Dec 2, 2015

FIVE REASONS TO GIVE GOOSE HUNTING A TRY

The realism Montana Decoy’s new goose decoys add to a spread is incredible. Made from real photos of actual Canada and snow geese, it’s the ultimate decoy system for waterfowlers looking for a portable and super realistic set. Added among your old plastic decoy spread, they mimic movement in the most subtle of breezes. The 3D decoy, with Perfect Pose Technology™, can be set up in a feeding or looking pose by simply adjusting the position of the head. The side and top view add depth to the realism of the decoys as a flock of geese drops the landing gear and heads toward the business end of your shotgun.

Geese are big birds.

Some of the Greater Canada geese can weigh upwards of 12-15 pounds with some touting a six-foot wingspan. The swoosh of air when a big honker sets his landing gear among the decoys is enough to fan a hunter’s face as he rises from his skid blind to shoot. When you don’t miss, the resounding thud of a goose’s body connecting with the earth can be felt in your chest. Snow, blue and speckled bellied geese are no finches either.

They’re fun to hunt.

Some of the best goose hunts you’ll ever experience are early season, local goose hunts. There are an estimated five million resident geese in North America, many of which cause excessive damage to local crops, golf courses and gardens. The early season hunts, usually held the first week of September in many states, are fun because the geese aren’t wary of decoys yet, they’re concentrated, and it’s one of the few times you can go hunt waterfowl in warm weather. If you don’t have a place to hunt around your hometown, hire a guide. Local goose guides have been known to be relatively inexpensive because they don’t have to travel far to put you on birds. And if the geese are in abundance, paying a guide will be worth every dollar.

Field hunting geese.

Field hunting for geese is one of our favorite waterfowl pastimes. As we mentioned above, the early season is a great time to go after Canada geese. The snow, blue and speckled belly geese, however, are about right in late February or early March. Look to many areas in the Mississippi Flyway where most farmers will gladly allow you to hunt their fields. Here too, we’d suggest using a guide.

A dry-field hunt can be a rewarding experience. Plus, you don't have to get in and out of waders.

In fact, unless you’re a local who has been hunting the area your entire life, get a guide. Snow geese are old hands at avoiding hunters. Many of them die of natural causes so you can imagine when thousands of experienced eyes surveying a decoy and the simplest element looks wrong, they are moving on. BUT, when it all comes together and those thousand or so eyes light right into the decoys, you better hope you’re shooting a shotgun with an extended magazine tube where legal.

They’re delicious.

Some folks, believe it or not, have compared a goose breast to a good cut of beef. Others claim they are tough, tasteless birds. Let’s be clear on something, the “others” don’t know what they’re talking about. Some of the finest waterfowl meat we’ve ever had came from snow geese. The recipe was quite simple: breast the goose, soak the meat in buttermilk for 24 hours, batter, fry in hot grease, serve with cocktail sauce. Your guests won’t believe what they’re eating.

Contrary to popular belief, snow and blue geese are some of the finest table fare you'll ever eat if prepared correctly.


There are a ton of great ways to cook geese, many of which you’ll find on the Internet and all of which come with varying ingredients and opinions. But since we’re not in the cooking business, we’ll say that Hank Shaw has some of the most fantastic recipes for all game you’ll find anywhere, especially waterfowl.

Population increasing.

Farmers will groan while goose hunters will grin. The goose population is increasing. And it’s not happening for no reason. Geese are extremely smart - perhaps some of the most intelligent birds on earth. Sure, you’ll get on some resident Canada geese that’ll think with their bellies before their brains. But for the most part, despite the staggering rise in numbers, don’t expect to limit out every time you head to the goose blind or pit. Consider one or two a person a good day and fine table fare.

As some of the most intelligent birds on Earth, geese show no sign of slowing their booming population growth.