2023 Waterfowl Thread

[the spank]

Still pretty sure a biologist will agree ( A DEAD HEN WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER CLUTCH)! Like I said before, to each their own. You have your train of thought and I have mine. Looking at your pics of the successful hunts ,I would not be able to identify hen from drake unless they were extremely close. Cheers and good hunting

So how do you tell the difference between ###es in a goose without catching them alive and inspecting them in hand through the anal vent? Guess you shouldn't pull the trigger on any geese based on the statement a goose will never have another clutch either if killed. And what about the cormorants you are shooting? Can you determine hens from drakes whatever the terminology is for them?(No I didn't google-fu to find out). The continental population of ducks far exceeds geese yet it's ok to shoot whatever geese come into the spread. Please tell me you see the hypocrisy in this? Personally I see it as the same as the guys who think it's an abomination to fill an antlerless tag or harvest a buck that hasn't grown a set of antlers 180" minimum. It's personal choice but don't try to cast a holier than thow belief over those who don't follow your beliefs. Later when the birds are coloured I shoot for drakes only. Why? Not for conservation reasons but because it makes for a prettier looking bag and make for nicely coloured photos of the harvest and they tend to be bigger more filled out birds. Cheers and good hunting.

 

[track]

Still pretty sure a biologist will agree ( A DEAD HEN WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER CLUTCH)! Like I said before, to each their own. You have your train of thought and I have mine. Looking at your pics of the successful hunts ,I would not be able to identify hen from drake unless they were extremely close. Cheers and good hunting

In the early season it requires a very keen and experienced eye to indentify drake from hen; practice and you will become superior. Many occasions I only killed drakes and springs when duck hunting, beautiful plumage once mid October arrives. I don't hunt ducks anymore, only geese, most difficult to indentify goose from gander, with all species. Are you one of these living-loving-liberals who tells people what to do?

 

[Longstud]

So how do you tell the difference between ###es in a goose without catching them alive and inspecting them in hand through the anal vent? Guess you shouldn't pull the trigger on any geese based on the statement a goose will never have another clutch either if killed. And what about the cormorants you are shooting? Can you determine hens from drakes whatever the terminology is for them?(No I didn't google-fu to find out). The continental population of ducks far exceeds geese yet it's ok to shoot whatever geese come into the spread. Please tell me you see the hypocrisy in this? Personally I see it as the same as the guys who think it's an abomination to fill an antlerless tag or harvest a buck that hasn't grown a set of antlers 180" minimum. It's personal choice but don't try to cast a holier than thow belief over those who don't follow your beliefs. Later when the birds are coloured I shoot for drakes only. Why? Not for conservation reasons but because it makes for a prettier looking bag and make for nicely coloured photos of the harvest and they tend to be bigger more filled out birds. Cheers and good hunting.

The statement was not about geese. It was about hens. Female geese are geese and males are ganders! I’m not trying to cast anything on anybody. I simply made a statement that you don’t agree. That’s fine like I previously mentioned. Everyone’s allowed an opinion. But now we’ve moved to cormerants , which you can tell the difference in male and female. We are trying to reduce the population so if I can I shoot as many females as possible. I also realize the impossibility of ###ing geese. I handed thousands of them with CWS for many years. I also guided for a living for many years so I’m not an anti hunter or trying to be holier than whatever. I never made mention of killing geese or a dead goose never having another brood! As far as the holier than thou part, POT CALLIN THE KETTLE BLACK. I’m not trying to tell you what to do or think. I simply mentioned something told to me by two biologists. I also guided many Americans and they were the ones that told me about the big waterfowl spots fining hunters that shot hens. Kill all the Susies you want. I just don’t if I can help it, but I’m not religious either.

 

[Longstud]

In the early season it requires a very keen and experienced eye to indentify drake from hen; practice and you will become superior. Many occasions I only killed drakes and springs when duck hunting, beautiful plumage once mid October arrives. I don't hunt ducks anymore, only geese, most difficult to indentify goose from gander, with all species. Are you one of these living-loving-liberals who tells people what to do?

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen more birds than most! Geese cannot be identified until in hand. Banded thousands. Just out of curiosity what are SPRINGS? I have them in my truck but they’re for the suspension and I wouldn’t shoot them!!! GFY

 

[medvedqc]

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen more birds than most! Geese cannot be identified until in hand. Banded thousands. Just out of curiosity what are SPRINGS? I have them in my truck but they’re for the suspension and I wouldn’t shoot them!!! GFY

another poet among us ... why just let live that thread a life for all that enjoy it ...

 

[Runningfool]

In an attempt to pull things back on track, I had bar-none the best early goose week ever.

The birds decoyed marvelously and my shooting, while a bit rusty, wasn't half-bad. I've been hunting waterfowl for almost a decade now and last week I shot my first banded goose ever. It was banded in Michigan about 4-500 kms from my location. Then, in a different location not 2 days later I shot my second ever banded goose and this one was banded in Nunavut!

Spent Friday evening making 66lbs of goose summer sausage with my hunting buddy. Smoked it and vacuum sealed it on Saturday and now have the pleasure of giving a bunch of it away to friends and family. Last year's season was a bit frustrating, this one is starting off strong enough that no matter what happens in the next 3 months I will never forget this season.

 

[medvedqc]

In an attempt to pull things back on track, I had bar-none the best early goose week ever.

The birds decoyed marvelously and my shooting, while a bit rusty, wasn't half-bad. I've been hunting waterfowl for almost a decade now and last week I shot my first banded goose ever. It was banded in Michigan about 4-500 kms from my location. Then, in a different location not 2 days later I shot my second ever banded goose and this one was banded in Nunavut!

Spent Friday evening making 66lbs of goose summer sausage with my hunting buddy. Smoked it and vacuum sealed it on Saturday and now have the pleasure of giving a bunch of it away to friends and family. Last year's season was a bit frustrating, this one is starting off strong enough that no matter what happens in the next 3 months I will never forget this season.

great findings.

 

[the spank]

In an attempt to pull things back on track, I had bar-none the best early goose week ever.

The birds decoyed marvelously and my shooting, while a bit rusty, wasn't half-bad. I've been hunting waterfowl for almost a decade now and last week I shot my first banded goose ever. It was banded in Michigan about 4-500 kms from my location. Then, in a different location not 2 days later I shot my second ever banded goose and this one was banded in Nunavut!

Spent Friday evening making 66lbs of goose summer sausage with my hunting buddy. Smoked it and vacuum sealed it on Saturday and now have the pleasure of giving a bunch of it away to friends and family. Last year's season was a bit frustrating, this one is starting off strong enough that no matter what happens in the next 3 months I will never forget this season.

Awesome!! Congratulations on a great start to your season and with some bling to boot!

 

[bbobie]

congrats to you nice shooting

 

[squidxm]

Love the bands. We dropped 16 geese on Sunday up near Sudbury. 2 birds from the same group had bands. One was banded in Attawapiskat, the other in Tennessee.

 

[Runningfool]

Thanks folks.

Love the bands. We dropped 16 geese on Sunday up near Sudbury. 2 birds from the same group had bands. One was banded in Attawapiskat, the other in Tennessee.

Congrats squid!

 

[the spank]

Love the bands. We dropped 16 geese on Sunday up near Sudbury. 2 birds from the same group had bands. One was banded in Attawapiskat, the other in Tennessee.

That is ultra cool!

 

[the spank]

Watching birds last night, didn't have a gun with me and this young coyote hangs around the truck for over 10 minutes....

He's been cleaning up and living well on the pigeons and duck and goose carcasses I keep tossing in the fence line. He got a few more today after I finished cleaning this mornings' birds the wife and I took.

It's not easy to hide an A-frame in a pea field but it worked out pretty good.
We shot all our birds feet down backpedaling in the decoys. I love watching Deb fold them with her 20ga. Ended our morning with 7 Rossies(1 mature, 6 juvies), 1 Lesser Canada, 5 Pinnies and 2 Mallards. A great morning spent hunting with my wife in my books and since I am headed to Ontario sunday and this was our last hunt until I return we invited our new little buddy along. His mother let him take the morning off school. He was pretty stoked and he was amazed by the show watching thousands of white geese and ducks taunt us working at the extreme edge of comfort for our choke/load combinations all morning. He really was pumped last night scouting with me when the coyote hung around the truck for over 10 minutes unaware of our presence in it and at times less than 15 feet from the truck.

 

[DFarmer]

Nice job. I was waiting for you to get out with your wife.
Obviously your blind worked well enough. Do you stand or have chairs in your A frame?

 

[the spank]

Nice job. I was waiting for you to get out with your wife.
Obviously your blind worked well enough. Do you stand or have chairs in your A frame?

We have folding swivel seat chairs and stools.

 

[reddog]

Man you have the best ,I was happy with my 5 gallon bucket as a seat.No prairies this year so have to sit on my hands until October.The one redeeming factor there is a ton of grouse around the interior so thats been a fill in.

 

[Longstud]

Nice your wife also enjoys the waterfowling and clay shooting. Nice job on blending the panel blind into the natural surroundings. Often overlooked but like most things in life, you get out of it whats put into it and spending time on concealment is worth it in spades. Best of luck on your foray into Ontario. A pic from my guiding days many moons ago. From a December hunt in a cornfield with water holes we kept open with salt and a trolling motor.

 

[crawdad_79]

Southern Opener tomorrow, will be out in our castle blind bright and early frying up some bacon n eggs and shootin' some ducks Woohoo

 

[the spank]

Nice your wife also enjoys the waterfowling and clay shooting. Nice job on blending the panel blind into the natural surroundings. Often overlooked but like most things in life, you get out of it whats put into it and spending time on concealment is worth it in spades. Best of luck on your foray into Ontario. A pic from my guiding days many moons ago. From a December hunt in a cornfield with water holes we kept open with salt and a trolling motor.View attachment 709095

I hunted once at SLO in 2006. It was a free one day hunt for 16 of us from a hunting website with 3 guides. We drew straws and I got stuck with big Sean who was the most ignorant person and arrogant guide I think I've ever met. I really was hoping to draw Craig MacDonald whom I had met about 8 years earlier on a hunt near Jack Miners with a mutual friend. The hunting along the St. Lawrence is amazing to be sure. Do you know Shiny? He guided there and also at a good friends place in Kap for wolves.

 

[Longstud]

I hunted once at SLO in 2006. It was a free one day hunt for 16 of us from a hunting website with 3 guides. We drew straws and I got stuck with big Sean who was the most ignorant person and arrogant guide I think I've ever met. I really was hoping to draw Craig MacDonald whom I had met about 8 years earlier on a hunt near Jack Miners with a mutual friend. The hunting along the St. Lawrence is amazing to be sure. Do you know Shiny? He guided there and also at a good friends place in Kap for wolves.

Craigs a great hunter/caller and friend. Big Sean became very full of himself and was lazy. If he didnt get the pat field and done by 7 in the morning he was sour. He is an amazing stage caller and goose hunter but Craigs also awesome and is a killer whos not afraid of hard work and gettin shXt done. As far as SHINY. Im the person that gave him the moniker when we were in THE KAP hunting wolves with Peter Martin. I grew up and played hockey with Lindsay (SHINY) Small world man. I will be hunting moose in a few weeks and staying at Petes again. I was the first guide at SLO and have known Dave since he was very young. A great friend and hunter.Pic from 2013 with Craig in the center and im kneeling on the ground on the left.