Duck/goose hunting ... so tell me!

popcan

popcan

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I have an invite to go to Alberta for some duck/goose hunting.

I have never done this before, so I need some advice about:


- licenses - what do I need ... do I buy one there?

- gear - what to take? (Clothing, daypack, "possibles"?)

- shells - what kind? I think I will use Bismuth or something other than steel. Reccommend 2 3/4 or 3"? How many shells do I need to bring?

- what chokes?

- guns - I will likely take my Beretta 390, and my 870 Wingmaster. Unless an O/U would be better for some reason? I presume this is 12g work, nothing smaller.

- Is this going to be addicting?

-Thanks for the help!
 
its going to be addicting, it's gonna cost you alot too because you'll need a few hundred rounds of shells :mrgreen:
 
Licences... Federal Migratory Bird Licence AND a provincial licence of the province you are hunting in to "validate" the Federal Migratory licence...

Gear... Camo, preferably in "field shades/coloring" rather than hardwoods, but hell, use what you got...

Shells!!! I can NOT stress this enough... The only steel worth shooting is the stuff travelling 1550 feet per second... Don't let someone tell you that you need heavier shot than #3's or #4's for ducks and BB's or #1's for geese!!! Pattern density AND speed KILLS with steel. You have to make up for the 30% loss in density of steel compared to lead by SHOOTING it 30% FASTER!!!! That's why lead shells average 1200 or 1300 feet per second and GOOD steel is going 1550... Oh ya, if you have a 3 inch chamber, shoot 3 inch, if you have a 3.5, even better for max payload...

Chokes... I ALWAYS use improved cylinder, it patterns like modified with steel. I can see some situations needing a modified, to get a full pattern with steel...

Either the 390 or 870 will be fine. I'd choose the one with a 3.5 inch chamber IF there was one...

YES, addiction is a common affliction for duck/goose hunters... My addiction has been growing since 1990 and I actually have a hard time sleeping a couple nights before opening day!!! :shock: Opening day by the way is Oct. 1st for us, I'm wired!!!

Cheers
Jay

Here is a pic for ya! My 10 foot flat bottom boat with drop down camo net frame... Pure murder on ducks!!! The guy in the pic was a buddy who NEVER had a good duck hunt, TILL he met ME!!! Yehaa!!! Now HE'S addicted!!!

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Warm clothing, can't stress that enough. The best money I ever spent was on a set of insulated camo coveralls. It keeps me toasty warm no matter what.

Take both the 870 and 390. There are no gunsmiths in the field if something breaks.

Ditto the ammo. For ex. choose the 1-1/8 oz load going 1550 fps rather than the 1-1/4 oz @ 1450. But I tend to go one shot size higher - #2 on ducks, and BBB on geese as the heavier each pellet is the better it retains it's speed. IC choke is all if you're by decoys, maybe MOD if you're pass shooting.

Video camera.

Although those geese look HUGE and SLOW while they're coming in, you still need to lead them.

Have fun.
 
its going to be addicting, it's gonna cost you alot too because you'll need a few hundred rounds of shells
Click to expand...

Duck Hunting is the only sport that you feel like you MUST empty your gun, regardless if your duck falls on the first shot or not! 8)

Want more of a challenge? Go shoot Woodcock! 6 shells for every bird! :shock:

For a successful trip.... Warm clothes, flashlights plus batteries, gloves, lots of hot coffee, decoys, Guns (why limit yourself - #### breaks!!!!), camo facepaint, duck/geese calls, ammo - I like #2 and #4's carry a few BB for those hard to reach shots. You will need a migritory bird licence (The FEDS govern Migratory Birds so it is valid anywhere in Canada), available at any Canada Post Office.

Duck Hunting is addictive. My first exposure to hunting at age 14 was a buddy who was 18 said here hold my gun while I load the boat. If any ducks fly by shoot 'em From the moment that O/U Baikal kicked my shoulder... :twisted: I knew I was addicted :lol:

Best of luck - Post pics when you come back!
 
You will also need to see a lisence issuer for a WIN card and Wildlife Certificate. (These are provincial.) Get the scoop here: http://www3.gov.ab.ca/srd/fw/hunting/

And the regs are here: http://www.albertaoutdoorsmen.org/huntingregs/index.html

Canadian Tire, Russels, Wholesale, etc. can do these for you.

You may want to get a game bird permit as well... the hungarian partridge are great so far this year. We limited out and put up at least 100 birds today... :mrgreen:
 
popcan said:
I have an invite to go to Alberta for some duck/goose hunting.

I have never done this before, so I need some advice about:


- licenses - what do I need ... do I buy one there?

- gear - what to take? (Clothing, daypack, "possibles"?)

- shells - what kind? I think I will use Bismuth or something other than steel. Reccommend 2 3/4 or 3"? How many shells do I need to bring?

- what chokes?

- guns - I will likely take my Beretta 390, and my 870 Wingmaster. Unless an O/U would be better for some reason? I presume this is 12g work, nothing smaller.

- Is this going to be addicting?

-Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

DOITDOITDOIT :p you'll never be the same :roll:
 
Ducks and geese are totally different than bucks and meese. (hey - if the plural of goose is geese, why shouldn't the plural of moose be meese? :) )

For the latter - you want soft quiet clothing and camo really doesn't matter.

For the former - they won't hear you - waterproof is DAMNED important and it better be warm because you have to sit damn still. And birds see in colour, so camo can make a big difference.

It is TOTALLY addicting. The only reason i don't still do it is no dog, and that's the only way i know how to retreive them.

Learn to call :) - that's addicting all by itself - even though your neighbours will soon wish you'd go with a less annoying addiction, like running a crack house or something. :lol:
 
I've been in Saskatchewan since September 17th doing exactly that. More chicken hunting than anything else because harvest is so far behind that my favourite place to hunt is still closed (Lure Crop). Did get a crack at a bunch of snows tonight and brought home a mallard.

I use steel. I don't have any problem killing birds as long as you remember you're not plugging away with the 1 7/8 oz lead loads of yore. :(

Hell, I clobbered a coyote this afternoon at about 35 yards with a 1 1/8 oz load of Kent Fasteel BBs. I run them through the modified tube in my Gold 3.5".

My hunting parka is a Columbia. Best buy I ever made while working at Wholesale. I just wish I'd had wit enough to buy the bibs that went along with the parka. I pack lots of shells when I go out for a morning shoot (usually a couple of boxes in my pockets, sometimes three). A camo ballcap is a must and a face mask is a nice plus as well. Otherwise you end up cowering behind the grass, averting your eyes like some terrified acolyte. And get some waterproof boots...just in case. I didn't and now my feet are wet (stupid mallard didn't fall where she was supposed to).
 
My hunting parka is a Columbia. Best buy I ever made while working at Wholesale.
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My deer hunting Parka is a Columbia. It was the best $400 that I ever spent. :oops: :lol: Lots of pockets, dual layers, silent, water resistant... etc. I know guys that will spend $2000 on a gun and lots of $$$ on accessories but when it comes to what counts, they buy a cheap ####ty coat and $20 boots. :shock: One can't stress the importance of dryness, warmth and comfort while hunting. :lol:
 
Take you guns, chokes and a variety of shells you are going to shoot to the range and pattern your gun. Each combination will shoot differently and you want to find the combination that gives you the best pattern.

To shoot a load that has a blown or crappy pattern will be very frustrating when all you are doing is missing or wounding birds.

A good pattern steel load will kill just fine out to 35 yards.
 
Good advice from Waterlfowler on patterning. Just because a gun shoots well with lead doesn't always mean it patterns steel well.

If you're not going to use steel consider Kent Tungsten Matrix. It patterned very nicely in my guns. Another option used in this area is Remington Hevi-Shot. The only problem is that both are pretty pricey and you don't do a lot of patterning. Just three or four shots to see how it works.

popcan said:
Oh, geez :roll:

..... just when I thought I had enough shotguns.......
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Enough? What is this enough of which you are speaking. It is not a word used when discussing shotguns. :lol:
 
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