# hunting Canadas from a boat ???



## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

I have not persued Canadas alot (by themselves) We always put out a dozen to the side of our SOB spread & got a few now & then.

I have a island that has quite a few on it now - in Big water - not alot of cover on the small island -more dead trees & some green brush - Not big enough to hide boat & cover up - would be best if I got someone to drop me off & come back & get us - ???

Also know a shore line on big water thats posted, but water is open - with tons of Canadas - a few dead trees in the water

How many floaters should a guy have - would a 1/2 doz in water & 1/2 doz - for the island be ok ??? & just a 1/2 doz in the water for the other spot ??? I have another slough that has lots of ducks & Canadas resting on shore - Looks like all will be slaughter locations on opener -

Do you sneak in while dark & set up ??? or chase em away (or wait for them to go feed at 1st light & set up & wait for them to return ???

I'll watch there feeding patterns (& may set up in the field)- but would rather hunt them on the water - someone is going to do it :roll: why not me ??? I might as well become a greedy killer - get while the gettin is good type like most others - you can be sure that as soon as the NR's arrive they won't be there

Have I been seduced by the dark side ???

They have to be about out of molt ??? but not much activity in the air yet.

Lots of Barley harvested & other small grains in the DL to GF area.


----------



## MNhunter (Oct 20, 2002)

Sounds like a roost???

I would recommend not shooting it if you want to be sucessfuly later in the season...


----------



## Qwack (May 25, 2002)

Find some water along their flightline to feeding areas that they aren't using as a roost and set up there. Surprisingly enough, you can often call them in to your water spread, even if they are on their way out to feed. You can also get them on their way back home. We use anywhere from 18 to 36 water decoys. I tried using land decoys with floaters twice. Once it worked and once it didn't


----------



## Dean Nelson (Mar 3, 2002)

Well Fetch if this is in the same body of water you hunt in the fall go ahead and hunt it. I think you should do fine with that number of decoys with a little calling.


----------



## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

MnHunter (is this Al) ??? -Yeah right now it is (a roost) But like I said - it won't be long - So should a guy take advantage of it & get one great shoot ??? Or pass & someone else will ??? This has become a real problem / concern in lots of waterfowl hunting areas. Roosts have changed so much (high water - posting / leasing - more boats in ND than ever ??? I wonder in States like Minn & Wisconsin how much this has affected their hunting(all the boats & # of hunters) & less access ??? You do learn that, from a boat, you have more opportunity, than from land in many areas - But your screwing up hunting for the field shooters ??? Let em eat :wink:

& a layout hunter would really have some great hunting opportunity


----------



## Qwack (May 25, 2002)

Well, MN lead the nation in Canada goose harvest last year and they probably also lead the nation in # of boat hunters. If the theory on shooting the roost was airtight, wouldn't Iowa be leading the nation in harvest? :lol:


----------



## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

So are Canada's just too dumb to leave/ change roosts, or do they just find another roost with more hunters ready for them


----------



## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

I wouldnt shoot the roost, why screw up the rest of your season, when that roost can build in to BIG numbers???


----------



## FACE (Mar 10, 2003)

Fetch: You could pass on hunting the roost but I would put money on it that if anyone else knows about it it will be a race to see who gets it first!!!!!!!!!!! In Iowa, I would hunts with a guy from there who has hunted a lake all the time. the birds roost on the south side and we hunt their flyway way on the north side. But last year some one jumped their roost at sunrise and screwed up the whole hunt! :******: With all their shooting the geese starting flying everywhere all at once! We only had one group of 5 birds fly over us and then we were all done! :******: In years past there would be about 15 flocks of 3-25 birds flying over which covered about an hour and a half which was a blast! Then after our limits we would usually watch the rest of them fly over until they were all gone feeding. No shots over 30 yds too!!! It used to be a blast! :******: Anyway, You might as well do what you think is best, whatever that might be I don't blame you!!!!!!!! :beer:


----------



## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

PS...there are a **** load of Canada's out there this year  Never seen anything like it


----------



## MRN (Apr 1, 2002)

Fetch,

The "roost" has become a hypothetical construct of almost mythical proportions around here. Geese, like ducks, are smart and simply respond to pressure. Shoot them, anywhere, water or land, and they don't go back there. They go somewhere else for safety. That should be called the second law of waterfowling. (The first law is "birds don't like being shot at.")

The whole "shooting the roost" has been perverted from the original use. Originally the idea was not to shoot birds where you find them in the morning - you might get one or two, but they won't come dribbling back all morning long. They are much less likely return. The old books suggest it was OK to simply push them gently off their roosting spot - then set up - then they'll come dribbling back all morning long. If my geneology is correct, expanded use of the term came about with the whole afternoon goose hunting issue. Shoot them in the middle of the big water in the late evening (where they intend to roost) and they will move to some other water to roost. They probably won't return to their evening field the next morning, so field hunters knew someone must have "shot the roost". Now "shooting the roost" is used whenever someone else disturbs the pattern of the birds field hunters have scouted.

Like duck hunting, the best way is something like Qwack suggests - set up in intermediate areas - between the big water they may have roosted-up on (slept) and where they may be going to feed - or on a mid-day loafing pond.

The more options you have, the better off you are. The thing that worries me the most about hunting geese on water is the possible violence from some nut-job field hunter who feels offended. Dead serious on that.

Qwack,
the funny thing, many serious folks in Iowa have boats and hunt geese on water too.

M.


----------



## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Hey Fetch I understand your thinking, BUT, If your not part of the solution your part of the problem!!


----------

