# Are You Hunting the August 15th Opener?



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

*Do you plan to hunt the August 15th Goose Opener in ND?*​
Yes, 100%5436.24%More than likely I will, 75% Chance1812.08%Not Sure, 50% Chance1510.07%Probably Not, 25% Chance1510.07%Definately Not, 0% Chance2315.44%I'm not able to2416.11%


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

PLEASE, DO NOT DEBATE THE OPENER ON THIS THREAD. THERE IS ALREADY ONE FOR THAT HERE:

http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=55005

I just want to get an idea of what type of numbers to expect, and I'm sure others would too.

Thanks.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Not for me...

Summers are short enough as it is.

To me, summers are meant to be spent hanging out at the lake or on the river fishing, not hunting.


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## Jeremy Eickhoff (Aug 13, 2007)

Yessir! Already moved hotel reservations from the 30th to the 14th! Last year it was crazy full of minnesotans! And a couple south dakotans.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

I don't think I could look in the mirror if I wasn't there. Already got the Friday off of work. Count this guy in.


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

:thumb: (Any remote opportunity, I'm there.)


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

Sorry dblkluk, I may have to go try it. You know i'll be calling guys if I find something good. and if not I'll be calling from the lake. :beer:


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

No reason to apologize greeny, not condeming those who chose to go, one bit. 
To spend the $$ on gas to find those scattered flocks here in the western part of ND, and then swat mosquitoes and shooting "pinfeathers" isn't that appealing to me.
These days I enjoy waterfowling more for the migrations and cold weather. :wink:


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

I'll hunt if I find something huntable that time of year.. I'm not 100% looking forward to hunting that early in the year, as the birds will probably be spoiled by the time they hit the ground, but it would nice to say I shot a bird inthe month of August in camo short sleeve shirt and shorts.


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

I think if I find them it will be on the way to the lake, not because endless hours driving around scouting. If I see them when going across then scouting time otherwise Im going to look into hunting the island on south lake.


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

If I do go out, i'll be bringing a cooler with a couple bags of ice. :wink:

I'm not sure yet...


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## jwdinius1 (Dec 14, 2006)

Yep ill be out sun tan lotion and all for me, i also got work off, i am taken the chance i may be settting up for a one flock hunt, but my pa told me the worst day hunting is better than the best days work!!! :beer:


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I am with you Maddy. Scratch another month of waterfowl hunting off the calendar. I feel it may be the first and last time they open the season this early. I would like to tell the story of goose hunting in Aug someday. MN and Sodak openers are Sept 6.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Yeah, I will be out unless, we are combining threw the night.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

PJ said:


> I am with you Maddy. Scratch another month of waterfowl hunting off the calendar. I feel it may be the first and last time they open the season this early. I would like to tell the story of goose hunting in Aug someday. MN and Sodak openers are Sept 6.


That's something else I've been thinking. I just want to see what the heck it's like. We've all pretty much said how much we don't agree with it... But if there's an open waterfowl season, I want to at least be able to talk to people about it knowing what it's like.


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## bowhunter04 (Nov 7, 2003)

Unfortunately, a buddy of mine is getting married that weekend. His fiance wanted to have the wedding in September but they comprimised on August 16th instead. He thought he would be early enough to miss the opener. I might still get out on Friday morning but we'll see what they all need help with I suppose.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

Too early for this cat, actually will be fishing in Canada, catching 100 walleyes a day!!!!


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

If I can find a spot ill be out. Not looking foward to fighting crowds.


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

barebackjack said:


> If I can find a spot ill be out. Not looking foward to fighting crowds.


crowds?

Does anyone expect to get beaten to a "spot" on the opener?

Not sure how many will brave the heat, mosquitos and high gas to shoot a pinny goose.

What's everyone else think? Crowds?


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

I dont think there will be that many crowds. Most people dont know about the season. And second I think that there will be more people going to the lake and doing the family thing to worry about killing geese!


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

shooteminthelips said:


> Most people dont know about the season.


I was just going to say that. I honestly don't think a lot of people are even aware of the new date. I wouldn't be surprised if the COs get a few extra phone calls the morning of the 15th from people calling in people that they saw and thought were poaching out of season.


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

Tried to get licence today when at scheels. The lady goes... ahh we proll won't get the stamps for a month or two! :lol: I laughed and walked out. They didn't even know about the early season!


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

They had the MN season wrong too. I had to tell a store manager about it. :-?


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

diver_sniper said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if the COs get a few extra phone calls the morning of the 15th from people calling in people that they saw and thought were poaching out of season.


I don't know about that. In the spring when I am Snow goose hunting I always have the locals ask me 'how the duck hunting is.' :eyeroll:


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

I have a baby due on Oct 24th... so I need to get in as much shirt sleeve days as I can before I go on notice...


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

R y a n said:


> barebackjack said:
> 
> 
> > If I can find a spot ill be out. Not looking foward to fighting crowds.
> ...


I think you'd be surprised


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

PJ said:


> diver_sniper said:
> 
> 
> > I wouldn't be surprised if the COs get a few extra phone calls the morning of the 15th from people calling in people that they saw and thought were poaching out of season.
> ...


Ya know, that's a good point. Now that I think about it, most farmers tell me to shoot as many as I can, and when I explain that we have limites, they just tell me to throw them in the weeds or stomp them into the mud. :-?


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Good point about duck stamps. Will they be out? I don't usually get mine till a day or two before 1 Sep.

If I hunt the openner it will be that evening. Otherwise I will probably be out that Sat morning.

I don't agree with it but it has some positives like being able to get my kids out before they start school. Any opportunity to get the kids in the field is a good one. They make bug spray and sun tan lotion so we will be set.

Also it seems like there is always a cool period in mid Aug.


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## snow123geese (Feb 3, 2008)

I will be out there every chance I get. This is a bonus that I can hunt the first few days before school and not worry about getting home early from school and getting the dekes put out


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Did anyone start scouting yet? I've always started scouting a month early so I've been making some rounds in our areas. I haven't been seeing huge numbers at all. But when you are looking for a family here and there I guess you are bound to see few birds.


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

goosebusters said:


> Did anyone start scouting yet? I've always started scouting a month early so I've been making some rounds in our areas. I haven't been seeing huge numbers at all. But when you are looking for a family here and there I guess you are bound to see few birds.


a couple of my buds from the bismarck crew have been out and about in the bizo area. They have two really good spots both with 80+ birds but a lot will more than likely change in the next month.

i hate to sound like a NR ( :stirpot: ) but it might be a water hunt for opener :-?


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Considering I have a couple thousand acres of posted land to hunt on just four miles west of my house, that always has geese, I think I will put a couple hours in. Go out the night before, dig a shallow pit, put out my eight decoys in the morning, sip some coffee, enjoy the cool of the morning, and call it a day at 9:00 am. I think I need one of those sippy cups the kids have so I can drink coffee laying on my back in the blind.  
The geese in the area I hunt were walking up to the edge of the field a couple weeks ago, but while fishing on Pipestem I had them land about 100 yards west of my boat, so I guess at least nine are in the air now. They sure look young yet. 
The posted wheat field I plan to hunt is turning. I would guess he will hit it before August 10th. Hard to say though, I might be getting circled by the combine while laying in my blind. 
I don't get to excited about anything with a shotgun, but it will give me something to do before archery deer season opens. After all I have a new longbow that needs christening in blood.


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## huntinND (May 1, 2008)

I'll be out there if I can find a spot with more then five or ten geese in it. I'm not worried about crowds at all. Hopefully the temp. will be descent or I'll have to find a camo speedo to wear in my layout blind J/K


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## honkerslayr (Dec 14, 2006)

I will definetely be out only because its ten days before school fires up again so I figure that i should get the hunting in while I dont have the homework yet!


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## carp_killer (Nov 24, 2006)

i might be going out to hunt with bl and whitehorse. plainsman stick um with the bow just get some flu flus it ull work good


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## fylling35 (Jun 15, 2007)

This morning I saw some birds out in a field that had been combined yesterday. I'm so ready!!


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

I dunno if anyone has said this anywhere yet. But I finally see it's posted officially now. Maybe I'm weeks behind, but here it is. Not that I didn't believe it was true, I've just been waiting to see it written in stone.

http://gf.nd.gov/hunting/waterfowl/fallfowl/index.html


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I bought a Fed stamp at Sportsman's Warehouse in Fargo last weekend. Just an FYI. 8)


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## pointblankshot (Nov 2, 2005)

Do you guys know if the early canada season count's against a NR's 14 days? The way I understand it, is that it does except for those 3 counties out by the Miss. River. I'm a Nodak guy myself but a friend from MN was wondering and couldn't find it on the gf.nd.gov site. Any help would be appreciated and here's to another great season for all!


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

There literally were no fields harvested around my place on the 15th. As normal, the geese were all doing their mid-August laying low bit, too. Every year they just simply disappear around the 2nd-3rd week of August.

As of two days ago, (the 21st), a number of the fields I have permission to hunt have been harvested, and geese only just started moving around the area. No numbers yet, which gradually increase going into September.

May get around to it early next week. It will take a couple days for the fields to dry up enough to get the trailer into them, after the last two days of rain...


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## turkishgold11 (Oct 25, 2004)

Not a chance.

I have to wait till sep 6 for the WA opener.


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