# Snows Landing



## JNedved (Jan 24, 2008)

Do you guys ever have any snows land or about to land then shoot them or do you guys shoot them while they are circling? This is going to be my first year setting up for snows so any advise would help thanks guys


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

It's alot like any other waterfowling, you have to read the birds, if there coming hot and heavy let them come. Rossy's will land on your head sometimes if you let them. On average though you might want to be a little quicker on the trigger, if you see one bird that starts looking nervous you better be shoot'en because they don't wait to let the others know.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I wouldn't expect a lot of feet down action during the front push, if at all at times. I personally shoot better at 25-30 yards than at 10 anyways....my choke is tight and then, well, I choke.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

> I personally shoot better at 25-30 yards than at 10 anyways....my choke is tight and then, well, I choke.


Chris....I nominate this as quote of the year! Because I am the exact same way.

Here is my take on all waterfowl. I love landing birds, but at 10-15 yards you can do lots of damage to meat. So way not shoot them at 25-30 yards with feet down. Because once the landing gear is down they are committed and you did fool them! :wink:


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> my choke is tight and then, well, I choke.


I have the same problem. It only seems to happen on the dark goose opener and anytime snow geese get into range. When snow geese get into shotgun range you have fooled them. Don't count on 1 more pass, or the bigger flock that is following the leaders. Take every snow goose as if you won't see another again.


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## goosehauler22 (Dec 16, 2004)

> Here is my take on all waterfowl. I love landing birds, but at 10-15 yards you can do lots of damage to meat.


Here is my take "Its about the heartbeat not the goose meat." Let em land and blow em up. Or if they are that close and you are that worried about the meat just shoot them in the head, or call me because I always have extra meat. Watching snows land is something else if you can do that you are doing something right.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> Here is my take "Its about the heartbeat not the goose meat." Let em land and blow em up.


Classy...


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## joebobhunter4 (Jul 19, 2005)

goosehauler22 said:


> > Here is my take on all waterfowl. I love landing birds, but at 10-15 yards you can do lots of damage to meat.
> 
> 
> Here is my take "Its about the heartbeat not the goose meat." Let em land and blow em up. Or if they are that close and you are that worried about the meat just shoot them in the head, or call me because I always have extra meat. Watching snows land is something else if you can do that you are doing something right.


took the words right out of my mouth. if they are coming in feet down you should be able to shoot enough that day to salvage just as much meat as you would on a regular day.


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

If its not about harvesting the meat they might as well cancel the spring conservation season and just poison the birds when they are concentrated in the breeding or wintering grounds. I think that state of mind is a bad thing for young hunters, part of being an ethical hunter is how you take care of your game after you harvest it and promoting just the killing part of our sport only encourages the anti hunters to work against us. I know what you guys are saying about the heartbeat but it sounds horrible when you say you don't care if you get any meat cause you "blew them up."


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## Gillbilly (Mar 21, 2007)

Well said Goose Guy,I thouht the same thing when I read the post earlier.This has been an issue Ive run into while speaking to guys in the spring on many occasions.Why is it okay to cripple birds or "blow them up"in the spring?I have heard guys say the lost 25 or more in a day because they didnt want to go look.I like shooting as much as anyone but the dont care just wanna grind em attitude is a little much.Just my .02 for what its worth. :beer:


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Not to mention that kind of attitude is what fuels the anti-hunting agenda. Respect the resource guys, over populated or not.


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## mudhunter (Dec 10, 2007)

Even when some are landing around us, we typically shoot the rest in the air. I have a problem with the cd that shows the speck with a hole clean thru the middle of the breast. It shows complete disrespect for the critter. I'm about saving the tundra, but still!!!
I also agree, that the pattern at that range is, well, tight. In any choke. The larger killing radius is out at 25 yd. 
But when the bird is moving his head side to side, it's done. But it is a heck of a rush when they come in to land. But, then, only if the large bunch is directly behind them. 
Big thing is to not worry if you are wrong, just get in a habit of one person calling the shots, and it gets easier. Because, there usually is another bunch coming in. Sometimes, we tend to wait too long, and the others that are out quite a ways are done. ie; sometimes it is better to take the first ones, and some in the way back will still come in. And sometimes the very next group will also come right on in. 
And sometimes when you are calling the shots you just plain screw up. That's why they call it huntin'...


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## Ridge Nelson (Jan 19, 2006)

Ridge Nelson said:


> goosehauler22 said:
> 
> 
> > "Its about the heartbeat not the goose meat." Let em land and blow em up.
> ...


Im not the biggest fan of the meat either but every bird we shoot gets cleaned, packaged and we either turn into sausage and/or the meat gets given to somebody who genuinely wants/needs it ..... if you can shoot them the least you can do is clean them.


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## joebobhunter4 (Jul 19, 2005)

Ridge Nelson said:


> Ridge Nelson said:
> 
> 
> > goosehauler22 said:
> ...


im pretty sure nobody said anything about not cleaning any of the birds... i salvage all the meat i can but its not like im going to feel bad for a bird if i ruin a breast... thats what guns do... you can ruin a birds breast at 25 yards just as much as at 10 yards.


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## Ridge Nelson (Jan 19, 2006)

joebobhunter4 said:


> Ridge Nelson said:
> 
> 
> > Ridge Nelson said:
> ...


"blowing em up" implies to me that he has no intention of cleaning or putting the meat to a good use


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## joebobhunter4 (Jul 19, 2005)

Ridge Nelson said:


> joebobhunter4 said:
> 
> 
> > Ridge Nelson said:
> ...


my bad, thought you were implying that we dont clean them. idk if he does but i do.


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

Yea you can ruin a breast at 25 yards, and if anyone spends enough time hunting they will ruin/shoot up a few birds regardless of range but to say to let them land so you can "blow them up" is not only unethical but it relays a poor message to the youth hunters. Its not the fact that someone shoots up a bird accidentally that disgusts me (it happens), its the fact someone would purposely try to ruin a bird, that disgusts me. Have respect for whatever you are chasing whether it be ducks, geese, women, etc :beer:


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## Ridge Nelson (Jan 19, 2006)

Goose Guy350 said:


> Yea you can ruin a breast at 25 yards, and if anyone spends enough time hunting they will ruin/shoot up a few birds regardless of range but to say to let them land so you can "blow them up" is not only unethical but it relays a poor message to the youth hunters. Its not the fact that someone shoots up a bird accidentally that disgusts me (it happens), its the fact someone would purposely try to ruin a bird, that disgusts me. Have respect for whatever you are chasing whether it be ducks, geese, women, etc :beer:


Well said... my thoughts exactly.


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## bluegoose18 (Jan 9, 2008)

here's my say on this goosehauler22 and dblkluk and joebobhunter4 
SHAME ON YOU How can you even responded to this thread with that train of thought???? You call yourselfs Hunters YA Right!!!! If you were in my hunting party and did somrthing like that you would be walking back to town looking for the greyhound. I agreee 100% with Gooseguy 350 and the others. I believe that your post should be removed from this forum for talking such sh*@. in all of the years that I have been reading this forum I have never read anything so disrespectful SHAME ON YOU AGAIN


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

Bluegoose: NOTE the non-condoning sarcasm in Dblkluk's post.


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## bluegoose18 (Jan 9, 2008)

bandman 
10-4 on that


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> here's my say on this goosehauler22 and dblkluk and joebobhunter4
> SHAME ON YOU How can you even responded to this thread with that train of thought????


Bandman pretty much nailed it..My post was meant to be full of sarcasm.

I should have added a :eyeroll:

Trust me bluegoose, we're on the same page here..


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## bluegoose18 (Jan 9, 2008)

Great to be on the same page. 8)


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

And for the amatuers reading this, an experienced hunter knows not to shot the ones at 10yds when they are that close, instead you shoot at the ones 30-35yds out 1st, and as they back peddle you keep picking them off at 30-40 yds range.

Some days you'll be lucky to get anything within 50yds, other days you can have them just suck in close. So bring the chokes with in the field and adjust the choke to the day.


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## ghostbuster (Nov 30, 2007)

i let them land and more come then i lay down the smack down


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## goosehauler22 (Dec 16, 2004)

Hey lets be honest even if the birds are at 10 yards not all of the meat is wrecked because if everyone shoots like me plenty of birds have gotten away at 10 yards. You still have do shoot very well to blow up a bird. You cant tell me when someone shoots off a head or a wing that it is not cool.



> If its not about harvesting the meat they might as well cancel the spring conservation season and just poison the birds when they are concentrated in the breeding or wintering grounds.


As far as this quote goes the conservation season is for the geese not the hunters. I'm not sure if you know but the snow geese are killing themselves on the breeding grounds. If they wanted hunters to have more meat they would extend deer season and every other hunting season for that matter.

But hey the topic was started about snows landing in the decoys not about what happens to the meat after you shoot them. And as far as that goes nothing beats watching 500 mature birds land in your spread.[/quote]


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

goosehauler22 said:


> But hey the topic was started about snows landing in the decoys not about what happens to the meat after you shoot them. And as far as that goes nothing beats watching 500 mature birds land in your spread.


That I will agree with you on.


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## Heavy Hitter (Dec 10, 2004)

goosehauler22 said:


> As far as this quote goes the conservation season is for the geese not the hunters. I'm not sure if you know but the snow geese are killing themselves on the breeding grounds. If they wanted hunters to have more meat they would extend deer season and every other hunting season for that matter.


Although your reason for the season is true, it is still hunting and should be treated no differntly than that. States with no bag limits, all day hunting, e-callers and unplugged shotguns bring far more shooters who could care less about the meat and are just in it for the thrill of pulling the trigger. The reason for the season is for hunters to help thin numbers rather than destroying birds on their breeding grounds.

Would you rather have them NOT have the season and spend the money to erridicate them?

Your last sentence holds absolutely no merit and is a ridiculous statement that doesn't justify anything your trying to say.


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## Original Goosebuster (Jan 12, 2006)

goosehauler22 said:


> > Here is my take on all waterfowl. I love landing birds, but at 10-15 yards you can do lots of damage to meat.
> 
> 
> Here is my take "Its about the heartbeat not the goose meat." Let em land and blow em up. Or if they are that close and you are that worried about the meat just shoot them in the head, or call me because I always have extra meat. Watching snows land is something else if you can do that you are doing something right.


As long as the band/collar is ok :lol:


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