My fiancee wanted to go hunting with me if she could use a 22lr. I wish I could use one, I use #2 or up winchester heavy shot or black cloud or kent tungsten my favorite being 2 3/4 or 3" BB and I need to be within 35 feet it seems to bring them to the ground. I've heard people saying modern steel will do 40 yards. I call BS. My curiosity goes into the lead coated shot. I know it's illegal but I say #3 or 5 shot it was a bit ago, but it was copper coated lead shot.
Lead shot and Goose hunting?
- Thread starter Mpal
- Start date
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Sounds like you need to pattern your shotgun. I have had no trouble with steel to 35-40 yards. 10 yards (30 feetish) and my shot is likely still in the wad.
I know a couple of outfitters whose hunters kill thousands of geese each year, that would call your statement B.S. If you choose a suitable choke, and you have the skill to center your patterns on the geese, steel will cleanly kill geese at 40 yards. Of course if you can't place the pattern properly, your results will likely be disappointing.
At around 30 yards or less is when they will drop out of the sky but I'll only find pellets in the wings and never in the breast itself and I'll have to go over and finish the goose off. I'm not the be all and end all of goose hunters and if someone or everyone but me is having luck at those ranges I'm glad for them. However at 120 feet I sometimes won't even shoot incase I get an unrecoverable cripple, or more likely pellets bounce off the breast feathers or worse hit the rear end and the goose slowly will bleed out far far away. I do clay's and I don't have choke tubes I have full choke on 2 of my shotguns IC on one and open bore on one that isn't ever used hunting. However #2 shot for me will only penetrate the main body at around 30-35 feet and maybe an extra 5 with BB. I have no problems finishing a bird on the ground, it means usually the meat is intact, However I hunt wetland and the reeds are too thick to find a goose that is crippled and glides another 50-70 yards into thick reeds. I guess if 40 yards to you is closer to 100 feet and your in open farm field where you can see the bird go down over a football field away and can easily recover it go on, but people are constantly saying "Nope, it dropped like a rock and field dressed itself on the way down at 40 yards." or at least that's the opinion I've seen expressed. Again if I'm the one flawed please let me know and I would love to do anything to get more geese at farther ranges.
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If you place the center of the pattern over the head/neck area, rather than on the center of the body, the number of clean kills will increase, and the number of cripples will decrease.
tylerjwitty
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Ontario
Gotta use the 3 2 1 method . Works great on the flying fast birds . Get eye done
The regulations state that you must use steel shot on all migratory birds under the act, with the ONLY exception being woodcock. You must use non-toxic on doves as well.
EDIT: Apparently this is regional, so I will say in Ontario the above applies. Other provinces might be different.
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Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Irony; Lead is banned for waterfowl because it's toxic to them. But goose sh@t is allowed to accumulate in our city parks and urban landscape unabated. Let's not forget about the overcrowded nesting areas that are decimating our environmentally sensitive arctic tundra.
I stand corrected, as per the act below. I will rephrase, in Ontario, the only migratory bird you can hunt with lead shot is woodcock.
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._1035/page-7.html#docCont
15.1 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall
(a) possess, for the purpose of hunting a migratory game bird, except a woodcock, band-tailed pigeon or mourning dove, shot other than non-toxic shot; or
(b) hunt a migratory game bird, except a woodcock, band-tailed pigeon or mourning dove, by the use of shot other than non-toxic shot.
(2) The exceptions of woodcock, band-tailed pigeon and mourning dove set out in subsection (1) do not apply in
(a) any area in which the use of non-toxic shot is required under Schedule I when hunting those species; and
(b) the wildlife areas set out in Schedule I to the Wildlife Area Regulations.
SOR/90-623, s. 1; SOR/93-432, s. 2; SOR/97-400, s. 2; SOR/2013-126, s. 2.
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Looks that way.
Murre (turr) hunters: All hunters must purchase and be in possession of a Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit and a Habitat Conservation Stamp while hunting murres. This hunt is only open to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. Murres are the only migratory bird that can be legally hunted from a power boat. Any occupant of a boat who shoots or retrieves murres, or anyone who operates a boat to pursue murres, is hunting as defined in the Migratory Birds Regulations and is required to hold a Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, non-toxic shot must be used to hunt migratory birds, except for murres (turrs). For those birds still hunted with lead shot, remove the lead shot before cooking whenever possible in order to reduce your exposure to contaminants.
Except when fishing in Federally Protected Marine Parks....
It is in the Regs.
Tight Lines and Tighter Groups,
Rob
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Beat me to the punch! Its ridiculous. I like combining dove hunts with pigeon hunt..but with that rule, i now have to shoot pigeons with steel as well. Pain in the a$$!
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
^Sounds rotten doesn't it? It's almost as if someone or somebody wishes to remove the special influence/interest group of hunters. The simple formula of pushing non-toxic shot reduces significantly the hunter pool.
Less hunters=less influence on the resource.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I've seen it first hand and it is mind-boggling. Every little tussock has a goose sitting on it and a gander standing next to it. Ground so covered you know why they call them "snow" geese. And after they migrate south the land looks like someone dragged a set of heavy harrows over it.
But when the locals go egg picking in the spring...tasty tasty tasty.
