Thread: Goose Hunt

Ive allways considered the goose the most cunning and rewarding water fowl to bag. I havnt bothered hunting them since they lost there game bird status , and last year they got hammered by fed farmers by chopper (dont get me started) .
For those that dont know Lake Ellesmere , the geese leave the lake ,fly off to the high country to molt in december then fly back in late january.
So to the story, got a phone call , "the geese are back and flying " and ok numbers too . Sweet count me in please (bribes with crayfish work miracles),and the fact ive been watching a mob of geese grow as well .
Get another call " we hit them on saturday " , what do I need to do ? , "nothing all taken care of , mud holes dug , decoys set , dont be late "!.
Ive been lucky with this invite as with geese its the prep that pays dividens , and the two that have done it have been shooting the lake more than 60 yrs (120 yrs combined) .
3am my alarm clock roars into life , try too gather thoughts but a stark reminder from the mrs elbow , "turn that F*#" ,(you get the drift). Im a hour too early never mind , best that way round . Now just have too sneek around , not to wake dog as wasnt taking him as hes not nessary today. Bugger hes onto me ! he sees the gun ! ive got a problem now its 3.30Am and a gsp is doing back flips and telling the hole neibour hood about it as only a gsp can .
We arrive (yes dog and me) (dog ) . Its windy , great gives us some direction to adjust decoys if nessary. Find my possy and wait , normally the geese wont fly on the first light , but it pays to be set before as the geese will be trading from the lake , if they are close they can see you and may avoid your area . Its just light and geese in the air , the sound of ahonk ...... ahonk...... we are trying to get them to see our decoys , a mob of 30 are intent of flying past us and into another area , they are straight in bugger , this is not good as this will start a trade , and it did .
We manage to call in a mob from another bay in the lake , we have geese on the ground now , but still geese pour into the paddocks behind us . This is goose shooting and why when you get it right you savour every moment . We stick it out and end up with 22 in hand . Not dissapoined , but left thinking what if those geese had still wanted too feed in our area still , they had for a week . Never mind next time .

yeah goose shooting can be a like that.but when they come in it can grt exciting!

best I had 100 plus(500 birds off 1 paddock over awk,) once in A life time I'd say

I never see geese around my area although I have been told that they are on the other side of the Kaipara.

Go for them Rushy! Nice work guys but do yous really sit in those big mud holes do you not cover them up?

Originally Posted by Toby

Go for them Rushy! Nice work guys but do yous really sit in those big mud holes do you not cover them up?

Just sit in them , squat down in cammo , don't move and you are sweet . You soon know to sort it out, if they flare . I had a mob vertually landing on me yesterday .

Geese around here are hard but never hunted in a paddock with layout blinds or decoys so would say that would help alot, I just go to the lake and sit behind rushes and wait 4-6 hours for them to come to me. normally works if you get the wind right and know where to sit and wait.

Originally Posted by Toby

Geese around here are hard but never hunted in a paddock with layout blinds or decoys so would say that would help alot, I just go to the lake and sit behind rushes and wait 4-6 hours for them to come to me. normally works if you get the wind right and know where to sit and wait.

When on the lake flats or paddock , if you have done homework the geese are quite low and are content on coming in , since you are flush with the ground they don't see you , unless you sneak a look and it's all over ,

Great stuff Munsey. I'm having a crack at them again in two weeks.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Great stuff Munsey. I'm having a crack at them again in two weeks.

Lake Ellesmere ?

Yup!

Good luck GM

Sweet report cheers for posting
A few more storys like that and i just might try hunting birds...maybe.... Of course i would need an experienced hunter to show this newb how its done.

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Shit VC you are missing out, go out this may

Originally Posted by Toby

Shit VC you are missing out, go out this may

+1 Great fun. I managed a goose with my 12th shot ever with a shotgun. Could have got a lot more but wasn't too sure on what to do with them. Spent the rest of the day just calling them in. Great seeing a V of them flying no more than 10m above you, then calling in another group.