# Early Season Expectations?



## drakespanker12 (Aug 28, 2006)

How does everyone feel the Early season is going to turnout? What does the canada goose numbers compare to last year? I've been stuck out in sota all summer and haven't had to chance to get back to ND yet for another week and was wondering what everyones thoughts were on this years early season?


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## MrSafety (Feb 22, 2005)

For our area of MN it's not looking good.........I've seen very few geese at all........and we've got LOTS of cut oats fields around..............I can't figure it out..........Typically early August we've got nice groups everywhere.........not this year.........maybe the drought moved 'em elsewhere.............


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## adam noble (Nov 11, 2005)

well here in se sota it is looking good, big flocks are forming, and sweet corn is getting picked. way more geese this year than last


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

Was out on sunday, and I am just starting to see some of the bigger groups gathering. I am still seeing alot of smaller family groups, but to a certain extent I was seeing 100-200 birds in certain fields, but its still pretty spotty. Might have to work to get the limits and it might come down to a waiting game and hopefully pull some birds through out the day. It seems like its gonna be down to putting yourself in the right spot at the right time. Find a field that they are using and try it from there. I am guessing I shouldn't have to much of a problem with the opener weekend since it will probably be me and one other guy from around my home area out. So hopefully we can make it work with the two of us out.


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## mshutt (Apr 21, 2007)

central eastern ND is looking very good! I was actually just out this morning, we set up 40 FB's, and 3 blinds (no guns of course) and they decoyed into our spread like it was a regular season hunt...groups from 12-50 came into our spread, only a hand full actually landed and stayed there for more then 10 minutes! Tonight we are going back out again, with the camera we forgot this morning :withstupid:

All the geese we saw didnt look small at all! a few were frigen huge also!


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## Booster (Sep 8, 2003)

mshutt said:


> central eastern ND is looking very good! I was actually just out this morning, we set up 40 FB's, and 3 blinds (no guns of course) and they decoyed into our spread like it was a regular season hunt...groups from 12-50 came into our spread, only a hand full actually landed and stayed there for more then 10 minutes! Tonight we are going back out again, with the camera we forgot this morning :withstupid:
> 
> All the geese we saw didnt look small at all! a few were frigen huge also!


that a boy....way to educate those geese, otherwise it is just too darn easy huh :withstupid:


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

> that a boy....way to educate those geese, otherwise it is just too darn easy huh


They didnt shoot them?! If anything IMO, they made the geese a little more confident coming into a spread-they didnt get shot this time, why would they think they're going to get shot the next time


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## Booster (Sep 8, 2003)

good point.....I guess IMO if they get scared in the decoys right away they might forever you know. He said they didn't stay there long and most of them didn't finish. To me this is educating them. Everyone's different in the way they hunt so there isn't any use trying to tell someone to hunt the way you or I hunt.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

We also share many of the same tactics too, and can learn from others-your not telling me how to do something, just another way to do it. Personally, I have never decoyed out of season but in all reality, I dont think it has any effect on the birds cause once that first shot is fired, everything that bird thought was right is thrown rigth out the window


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## Booster (Sep 8, 2003)

roger that Sapper....although decoying out of season would be fun....there really isn't anything like blowing into that first flock of the season! :sniper:


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## mshutt (Apr 21, 2007)

When the geese did land, most of them just walked like 50+ yds away and stayed there for hours.... like 4-6 geese stayed in our spread for a long time until my brother asked me what he should do? HAHA And after he asked me this while in his blind, he had the sudden urge to sneeze :withstupid:

I really dont think any of the geese got scared, just didn't like our footbase decoys that didnt move  . And i really enjoy just watching the birds commit into our lovely spread...and us knowing, its there last few weeks to live :sniper: :beer:

were heading out to set up in the evening, or just go in the morning again, and make sure we dont forget the video camera's....then i just might share the footage of the geese with you fella's.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I expect Cen. ND to be around the same. Good concentrations but scattered in terms of distances apart.


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## universitywaterfowler (Jul 15, 2007)

Well I should be going out with a few guys from this forum, and as we all know, everyone on this forum is top notch pro material so I expect that we will dominate and post pics. Should be out with justund most of the time, he just bought around 30 elites plus I have 40 so it should be one heck of a spread. Good luck to the rest of ya... your going to need it. :beer:


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

> Good luck to the rest of ya... your going to need it


.

Killing Sept honks are like shooting fish in a barrel.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> Killing Sept honks are like shooting fish in a barrel


I should post up some Sask pics to let university see what it is all about. :lol:


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## universitywaterfowler (Jul 15, 2007)

Ahh I'm just screwin with yall, might actually be down in Fergus Falls for the opener, got 2000 acres to hunt. Between work and school one never knows.
Just hoping I can get out a bunch, kill some birds and meet some new peops.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

2000 acres to hunt? did you marry the farmers daughter? :beer:


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## universitywaterfowler (Jul 15, 2007)

Na....caught me out back with his wife, and I've never seen someone so happy! :toofunny:


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

Yer a weird guy UW... a weeeird guy.

I expect some geese to hit the dirt, no more, no less.


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## universitywaterfowler (Jul 15, 2007)

Everyone always tells me I am very entertaining. I have a sarcastic, arsshole-ish sense of humor that appeals to everyone around, until they sit back and think about what they are laughing at. But hey if you take away laughter is life worth living, I like to keep people smiling, it tells me they are having a good time. You can't be smiling and having a bad time, so whether I have to tell a few jokes, or pull in a thousand honkers, I try to keep ya smiling at all times.
A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO UNIVERSITY.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

GooseBuster3 said:


> > Good luck to the rest of ya... your going to need it
> 
> 
> .
> ...


 :bowdown: :lol:


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## dukegoose (Jul 17, 2006)

Just looking to shoot some geese and enjoy the time off.


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## bullocklabradors (Oct 18, 2004)

We are going to be hunting SD early season. Hopefully we can get into a few.

Take Care,

Travis R. Bullock


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Went out scouting today and found some pretty good fields, lots of ducks, quite a few geese, but also saw something extremely disturbing. Came up over a rise on the road and there was a family of geese walking across the road to the feed field, 3 couldn't even fly yet!!! Can you imagine when something like that happens next year?!? :******:

Heres some pics.
















See if you can find the mallard with the ring around his neck already.









The geese on the very bottom couldn't fly, the rest of the flock barely could. The little guy on the left flapped/ran into those beans and ducked for cover, the other guy flapped/ran across the road to sit with his parents.  It was pretty frustrating seeing that knowing the upcoming legislation.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

Nice pics but... Explain that middle pic. Did you take a picture through your binocs or something, or did you edit it? I'm confused about the circle.


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Its through my spotting scope :lol:


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## universitywaterfowler (Jul 15, 2007)

wow....thats fantastic.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Sure felt good to hit the gravel this weekend. Yesterday it was in the 50s and the smell of winter was in the air. I can't explain it, maybe someone else noticed it and knows what I'm talking about.

The season is coming on fast!


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## BeekBuster (Jul 22, 2007)

I did some scouting this weekend to and found alot of great spots holding alot of birds 80 plus every field and found a nice roost. Still have no field though turned down 3 times this weekend mn hunters are ready. Discouraging but cant give up. :eyeroll:


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

Chris, I know exactly what you are talking about, had a conversation about it with some hunting buddies last night too, fall is in the air with this last cold snap. Lots of hazel nuts and every cherry tree is just loaded around here this year, lots of raspberries and blackberries too but pretty small because of the drought, the signs are pointing towards a rough winter, sure would be nice to get a normal winter instead of these last 3 or 4 mild ones.


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## universitywaterfowler (Jul 15, 2007)

We did some clay shooting today, blew the calls a bunch, and I am ready to destroy some birds. Now I just gotta hope I don't have to work all the time.


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## mallardrocker (Nov 29, 2006)

chris that smell runs through my nose and sends chills down my spine


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## honkerheaven (Aug 21, 2007)

In my part of saskatchewan it looks like there will be a pile of honkers. there is more water and more local birds than i have ever seen in twentyfive years of farming.


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## snowhunter23 (Mar 2, 2005)

I'm hoping for a 35 bird limit before noon!!!


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

I should have no problem getting my 5 bird limit. lol. I will be out by myself since all my hunting buddies moved to bismark, lol. Hopefully I can find a couple of new guys to hunt with this year. Found a field of probably 300-500 honkers, so I am guessing I should be able to pull 5 of anyway, lol.


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

*drankspanker12*

If you're planning on hunting around the wahp area for opener u should be mighty fine. Ive been workin there all summer and have been seeing better and better numbers everyday


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

HonkerExpress said:


> Found a field of probably 300-500 honkers, so I am guessing I should be able to pull 5 of anyway, lol.


You would think but there was a guy last year that had a field like that and I think he shot at every flock and only got 1. :roll: He even had birds landing!

My expectations are land some birds for my daughter to see and maybe take a couple.

HOWEVER with the opennner being on a Sat it may be a zoo out there.


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## justund223 (Aug 28, 2006)

Leo Porcello said:


> HOWEVER with the opennner being on a Sat it may be a zoo out there.


i have had two bad dreams about that situation, just going to have to a few back up plans


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## universitywaterfowler (Jul 15, 2007)

Man we gotta plan something for labor day too. No school = all day hunting.
Praying I don't have to work.
Please HONKEREXPRESS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT ALONE HIT ME OR JUSTIN UP WITH AN E-MAIL, I WORK AT THE CABELAS UP HERE, AND I DON'T HAVE MY SCHEDULE YET BUT WHEN I AND OR WE GO OUT YOUR MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME.


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## universitywaterfowler (Jul 15, 2007)

Hey I talked to Clay Hudnall, he told me we should just mix the regular size full bodies and lessers together, don't worry about creating groups. We should definitely try to get a camera out with us to do some vid. or even to take pics. 
Anyone know of a video camera that works good, and is cheap? Poor college student, so I can't afford much. Always wondered if those 100 dollar aptek cameras worked ok.


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

We just picked another one (video camera) up at Wal-mart for 180 bucks, its sole purpose is for the gun cam, but it has a light and effects for a pretty reasonable price. Plus it is digital for your editing software.


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