# Early Goose.



## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

The countdown is on. I already have a guy asking me for as many goose breast as I will give him.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

They make really good jerky.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

It's going to be a bad season. Drought, lack of birds, abandoned crops, and too many idiots out running around.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I agree ...don't bother coming out.... there are no geese around... :iroll:


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## bwfsh (Feb 12, 2009)

I just spent a fair amount of time in East ND. You are correct. There are areas that are pretty well dried up that are holding less birds than normal. There are also areas that have incredible populations, like normal. And I can guarantee there will be plenty of sourpuss idiots like Bl running around trying to ruin someone elses fun.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Serious talk here.....

Do you guys think that the early goose has been doing what it was intended? Thin out the local population? Or has it been status quo (no significant changes +/- that isn't normal nesting issues)...???

Just wondering if early season can be a tip of the hat to hunters showing how regulated hunting is good for all.

Also curious about peoples thoughts on the Drought conditions... because the drought will have a significant play on the waterfowl both goose and duck. What I mean is after the R opener many ducks could get pushed out because of no safe places. What I mean is no food because of the poor crops, no water to rest-transition-roost, etc. All because of the drought and drought like conditions. Because less food makes birds leave areas, less food with concentrate birds and they will eat out an area quicker, less water for available roosting, resting, transistion... type places for birds. Just wondering if the "local" duck population will not stick around as long. Also if the migrator will just push on thru when they decide to move from Canada - South.

Just wondering people thoughts on this the up coming season. And lets please not turn this into a R vs NR thing. Lets look at weather conditions and current conditions and base out thoughts on that.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I think that the early season has been a success as far as lowering the goose population in certain areas. Other area's not so much.

I think with the lack of water for waterfowl, it will force hunters to hunt new areas and try new things. It will also mean more competition in areas, leading people to do stupid things for some birds. Which can lead to more farmers not letting people on their land and if it stays hot and dry, accidental fires will show up from cigarettes, driving thru fields and other things. It also might lead to more tickets if people can't tell what has been harvested, abandoned, or if a farmer "doesn't do a "normal" farming practice".


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

BL.... great points about fires and the knowing what is "harvested" or not.

Also great comment about people doing stupid things. Remember they are just birds. We are all passionate about going after them. But remember common sense and common courtesy... to farmers, other hunters, the land, and the birds. Yes when hunters stop doing these the anti's love it and so they can show "proof" and advance their agenda.

Any other thoughts???


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

People need to talk to the local game warden to see if it's legal to hunt a field that was baled or dessicated instead of harvested.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I think baled would be a form of harvest and you would be ok. Desiccated fields will require some common sense on the part of the hunter and the warden. Perhaps I should say uncommon sense.

As far as controlling numbers Chuck, yes and no. Like BL pointed out it worked in some areas and not others. It hasn't worked so well at Devils Lake. They went to the legislature to let non residents hunt early just like the residents. (This isn't non resident bashing, but it's ironic) When the early geese season opened they would not let anyone hunt that didn't pay on much of those private lands. So they wanted non residents, but non residents wanted to come when duck season was good. So it hasn't worked so good there. 
It's sort of like FREE TEXAS HOG HUNTS. Wow wife lets try Texas this winter instead of Arizona. Yes you pay nothing for the hog, but they want $200 per day per gun. Some have that price per gun plus you have to rent their cabin at $300 to $800 per night. Most were in the $300 to $400 range. I had two rifles with and never fired a shot all winter. I did go to a state park that was holding a hog hunt. It was about 800 acres and they were letting hmmmm don't remember, but it come out to about ten acres per hunter. There were over 100 residents on the waiting list if anyone cancelled. I admired Texas until I went there. You have to be rich or take up shuffle board. Also, they have no idea how to drive on ice. Killed one lady right by our camper. Kissed an 18 wheeler head on both doing about 60 on a 1/2 inch of glare ice. I was pulling a camper on a two lane one day with heavy traffic and at 60 mph had a pickup pass me on the shoulder as we were coming to a bridge. Back to the nice quiet desert if we go south again.

Edit: I always thought about the second amendment and freedom when I thought of Texas. One day I went into this store that had a lot of belts. I asked if they had a nice stiff two layer belt. The guy asked why I needed it so heavy. I said it carries a holstered gun much better. He followed me around the store the whole time I was in there. Peaking from behind one rack of clothing, then another like he thought he was super spy. I thought it was humorous, but it sure destroyed my preconceived ideas of Texas. I don't remember the town off hand, but it was the second highest wine producer in the nation. OK wine, but $25 a bottle ??????????


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Plainsman... No offense on that. That isn't NR vs R... that is Free Lance vs Pay to Play. :beer:

I agree with you on texas. But in some regions you can get onto land to hog hunt. The problem is the hogs have now gone almost strickly nocturnal. This is what I am hearing from a buddy of mine down there. But he said it is hard to get onto land unless you open up your check book.

On the 2nd amendment and texas.... Lets just say you were in a "wine" area... it is probably the only left leaning county in the state... LOL


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> On the 2nd amendment and texas.... Lets just say you were in a "wine" area... it is probably the only left leaning county in the state... LOL


 The name of the town was Fredricksburg. They had a lot of pro gun shirts etc, but they didn't act pro gun. You may be right about the only left leaning area. Lot of tinkle toes I thought.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Plainsman, on the dessicated fields, I was talking about farming killing of their crop, to save moisture for next year, not dessicate for harvest.

A few years ago I was hunting a corn field that was rolled that summer because it was too wet to harvest that fall and spring. The Game Warden told me I couldn't hunt it because it "wasn't a normal farming practice". If I continued to hunt it, he was cite me for baiting. The same goes for when a field gets zeroed out for hail damage and the farmer burns it. You can't hunt there because it's "not a normal farming practice" and it's considered baiting.

I always get a kick out of the farmers who complain about deer and goose and pheasant damage to crops, but yet never let a soul in to hunt, but are the first ones in line getting a handout from the Game and Fish.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

When I was in Texas for work. 19 out of the 26 locations i worked with had people carrying guns. I never felt saver, until I had to visit so locations in Houston. Those places are in some very rough areas.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> Plainsman, on the dessicated fields, I was talking about farming killing of their crop, to save moisture for next year, not dessicate for harvest.


 Oh, I thought you meant naturally desiccated from drought and they just left it. I suppose the warden would still consider that baiting. I was looking at it from the standpoint of unharvested field. I never thought of killing it to save moisture, but I can see the strategy.


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

If you want the go/no on whether a field is baited or not, best to contact a USFWS warden. I've seen state wardens in ND and SD let guys hunt fields that were later shut down by the feds.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Plainsman said:


> I think baled would be a form of harvest and you would be ok. Desiccated fields will require some common sense on the part of the hunter and the warden. Perhaps I should say uncommon sense.
> 
> As far as controlling numbers Chuck, yes and no. Like BL pointed out it worked in some areas and not others. It hasn't worked so well at Devils Lake. They went to the legislature to let non residents hunt early just like the residents. (This isn't non resident bashing, but it's ironic) When the early geese season opened they would not let anyone hunt that didn't pay on much of those private lands. So they wanted non residents, but non residents wanted to come when duck season was good. So it hasn't worked so good there.
> It's sort of like FREE TEXAS HOG HUNTS. Wow wife lets try Texas this winter instead of Arizona. Yes you pay nothing for the hog, but they want $200 per day per gun. Some have that price per gun plus you have to rent their cabin at $300 to $800 per night. Most were in the $300 to $400 range. I had two rifles with and never fired a shot all winter. I did go to a state park that was holding a hog hunt. It was about 800 acres and they were letting hmmmm don't remember, but it come out to about ten acres per hunter. There were over 100 residents on the waiting list if anyone cancelled. I admired Texas until I went there. You have to be rich or take up shuffle board. Also, they have no idea how to drive on ice. Killed one lady right by our camper. Kissed an 18 wheeler head on both doing about 60 on a 1/2 inch of glare ice. I was pulling a camper on a two lane one day with heavy traffic and at 60 mph had a pickup pass me on the shoulder as we were coming to a bridge. Back to the nice quiet desert if we go south again.
> ...


You have to remember...Everything is bigger in Texas.....particularly Ego's........


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## Griz (Sep 24, 2003)

@plainsman - I'm a forester in East Texas and have been coming to Nodak to hunt for over 15 years. You have to know that Fredericksburg and mch of the hill country region has been turned into a playplace for the rich and famous and the left leaning libtards out of Austin. Unfortunately the Californians have driven up the price of everything around there too. We have an epic hog problem in East Texas but also have over 500,000 acres of national forest. You can buy an annual permit for around $35 bucks for USFS land. Maybe give that a look if you decide to come back - you will find East Texas to be full of god-fearing gun-toters. Griz


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I agree with BL that in some areas it is having an impact in others not so much. From some of the farmers I've talked to in my area they are still killing almost as many on their depredation permits as the hunters are yet there doesn't even seem to be a dent in the population.

Water does strange things. 3 years ago we had above normal precipitation till about August. By the end of August a local salt lake dropped to a level that left about 1/4th of it a mud flat. This years drought (lol) has the water as high or higher than that year with at least and 18" difference in rainfall. Figure that out !!! Over my years I have seen deep sloughs go dry while a shallow one down the road never changed. FWIW we are not in a drought. We live on the high plains and this amount of precipitation is closer to long term average. We actually have been in a wet cycle for at least the last 20 years and every time moisture gets back to normal for this type of landscape they (the feel gooders) start calling it a drought to get sympathy. 
The birds will find water where they can. There will always be water in lagoons, lakes and usually in most decent sized rivers. as long as they have nesting cover they will continue to survive.

It would be really interesting to know the criteria for normal farm practices because it seems in some places an activity is considered normal while in others it is not. I've asked several times and never gotten an answer to why flooding corn is a normal farm practice. oke:


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## templey_41 (Jul 19, 2008)

Sooo...is anyone hunting Canada geese out there early season?

Seems like every thread here gets spun into some other tangent.

I'll be heading to Nodak oct 25-31. with 2 kids ages 4 and 2....this can't come SOON enough!!!!!!!


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Grip thanks much for the insight. Great hearing that from you.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

People that are hunting in areas where they got hail, just because it doesn't look like a crop is growing there, doesn't mean you can hunt it. The insurance adjusters deferred it, even thought there appears to be nothing growing, its considered a "growing crop" and you have to get permission. The insurance company are forcing the farmer to harvest it, so its off limit unless permission is given to you. Also be on the lookout for farmers planting cover crops and cover crops that are already out of the ground. You have to have permission to hunt those fields as well.


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