# The Early Season



## honkerslayr (Dec 14, 2006)

Well Since this early canadian season is over I was curious what everyone thought about it. Since it opened significantly earlier than past years, what was everyones overall opinions and success with it? I personally think it was quite a good idea. Well basically only because they added more time for the late winter season on the missouri, and also because they added sunday to an all day event as opposed to it closing at 1 p.m Because sometimes its not even worth going out when the birds get off the water once a day and it happens to be well after shooting time. But with the early season opening up earlier I sure noticed it being a heck of a lot warmer and less enjoyable while I was swatting mosquitos the whole time. But overall I think it was a good idea and we will see how that extra time will help us out. What does everyone else think?


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Around here the two weeks in August were a waste of time. Few fields were harvested and very few birds were moving around or even in evidence. I think many were still molting...

Didn't even get into birds until the first week of September...


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

I think it was probably the best early season I could imagine. Absolutely unbelievable. The first two weeks were good and the last two great! Absolutely a success!


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

First two weeks were mediocre for me. Last two were pretty awesome. I hope they change it back to Sept 1st next year, my wallet is already begging for mercy.


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## Large munsterlander1 (Feb 11, 2008)

We shot birds all throughout the season but i felt that it didn't get good until the last two weeks. I think Sept. 1 is best with a bigger limit.


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## CuttinDaisies (Nov 15, 2007)

If the early season is meant to reduce migrants... then yes, move it back to september 1. But if the season is meant to reduce locals, then I think they got it right.


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

Team shocker took down 178 geese this early season, Couldnt really have asked for anything better. I am a fan of the August season, all in all the mosquitos wernt bad at all, and the temps were nice.


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## kaiserduckhelm (May 26, 2005)

Glad you guys did well.

Do you guys that had better success at the end of early season think that the unusually cold weather pushed migrants in or the locals became more accessable later on?

I might have to make a budget trip up there next Aug....Honda civic, a trunk full of silos and some layout strapped to the roof. :beer:


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## Large munsterlander1 (Feb 11, 2008)

Down on the south end of the state we have are best luck later because the availabilty of fields. Not because the migrators have moved down. Where i hunt normaly i dont see mirgators until october


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## honkerslayr (Dec 14, 2006)

Large munsterlander1 said:


> Down on the south end of the state we have are best luck later because the availabilty of fields. Not because the migrators have moved down. Where i hunt normaly i dont see mirgators until october


The availability of fields I think played a big part in the hunts. In the central part of the state I hunted one weekend there were many harvested fields, then the next day I was in the eastern part where hardly any were cut, but when you found one that was cut=geese and you could already bet there were people hunting it. But the last few weekends we had were great for knocking them outta the sky, it was some of the best hunting we had! :beer:


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

For the way the birds acted and worked throughout the early season I'd say it definitely came in like a cat and left as a lion.


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## Myles J Flaten (Jan 31, 2008)

I think that the early season was a huge success! I agree with everyone that the last two weeks were much better, but all in all it was probably the best our group has ever done! 204 DOWN!!! And I still want to shoot more!! Its an addicting/expensive sport! haha :lol:


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## honkerslayr (Dec 14, 2006)

Myles J Flaten said:


> I think that the early season was a huge success! I agree with everyone that the last two weeks were much better, but all in all it was probably the best our group has ever done! 204 DOWN!!! And I still want to shoot more!! Its an addicting/expensive sport! haha :lol:


Ya expensive only kind of when you have to travel at least 45 miles before you hit a decent pothole or a field ha. but yes expensive is to say the least! just the gas part....shells are damn expensive too now....since I'm hooked on black cloud....whats next hevi shot?


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Everything we shot in Sept were locals. Some were so young they still had brown necks & white cheeks weren't fully in...


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I think if the harvest would have came off normal there would have been more places to hunt. Instead most of the birds right away stayed close to the roost. In the beginning of the season I didn't like it, but once we hit September the birds got easier to find away from the roost so it was better hunting. I hope they keep the season in August but at the same time if the do I might run out of money. :-?


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

The amount of migrators was extremely suprising. I couldn't believe how many geese came down so early. The fact that we are seeing snows and blues and lessers, and the tiniest of cacklers means there must be some serious push into the states. My friend up on the border has been seeing a lot more birds coming accross, and roosts that had 50 are now up to 400. That is one thing that GNF will have to evaluate. You know if they did more banding, they could probably figure that out.


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## CuttinDaisies (Nov 15, 2007)

goosebusters said:


> You know if they did more banding, they could probably figure that out.


True... it would also help if clowns wouldn't set up in the next field over from the banding site just to fill the lanyard.

But we don't need band recoveries to know that every year there is a good migration of birds sometime during the early season. I think they may have figured it out already, which is why they opened the season in mid-August.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

CuttinDaisies said:


> goosebusters said:
> 
> 
> > You know if they did more banding, they could probably figure that out.
> ...


Not too mention these banding site hunters are probably the same guys who should know better yet are killing lessers during the early season and posting up the pics and bragging about it..

If this keeps up you can bet in the future the season won't be into September much, if at all.


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

dblkluk said:


> Not too mention these banding site hunters are probably the same guys who should know better yet are killing lessers during the early season and posting up the pics and bragging about it..


But can you blame someone for shooting lessers, it is completely within their rights to do.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

goosebusters said:


> dblkluk said:
> 
> 
> > Not too mention these banding site hunters are probably the same guys who should know better yet are killing lessers during the early season and posting up the pics and bragging about it..
> ...


Yes I can if they know full well that they are lessers. (which is not hard to do.)
Any waterfowler who claims to be "hardcore" should know all too well why we have the early season...
For resident birds.

If a lesser gets taken out accidently..I won't point fingers, but when there are guys who are pulling the trigger on lessers just to add one more bird to the "pile" for pictures..
I'll call it out all day long.


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Well I'm not going to defend hypothetical diehard hunter. I've seen my fair share of cacks and can honestly say I haven't shot a single one this early season. But for the high school kid who goes out and shoots a few I'm not going to ream him for shooting a couple small canadas.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

goosebusters said:


> Well I'm not going to defend hypothetical diehard hunter. I've seen my fair share of cacks and can honestly say I haven't shot a single one this early season. But for the high school kid who goes out and shoots a few I'm not going to ream him for shooting a couple small canadas.


Like I said earlier, I won't fault a new hunter or the "accidental one" either, but its the guys who know better that are doing alot of the "back patting".


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

dblkluk said:


> goosebusters said:
> 
> 
> > dblkluk said:
> ...


Totally agree dblkluk!

It really isn't that hard to tell the difference if you are decoying them in close. Guys that are getting limits by 8 AM aren't having a hard time finding birds, and they can easily hold off on the cacks.

It isn't about limits. It's about lowering the resident giant populations.

Keep it in perspective folks. Just get the word out that we all should only be shooting the big ones right now for a few weeks.


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## greatwhitehunter3 (Sep 15, 2006)

one question. why are some of your saying you spent too much money? there is still a break between early goose and duck opener same as if it were later right? i dont know, just confused?!


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## CuttinDaisies (Nov 15, 2007)

R y a n said:


> It isn't about limits. It's about lowering the resident giant populations.


I know a certain "Team" around here that would totally disagree.


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

well since the lesser convo is about me I figured I will chime in. The two lessers we shot last weekend was not a 100% on purpose. The first flock of birds to come in right at shooting time was a whole flock of lessers, The last 2 weekends the birds have been coming in SILENT so... Ya maybe they looked a little small but its fair game, its not like we shot 3 limits of them, there was 2 shots and 2 dropped, if we didnt shoot them last weekend the kids would have shot at some this coming weekend and then everyweekend after that there fair game just like they were last weekend. We took 176 resident geese and 2 migrators, who knows of the 176 maybe half of them were migrators also,,this is done we can go look for somthing else to be a b!tch about.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

goosehunternd said:


> well since the lesser convo is about me I figured I will chime in. The two lessers we shot last weekend was not a 100% on purpose. The first flock of birds to come in right at shooting time was a whole flock of lessers, The last 2 weekends the birds have been coming in SILENT so... Ya maybe they looked a little small but its fair game, its not like we shot 3 limits of them, there was 2 shots and 2 dropped, if we didnt shoot them last weekend the kids would have shot at some this coming weekend and then everyweekend after that there fair game just like they were last weekend. We took 176 resident geese and 2 migrators, who knows of the 176 maybe half of them were migrators also,,this is done we can go look for somthing else to be a b!tch about.


I think you pointed the finger at yourself more than anyone else has.

This isn't the only website on the internet.

Threads titled "First chickens of the year" and "Got some migrators today"..are all over. :wink:


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

Not to be a jerk, but if they would have came into my spread they would have rained too! I am not prejudice against lessers either. That is why they shut the season down when they do so shooting lessers doesn't happen. If they come in they get shot just like all the rest of there buddies.


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

> This isn't the only website on the internet.


  Thats swearing

Nodak is the only reason I have internet


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

shooteminthelips said:


> Not to be a jerk, but if they would have came into my spread they would have rained too!.


haha atleast your honest about it.

honestly sometimes lessers are hard to tell when coming in unless they're mixed in with some giants


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## Large munsterlander1 (Feb 11, 2008)

I will take the blame for two lessers with jamey. It was the first flock to come in and it was exactly 2 minutes after shooting light. They came in slient and i took two birds. Until i picked the birds up i didn't know they were lessers. The first thing i said when i picked them up is holy shiat jamey they are lessers. Then i said is that legal? Whether it was or not i would of not shot them knowing they were lessers. So please excues me for making a mistake. I thought being humans that we were allowed to do that? But i guess not my bad!


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

once again, not to be a jerkoff here, but have any of you been around the s.central part of the state when the lessers come en' mass. there are more than plenty of the little buggers. you don't see even close to as many east, but there is a certain area where they rival flocks the size of their white brethren. just to give an idea, i've easily guesstimated 10,000 plus in a single field. their numbers may be down from long term goals, but they are not in any danger. taking a few in the early season is not going to do anything to the population. it is frowned upon by many, but just like anything and everything that is fought over on this site, is a matter of opinion.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Triple B said:


> once again, not to be a jerkoff here, but have any of you been around the s.central part of the state when the lessers come en' mass. there are more than plenty of the little buggers. you don't see even close to as many east, but there is a certain area where they rival flocks the size of their white brethren. just to give an idea, i've easily guesstimated 10,000 plus in a single field. their numbers may be down from long term goals, but they are not in any danger. taking a few in the early season is not going to do anything to the population. it is frowned upon by many, but just like anything and everything that is fought over on this site, is a matter of opinion.


As a guy who lives in the heart of lesser country and spends 90% of my time in Nov and Oct. chasing them, I have seen the big flocks during the migration. 
I also see huge flocks of Specks, Pintails and Canvasbacks each year (which all are well below population objectives) but does that mean we should be able to shoot one or two extra each day of the season? Of course not. but if they looked similar to the resident canada goose would it then be ok? 
Everyone complained about the Aug 15th opener..(Myself included) but the biologists were doing this for the simple reason of reducing the number of migrants that are taken during the typical Sept season. Now after learning more about why and when the season was being opened so early, I agree with it 100%

I agree that it is a hunters choice (opinion) on whether or not to pull the trigger on that flock of lessers, because it is not illegal. 
But as I posted elsewhere, we as waterfowl hunters need to stop worrying about impressing others by pictures of big piles of birds , or getting full limits everytime out , and instead learn more about the birds we hunt, the seasons we hunt and the reasoning for them.
In my opinion... we just need to police ourselves sometimes. :wink:


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

dblkluk said:


> In my opinion... we just need to police ourselves sometimes. :wink:


Very well put, it applies to a lot of aspects of hunting and fishing.


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## talkdirty2em (May 14, 2008)

why is there drama I feel like iam at a high school party. birds are comin in and if there not white theyre gettin cut up. so whats the big deal we are all here for the same purpose... to enjoy the hunt and keep the farmers happy :beer:


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

talkdirty2em said:


> birds are comin in and if there not white theyre gettin cut up. so whats the big deal we are all here for the same purpose...


And this is exactly why it will become an August season not a September season.
:wink:


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

talkdirty2em said:


> birds are comin in and if there not white theyre gettin cut up.


 :roll:


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## bornlucky (Jul 24, 2007)

My group shot about half the geese this year compared to last year. We hunted everyday of every weekend, too. The geese were totally unpredictable. Not that we didn't have fun, because we did.

My preference would be to start the season on Sept. 1.


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## CuttinDaisies (Nov 15, 2007)

bornlucky said:


> My preference would be to start the season on Sept. 1.


Me too.... if my goal was to shoot as many dumb migrants as possible. But that is not why we have an early goose season. The early goose season, just like the spring season, is not a favor to us hunters. It is a management practice being put in place by the USFWS, to reduce LOCAL canada goose numbers. Not to kill as many random migrators as possible. That is why they opened it August 15.


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

dblkluk said:


> Triple B said:
> 
> 
> > once again, not to be a jerkoff here, but have any of you been around the s.central part of the state when the lessers come en' mass. there are more than plenty of the little buggers. you don't see even close to as many east, but there is a certain area where they rival flocks the size of their white brethren. just to give an idea, i've easily guesstimated 10,000 plus in a single field. their numbers may be down from long term goals, but they are not in any danger. taking a few in the early season is not going to do anything to the population. it is frowned upon by many, but just like anything and everything that is fought over on this site, is a matter of opinion.
> ...


ill have to be sure to never introduce you two to each other  could be a throw down :-?


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Naw Mac.. Its just a good natured debate.. nothing personal.

Simply internet bantering.. :lol: :beer:


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

leave the date aug. 15, raise the limit or no limit, no plug and us Tn boys will take care of the resident overpopulation.
i really dont get it.. yall say you could not find birds, or atleast could not pattern them.. how could you not.. 
neither of us have ever hunted the early season in nodak and i have never been there period befor this year and it was too easy.. one day we could have killed 50 birds easy.just 2 people... come on..
yall use too many dekes, call way too much, and aperantly dont know how to scout..

ya do have some great fish and beer though..

DISCLAIMER::::::::::: this is good natured ribbing.
disclaimer is cause ya dont have a since of humor either. :lol:


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

complaining about the hunting has always been a fancy way of saying that you suck at it yes. But most of these guys aren't saying there weren't enough birds to kill, they are saying there was too many. Many of them being migrants. I know we definitely saw too many birds.

Trust me, we can kill them better than any non-ressies ever could.


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

you know better than that.. all i saw on here when i got back was about how hot it was and how hard it was to find birds..  
i guess they should open it like the 10 of aug and close sept 1. bet there would not be many lessers then.

from what i saw, they have the option to open the 1st. that would be interesting...


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

goosebusters said:


> Trust me, we can kill them better than any non-ressies ever could.


Really?


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

averyghg said:


> dblkluk said:
> 
> 
> > Triple B said:
> ...


throw down, or against a wall, depends what kinda mood I'm in :lol: haha, just sh!ttin.

I see you're point DK, but what you say kind of contradicts itself. on one hand you say that the season was opened to kill more resident birds. I agree here. i still don't like the season, but I agree with you so far. but then you say it was intended to reduce the harvest of early migrants and lessers. this is where we get a little fuzzy, the season ends the same date as the nine previous one. sooooo....... how is this helping in that matter???? if it were to be as you say, wouldn't they close the season earlier to protect these fragile little birds from definate extinction.


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

I guess we killed more birds then we ever have and were happy to have the oppertunity to hunt so long. Wth all of this extra shooting the SOBS in Canada dont stand a chance! And it is hard for me to say, but Goosebuster is right the big problem was there was to many geese. Our best hunts were in fields with less then a 100 geese in them. The ones with over 300-400 were never as good.


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## honkerslayr (Dec 14, 2006)

shooteminthelips said:


> Our best hunts were in fields with less then a 100 geese in them. The ones with over 300-400 were never as good.


I fell the exact same way and our hunts told the same story. Don't know why but It sure was the best hunting we had in awhile. :beer:


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Triple B said:


> averyghg said:
> 
> 
> > dblkluk said:
> ...


All this "throwing" goin down..I say we just throw a few back sometime.. :beer:

I hear you and see where I should have rephrased it. The August opener was established in hopes of increasing the harvest of Resident birds while at the same time not increasing the harvest of migrants (like a longer Sept season would)
And actually until a few years ago the season went a week longer but was pulled back because of the taking of a high # of migrants.

I'd be willing to bet we'll see an even shorter Sept season in years to come.
(which might give us a few more weeks at the end :wink

Its pretty interesting to learn the G&F reasonings behind alot of the seasons and the ways they work with (and around) the federal framework.


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

haha, yeah we are going to have to do that sometime. if you can be a friend of mac's you must not be a bad fella, takes a helluva man to put up with that character! :beer:


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## CuttinDaisies (Nov 15, 2007)

goosebusters said:


> Trust me, we can kill them better than any non-ressies ever could.


That gets my vote for most pompous statement of the year.


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

Triple B said:


> haha, yeah we are going to have to do that sometime.


I've seen this guy work it a lot throughout the years and he could definitely use a wingman! :jammin: :biggrin:


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

bandman said:


> Triple B said:
> 
> 
> > haha, yeah we are going to have to do that sometime.
> ...


haha agreed, i tried to hook him up with a couple of "hotties" at the sports page the other weekend but he just wasnt having it!!


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## Original Goosebuster (Jan 12, 2006)

All I know is I thought it was early canada season. Some guys should spend as much time scouting and hunting as they do complaining on this site. 
On a ligher note, our group shot 244 honkers this early season with one band


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

Original Goosebuster said:


> All I know is I thought it was early canada season. Some guys should spend as much time scouting and hunting as they do complaining on this site.
> On a ligher note, our group shot 244 honkers this early season with one band


I really have mixed feelings on this post. if that is really all you know thats not a good thing. you should read more, or try the history channel.


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

well here is an honest question..
if the true goal is to reduce the resident goose population, why have they not taken out some of the stops..
if migrants are a concirn, whey not make after sept 1 a 2(hypathetical #) bird limit but open the aug season up to say 15 w/ no plug.. ??
bare in mind that the idea of the season is control, not sport..... 
in the 6 days we were there, 15-20, we could have done alot more damage if the laws were more liberal.
even if these changes only applied in the areas most overpopulated??


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

Why do you need more shots? I know by shot three normally the birds are pushing 60 yards even if there feet were down in the hole. It wont help. We would just end up with more morons wading through the slews busting roosts. But that doesnt matter to you.

You maybe spend a couple weeks a year up here. As long as you get your limits right? Us residents that live here have to deal with crap all year long. What you are proposing will just make it worse. It is my opinion over populated or not non residents should have this counted as part of there two weeks not matter where they hunt in the state. The amount of out of staters I seen hunting in the free zones this year was to much and I hope they do something about it.


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

shooteminthelips said:


> Why do you need more shots? I know by shot three normally the birds are pushing 60 yards even if there feet were down in the hole. It wont help. We would just end up with more morons wading through the slews busting roosts. *But that doesnt matter to you.*
> 
> You maybe spend a couple weeks a year up here. As long as you get your limits right? Us residents that live here have to deal with crap all year long. What you are proposing will just make it worse. It is my opinion over populated or not *non residents should have this counted as part of there two weeks not matter where they hunt in the state*. The amount of out of staters I seen hunting in the free zones this year was to much and I hope they do something about it.


Pure Gospel there!! :beer:

I love it when a guy comes from a 1,000 miles away, hunts a little part of the state and for one thinks he knows all of ND AND thinks he can dictate what happens here. Trust me when I say we don't want Reelfoot Lake here in ND. You can keep your great waterfowl hunting and management ways in TN!!!


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

goosebusters said:


> complaining about the hunting has always been a fancy way of saying that you suck at it yes. But most of these guys aren't saying there weren't enough birds to kill, they are saying there was too many. Many of them being migrants. I know we definitely saw too many birds.
> 
> Trust me, we can kill them better than any non-ressies ever could.


This came across like a real dlck post, but it was designed to be returning some of the ribbing, maybe a smiley should have been added. The jist, no North Dakotan should have complained this year.


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

1. sure, let it count against the 14 days.. probably be better for ya'lls duck season if it did.. as for the # of ooser's, i think we only saw 3 other groups and one of those was from ND.But we did not just go out in field and hunt.. we looked fot the land owners and got permission.. and out best hunts were on posted ground.. our only unposted hunt, we had a group show up just after we got there and set up down wind of us.. all they got was a ticket to the show.

2. i hunt near reelfoot, not on it.. and there are public lands that are worse than it..

3. most of the time birds are still w/ in 25 yards when our guns were empty and 6 birds down..that happens when they sit down at 8-12 yards..

4. i never said all of ND. the only part i can comment on is the area we hunted.. i said the DNR should decide what happens where.. some areas diffinatly need something more effective to control the population..

5. limits?? yea, thats what the early season is about.. it aint a practice season to get people ready and it aint a season to take yout kids.. it is an act of desperation to reduce the # of resident canada geese..

6. i hate roost busters.. where ever they come from.. the best way to fix that is to only alow hunting over water from say 8 am -3 pm.. not full proff b/c ya'll seem to get alot of slob hunters (FROM WHAT I HEARD FROM ALOT OF FARMERS). the people we got permisson to hunt wanted us to kill every bird we could (some duck included) but we did not..


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