selfish (except for my favorite spots).

My advice is to lighten up all the pressure and relax and enjoy your hunts. Being serious about just the killing of tons of birds is mot what makes you successful.

My four big tips

1. Location location location. Scout out the spot where the birds are feeding. My advice is to find less obvious areas when hunting pressure is low.

2. Conceal yourself well. Cutoff sharp angles around blinds. This is really important for pressured birds. I have shot birds before with bare blinds and with doors open. It all depends on how educated the birds are.

3. Unless your a near professional caller flagging is way more important than calling. When it doubt put down the call and put a flag in your hand.

4. Some people can't hunt all morning but if you can wait out in the field for late flocks. It can turn a bird less hunt into one you will never forget. Also, Never Give Up! If your top fields are taken don't go back home. Hunt the areas you know birds have been flying or some that only had a couple dozen if birds. Sometimes those fields have been better than the fields we intended to hunt. Some of the best fields we scouted yielded the least success.

This comes from a guy that had a trailer with 14 dozen decoys. Sold half of them and the trailer because I realized I didn't need them to enjoy the sport. My hunts have been just as successful and memorable. Good luck to all this spring and next fall!


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

x2 on what teamflightstoppers stated.

#1.... Scout scout and scout
#2.... Hide your blinds and everything to perfection. My theory is if you think your blind is stubbled good enough....take 10 more minutes stubbling your blind....then you think it is good enough....take 5 more minutes... then you might be good enough...HAHA. I know it is over kill but that is the most important thing in my book.

I am not a great caller at all. But one thing I have noticed is if you have 2-3 guys all calling. Let one guy take the lead with the honks, clucks, and what not. Let him hammer away. The other two guys do single clucks or honks along with murmurs of a feeding flock. this seems to put many birds in closer ranges for us more times than not. It is the less is more approach.

Same thing with the less is more approach can work with decoys as well.....sometimes you don't need the 100 doz spreads you only need the 2 doz. But again it all depends on the first two things i mentioned.....scouting and your hide.

But here is the thing that is why I love waterfowl hunting. things change so many times in the year and their is no #1 secret out there. You always need to be evolving as a hunter and caller. One day you need to hammer at the birds to get them to commit....other days a single honk will get them to put their feet down. One day you need every decoy in your possession and then some to get a bird to be feet down. Next day you only needed 6 decoys.

I have told myself that if I don't learn something new in a season maybe it would be time to sell my decoys and give it up. Well that hasn't happened yet. :thumb:

But enjoy your time out their with friends and family. Even enjoy the times it is just yourself.... take in the sunrises and sunsets and think.... A bad day hunting beats any good day at work!


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