# What am I doing wrong?



## bowhunter1 (Sep 26, 2002)

Im not much of a goose hunter but this year I really wanted to set it off. So here is what I did. Bought a dozen standard full body decoys, scouted a harvested grain field the previous night, sited 40+ geese in the field. Next morning went and set out my dekes, layed under some burlap upwind of my dekes, 7am-12pm nothing! They either flew way too high or around me, and I was very well concealed. Any suggestions?? thanks, (you can probably tell I suck at this, but Im trying this new on my own this year)


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Did they flare (you can tell if they do a hard backpedal) or did they just coast off the side? Were you calling?

I wrote an article on tips last year, it could help too.

http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/septembergoose.php


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## bowhunter1 (Sep 26, 2002)

They would actually coast off to the side everytime. I did not have a call. But I was basically wondering if my method was any good. This is usually how I here about geese hunting, but I swear I would go nuts if I laid in a field all day waiting for geese that were there the previous night.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

If they're just casually coasting off the side, and not flaring, than I'd say you're half way there to getting them to commit. So at this point they aren't afraid of your spread, they just don't feel "welcome". 2 things that I think were missing to bring them down:

1) movement - easiest and cheapest way to add movement is to buy a flag (and better yet, buy a pole or extention, not just a hand flag). When they're about 200 yards out, flap the flag a couple times to imitate a goose stretching it's wings. Do this a couple times to reassure the geese that your decoys, are in fact, live geese.

2) calling - easier said then done. Good calling takes a lot of practice, but it's better late than never. Learn at least blow a cluck, and than a moan. When you get good at both learn to mix them together. The birds have been getting very vocal the past week, and they need to be reassured that all is safe and to come in. How much or how little you'll have to experiment, but some sound is needed most of the time.

Good luck.


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

Two questions,

1. In what configuration were you dekes set up?

2. Why in the heck did you sit upwind of the dekes, they have to land into the wind. You were probably sitting too close to where they wanted to land.

Personally with a distinct wind (10mph+) I like to set up in a 'J' with the wind coming into the u of the 'J'. We always place the hunters in the bottom of the u where the majority of the decoys are placed. This usually conceals the hunters and the arm of the J is where the geese swing around as they come in to the landing area which is the opening of the long and short arms of the j.

With little wind (<5mph) I like to set the dekes up in an 'X' with 4 landing areas as you can never tell where they will come and swing in from.

In my opinion, if the wind is out of the west, the geese are going to have to come in from the east on there final approach to land so you are going to want to be to the western portion of your decoys. You never want to place conspicuous objects in the line of sight where the geese are going to fly directly over, and from your first post it sounds like you were sitting exactly where they had to fly to approach your spread.

I don't care how concealed you think you are, these birds aren't that stupid.

cootkiller


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## bowhunter1 (Sep 26, 2002)

> 2. Why in the heck did you sit upwind of the dekes, they have to land into the wind. You were probably sitting too close to where they wanted to land.


So if the geese land into the wind then they are landing into me. What is wrong with that?


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

Ok yeah, I got mixed up between upwind and downwind. You are saying the same thing that I was.

You want the geese coming into you out in front.

cootkiller


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## bowhunter1 (Sep 26, 2002)

Its ok, ignorance is tolerable. :lol:


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

FYI,

Ignorance and making an honest mistake are two different things.
Ignorance would be if I wouldn't admit the mistake.

Crane season opens this saturday bowhunter1, why don't you drive up and I will show you how, when, and where to hunt those suckers and show you how ignorant I am, you can even use my NOVA, I'll use the old over and under. I only need two shots anyway, what with the limit at Lake Alice only being two.

cootkiller


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Heres a stupid question do you eat cranes?


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## bowhunter1 (Sep 26, 2002)

Sure! Id love to hunt with you. Just email me your address and info and Ill swing over there. I live in Grand Forks. Thanks!

my email-----> [email protected]


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

Bobm,
Mike Schell, the greatest waterfowl hunter on this side of Tony Dean, doesn't call them the 'Ribeye of the Sky' for nothin'.

The young ones are the better, not as tough.

bowhunter,
the good lord said ask and you shall receive, my message is on its way.

Wow, I can't beleive I am going to take out a big city kid.(sarcasm)

cootkiller


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Cranes are a blast to hunt, but table fare they are not. I shot and cleaned my share of those ribeyes until one fateful day while cleaning one a live garter snake crawled out of his craw!

DONE CLEANING CRANES!!


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

no no no, 
we are talking cranes, you must be talking CORMORANTS.

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

cootkiller


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