| Goose season is finally here, the wait is over. | | | | in my decoy spread. Do not overcall in any |
| Weather you are hunting geese in Pennsylvania or | | | | circumstance you are faced with. Geese intrepid |
| in Arkansas the tactics are basically the same. I | | | | overcalling as unnatural and will surely flair before |
| have composed some helpful hints that should | | | | they are in gun range. |
| help your goose hunting adventures. These are | | | | During the early season it is best to leave your |
| my proven procedures used when calling and | | | | flag decoys at home. You really don't need it at |
| setting out decoy spreads. Hopefully these tips will | | | | this time. The late season is a different story, |
| make you a little more successful while adding a | | | | now you want to use your flags. Use your flags |
| few more birds in your bag. | | | | at the right time. Start flagging when the geese |
| The first ingredient to a successful goose hunt is | | | | have a good view of your decoy spread. Lift the |
| making sure you have proper equipment. Your | | | | flag a few feet off of the ground and flap it 3 |
| layout blind is one of the most critical pieces of | | | | times to simulate a goose stretching its wings. |
| equipment you will need. Address the issues of | | | | Remember, the purpose of the flag is to simulate |
| any tears in your layout blind. Don't use grey tape | | | | a goose landing in your decoy spread. Practice |
| to fix the tears where it could be exposed to the | | | | with the flag several times before you ever go to |
| sun. That tape will reflect sunlight about as good | | | | the field. |
| as a mirror, big no-no. A good goose flag is also | | | | Early season decoy spreads are going to differ |
| important. Assemble the flag and get used to its | | | | from late season tactics. We will use up to three |
| movement before you go to the field. It is very | | | | dozen decoys in early season. As we have said, |
| important to have a good goose call. You must | | | | geese are still in family groups in the early season. |
| know how to use that call, so practice, practice, | | | | Your decoy spreads should be place accordingly. |
| and practice a little more. Decoys are essential; | | | | While you are scouting before the season starts |
| they complete the formula for a successful goose | | | | you should make a note of the positioning of the |
| hunt. I recommend you invest in dekes | | | | geese in the fields. Remember to leave adequate |
| somewhere in the middle price range. Geese are | | | | pockets within your spread for the geese to land. |
| tough; they will not fall with a simple glancing blow. | | | | Increase your decoys spread up to ten dozen in |
| A magnum shot load is going to be required to | | | | the late season. A different strategy is used for |
| hunt geese, the 3 or 3 ½ inch shells will be | | | | decoy placement in the late season. The U or J |
| standard equipment on your hunts. | | | | shaped patterns are the preference for late |
| Practice the early and late season calling patterns. | | | | season decoy patterns. Regardless of which |
| In the early season geese are in family groups, so | | | | pattern you decide on, remember to space the |
| call sparingly. Call just enough to keep the birds | | | | individual decoys six to ten feet apart. As the |
| interested and coming your way, a simple honk | | | | season progresses you will want to change your |
| might be all you need. You are hunting mainly | | | | decoy pattern around a little bit. Give the geese a |
| "Home Flocks" in the early season. These are | | | | different look, but don't overdo it. Always face |
| geese that stay in the areas year round. These | | | | your decoys into the wind. Those big birds have |
| geese are familiar with the area and often are | | | | to land into the wind to maintain the proper lift. |
| comfortable with the humans. As a result, an | | | | Place your layout blinds at the closed end of the |
| aggressive style of calling will hamper rather than | | | | U pattern or the end of the hook on the J |
| help in early season goose hunting. You will not | | | | pattern. Of course if you are hunting out of a pit, |
| see large waves of geese in the early season, as | | | | you will want the landing areas in the pattern to |
| you do in the late season. The late season is the | | | | be in your shooting range. Whichever method of |
| time to get aggressive with your calling tactics. I | | | | concealment you decide to use, make sure you |
| do my best to mimic the patterns being fluted by | | | | are blending in with the surrounding areas. You |
| the geese coming into my decoys. I like to try | | | | must be concealed to hunt geese. As our crew |
| and pick out one particular goose honking and | | | | says, "Blend in, or go hungry". |
| return calls trying to convince that goose to land | | | | |