# best crop for geese



## HunterAndSteelersFan10101 (Nov 18, 2007)

i have farmers who are willing to put different crops in the fields we hunt. what crop is best for geese and what will be the most attractive for them? thanks


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I have only hunted geese in wheat, barley, corn both chopped and combined, soybeans, field peas, and rye with alfalfa. I really hated hunting in the soybeans and field peas because there is no cover. I had the best set up this year. A 60 acre field what on the outter 2/3 was chopped and the middle 1/3 was combined. That where I would prefer to hunt.


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

CORN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11


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## snowsforlife (Mar 27, 2005)

corn corn corn


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

corn corn and corn

early season wheat


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

That depends on the time of year. Early you're going to do better in wheat or oats. After that they will shift to beans for as long as they have to waiting for the corn to go. Then, as everyone else has already said, corn.

When you talk about corn, it depends on how they harvest it. Chopped corn is nice because it's possible to get into it during the early season. I had two large chopped corn fields this September that proved VERY fruitful. I didn't get into the better of the two, the farmer who owned it claimed that for him and his guys, but those two fields were honestly holding half the geese in the county. This isn't usually the norm though. Once those fields got burnt up it was back to the wheat.

All in all, I don't believe there is one type of field that can be good all year. A good combined corn field will last the longest, but sometimes the corn doesn't come off of that field until the last half of October.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

diver_sniper said:


> All in all, I don't believe there is one type of field that can be good all year. A good combined corn field will last the longest, but sometimes the corn doesn't come off of that field until the last half of October.


But isnt that the best time to hunt them 

Corn is my choice with the amount of cover it allows you to conceal yourself so much easier


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## Large munsterlander1 (Feb 11, 2008)

I would say that you have the farmer plant wheat, soybeans, and corn. This way you have a field to hunt in for the whole season. This asuming that you have an early season to hunt the geese on the wheat, then when the beans are off (before the corn) you can hunt becuse the wheat will probably be overgrown and not appealing to the geese. Then ofcourse you can hunt the corn from when it is harvested to when the geese leave! That is my 2cents!


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Anyone ever hunt in canola or sorgum or sunflowers?


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## nowski10 (Jan 27, 2006)

If you ever get the chance to hunt PEAS. Do It. That ranks up there as a huge crop for them. Theres just not much of the crop around.


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

If he will do it, the answer is a combination of corn and barley/peas.

Have him plant corn, than ask him if he can go back down it, and alternate planting beans and barley inbetween every other row.

Then have him chop the corn and leave it between knee/ankle high.

The birds would pile into that setup, plus the mallards would be as thick as blackbirds all season long.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Nothing better then a farmer that has a crappy combine that drops half of the crop also!


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

hunt4P&Y said:


> Nothing better then a farmer that has a crappy combine that drops half of the crop also!


Ohh yeah.. a must have... has to be an old combine....nothing newer than 20 years old...

The focus must not be on trying to harvest a max crop obviously... but having the header set high enough that it runs over alot of stalks and knocks them into the dirt....

And the truck that follows the combine must have a hole in the back corner from a missing board or hole in the bed of the grain truck... something that spills a bushel an acre minimum.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

one thing for early season is if he would plant sweet corn. It is like crack to the geese!


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Yep, haha the more on the ground the better!!! Man I have never thought about planting a double crop like that! That would be like crack for Pheasants also! Humm and you could actually hunt it and they would hold! 8)

Might have to try it out. Tanata, looks like we need to tell your GPA that it is the new cool thing to do!


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

hunt4P&Y said:


> Yep, haha the more on the ground the better!!! Man I have never thought about planting a double crop like that! That would be like crack for Pheasants also! Humm and you could actually hunt it and they would hold! 8)
> 
> Might have to try it out. Tanata, looks like we need to tell your GPA that it is the new cool thing to do!


You have to do it right, and delay planting the corn, so that the barley can get started enough to survive. The corn grows so darn fast it catches up.

Plus, the whole goal is to have more of a "stunted" corn crop anyways, so if it only gets to 4'-6' high that is perfect.... ohh... and you have to plant wider rows so that the peas/barley gets enough light, because after 1 month of growing the corn will start to shadow the rows.

Otherwise you'd be best to plant 3 rows of corn, then leave a 2 foot gap and plant the barley/peas for 6 rows, then go back to another 3 rows of corn...kinda alternating back and forth. The field would "look" sick, but it isn't designed to be a normal field now is it?

The whole goal is the perfect wildlife buffet right?


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

A little off subject but...

I hunted a farmer's land where he used to plug every 8 row in his planter. Then he planted sorgum. It was amazing. You would have a path to walk through while you were hunting pheasants. it was great.


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## Gildog (Jan 30, 2007)

barley can be very good for ducks and geese. the geese love the fresh sprouts (either recently harvested or planted for cover crop) and ducks love the barley kernels. If you see a freshly harvested barley field, check it out for fowl activity for awhile.

never had geese in canola or sunflower fields...but have had ducks pile into wet sunflower field late in the year...they loved the birdseed.


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## chris lillehoff (Jan 9, 2006)

PEAS


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

R y a n said:


> then leave a 2 foot gap





R y a n said:


> The whole goal is the perfect wildlife buffet right?


Widen that out to a six foot gap and put alfalfa in there so you can make your blinds invisible! Then the pheasants would hold too!


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

gots to agree with lill 100% we smacked em up hard in the peas this year. :beer:


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## Horker23 (Mar 2, 2006)

Peas, sweet corn early season, and then corn


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## harvester (Jan 23, 2008)

CORN!!!


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## Sean Ehmke (Jan 4, 2006)

On a cold and snowy day Corn and on nice warm day pasture around a big pond.

Sean


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## Preds21 (Feb 12, 2008)

a lot of times it depends on where u r from but where i am from they only plant corn wheat and beans, I would hunt this order 1, corn 2, wheat, 3, beans


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## mshutt (Apr 21, 2007)

Have him plant a huge beat field. The geese love the beets(believe it or not, but its very true) and then ditch all your blinds, and go the old fashioned way and dig laydown pits...only like a foot or 2 into the ground... and then watch the geese come in like they are retarded!

The farmer will then love you for asking you to plant beets, because of the beet check he would get after harvest :beer:

Ryan you sound like a waterfowl buffet chef! If i was a farmer, i would totally steal those ideas and plant all my fields like that,cause you know, who needs money after you harvest a field anyways 8)


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

I've heard of geese loving beets. Don't you have to have a certain type of soil to grow beets?


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## mshutt (Apr 21, 2007)

yeah if you want a really good crop yes you need very rich soil...you also need beet pilers unless he wantsto just use the beets to give to deer :sniper:


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

You also need certain equipment, so telling a farmer to grow beets really is out of the question.


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## Jake Wightman (Mar 4, 2008)

I would definetly say PEAS we jsut smoked the birds on them this year in late season!!!


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

mshutt said:


> Ryan you sound like a waterfowl buffet chef! If i was a farmer, i would totally steal those ideas and plant all my fields like that,cause you know, who needs money after you harvest a field anyways 8)


Ha! You only need enough money to cover the costs of seed and gas to plant 'em!

profit ppppffffff


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## Cudda25 (Jan 16, 2008)

most people claim corns the ****...BUT we've done the same if not better in our field with soybeans...preferrbly corn BUT soybeans work just as well...don't really have to much of a choice in IL


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Has anybody ever used buckwheat???


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

I've killed piles in swathed oats. Probly the easiest crop to hide in too.


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## White Diablo (Mar 11, 2008)

we always had our best luck in the corn!!!!!!!!!!!


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

Is it legal to hunt in windrowed wheat fields?


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I think it is not legal to hunt swathed fields, because its baiting.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

Ya thats what I was thinking


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## justund223 (Aug 28, 2006)

i wouldn't see why its not legal, becasue it falls under a normal farming practice, but i could be wrong.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Swathing, just cuts the crop and since its not harvested I think you cannot hunt it. It also depends on what your state defines as baiting. I think that in ND you cannot hunt a field that has not been combined. Ask your CO this question he/she would know.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

Totally legal in sask. Swathing is a normal agricultural practice, the crop is not intentionally put there for the birds. The gov't puts bait out and posts the crap out of it. You can't hunt an intentional bait site. Your rules are crazy down there. Can't they see it is more profitable to the farmers and the insurance companies if the birds are kept off swathed crops?


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Well, most of the swathed crops are off by hunting anyways, plus more and more people are spraying roundup to kill the crop so they can straight cut it.


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## drakeslayer10 (Jan 21, 2006)

sugar beets


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## waterfowler22 (Aug 30, 2007)

Corn is probably the best but if you can hunt peas do it, there crazy for that stuff!


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

pop corn is awsome, next is sweet corn, then feild corn, sooooo
CORN


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## greatwhitehunter3 (Sep 15, 2006)

geese love corn fields that silage was cut in...lots of corn that falls off the stalk and they love it.......thats not baiting is it? i dont see how it could possibly be baiting? had tons of geese in there last year and year before that 500+ woodies and mallards


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## shootnmiss09 (Sep 15, 2006)

pretty sure that isnt baiting, but i could be wrong!!


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## Horker23 (Mar 2, 2006)

CORN is KING


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## greatwhitehunter3 (Sep 15, 2006)

just wondering if anyone has ever tried the waterfowl blend stuff from biologic?


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## Large munsterlander1 (Feb 11, 2008)

drakeslayer10 said:


> sugar beets


Explain how a goose eats sugar beets? I have been running in the sugar beets for 6 years and i have never seen geese in a beet field? I am not trying to come off as a arse but i was just wondering? :beer:


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## mshutt (Apr 21, 2007)

Aight Raker, here is the the deal with beets. First off, id like to say, its true, and i hunt with drakeslayer(hes gay).

Sugar beet fields are MONEY before corn gets cut. They are pitch black fields with ALOT of food forthem to eat....alot of beets for them to eat. I did have pictures of beets that were being eatin by geese, its something amazing to see and a half. Imagine a beet, and a drill, drilling through the beet, its base(at the top where it started) has got about a 2 inch hole, then as the the drill gets narrower, the hole gets smaller, comming to a point. Now that drill bit is the gooses beak, acts in the exact same way, and geese are crazy for them. And yes, I actually have watched a goose dig in on a sugar beat, its pretty crazy.

If you ever have the urge to hunt a beat field, PM me, and ill let you in on a few secrets i know on how to appear invisible in a pitch black field.
Or you could just drive north and hunt with us :lol:

Ill say it 10 times, so ill say it another time, two falls ago, 2 buddies of mine and myself LIMITED out, 10 days IN A ROW, skipping school that week(morningclasses)...guess what kind of a field the geese were in....
The magical beat fields of North Dakota!

I'll see you in the BP.


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## HunterAndSteelersFan10101 (Nov 18, 2007)

and has anyone ever used fake corn for decoys? avery field corn seems to be the best and cheapest. uke:


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## cm3geese (Dec 28, 2006)

From my experience guys. It has alot to do with what is available to the birds. Specifically were you are hunting. First importance is find where the birds are. They will tell you what they want.

In Illinois Soy Beans in the area I was were very good.

Here in Colorado Corn is #1 for me.


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## Large munsterlander1 (Feb 11, 2008)

I feel that Hemp is the best crop for geese! :lol:


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## born2kill (Mar 4, 2008)

i am trying to post a picture on here and i get all the way until abput half way through loading and then it just stops and just stays there. would anyof you know how to fix it or have the same problem.[/url]


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## snow123geese (Feb 3, 2008)

born2kill said:


> i am trying to post a picture on here and i get all the way until abput half way through loading and then it just stops and just stays there. would anyof you know how to fix it or have the same problem.[/url]


I had the same problem trying to put up pics too.


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

Top three in my opinion are these.

1. Field Pea's
2. Corn
3. Barley Fields


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## born2kill (Mar 4, 2008)

i think winter wheat is the best in the early season and later i switch to corn.


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## goosehunter20 (Oct 19, 2006)

How do you guys hide your blinds in chopped corn feilds?


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## HunterAndSteelersFan10101 (Nov 18, 2007)

MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CORN STUBBLE


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## TINGER (Mar 23, 2008)

I absolutely love beans during early season and the start of regular season then later move to corn


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## TINGER (Mar 23, 2008)

but the truely best crop is the one you see them feeding in when your scouting that usually is the best to hunt


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## cm3geese (Dec 28, 2006)

How do you guys hide your blinds in chopped corn feilds?

The best fields I enjoy hunting are cut and disc'd. It leaves 20 30% stubble and rich dark turned soil. I can walk these well also unlike a plowed field.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

For the chopped corn just get some of the corn stalks from another field. you dont need much.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> How do you guys hide your blinds in chopped corn feilds?


Make sure your blind is well mudded and just put a few stalks in the straps. Just don't over do it with the corn stubble. You don't want it to look like a muskrat hut out there..


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

I usually try to run the muskrat hut, that way I get the oporunity to not only shoot waterfowl, but also the unsuspecting skrat that wonders in, haha. I really hate them nasty little critters, I have sat on mustkrat huts back in the day when I was slough shooting birds, and when they come out they can get pretty nasty if your on their house, lol.


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