snow goose tactics?

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rudar

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I've followed a buddy on several duck hunts (around boundary bay and Ladner marsh, mostly, for those who know the area), but he's now left town, unfortunately. I've picked a dozen duck decoys, and built myself a 12-footer canoe, and now I might have a small amount of money to blow on more toys. I like the idea of shooting geese---more dinner per plucking effort, and it seems the ministry expanded seasons and bag limits 'cos there's lots of them that need shooting. So if I wanted to get more into goose hunting, I'm guessing I'd park along River Road, and either walk into the marshes there, or paddle the canoe across canoe pass to the marshes south of Westham Island. And then what? Would a dozen or two goose decoys set up similarly to the duck decoys work at all? I hear of decoy spreads with several hundred decoys, which seems a bit much on the old budget front... How similar is goose hunting to duck hunting? Would I be pass shooting at longer distances, and should I be looking into a shotgun with 3 1/2" chamber and a collection of chokes? My current gun has a 3" chamber and fixed mod choke... Or should I spend the money on decoys and stick with the current shottie for now? I'm certainly more comfortable with my aim at 10-20 yard, cupped-up-and-landing-in-my-decoys sort of ranges...

Anyone happen to know what currents are like in Canoe Pass? I'd imagine from the name that they'd be OK to handle in a canoe, but misnomers have happened before... Without giving away specific honey-holes or anything, any advice on workable general tactics for this area would be much appreciated :)

Also, anyone have a range to suggest where one could actually pattern a shotgun? I shot at Squamish for a while, but their shotgun range is 7 or smaller, and their rifle range is single shot only, so there really wasn't anywhere to see what different shot loads actually did at different ranges...
 
I'm no expert, but my limited experience and that of others I've talked to is that it is pass-shooting at the place you mention, though some use white plastic bags or a couple dozen decoys to lure 'em closer for a look.

You're lucky to get them closer than 35-40 yards.

Some folks swear by the big guns, but most people I know use 2 3/4 or 3-inch on snow geese.
 
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I used to use a 3 inch 16 guage on geese with great effect, but that was in the days of lead when i was a little younger :) i suppose you could buy some of that hev-i shot bizmuth stuff if you felt the need to 'upgun' a bit. It's supposed to be better than lead.

We always used more goose decoys than ducks - tho there are some cheap ones (and the plastic bag thing makes some sense too) that you can mix in with the bigger ones.

Just remember - goose can see in colour. It's not like deer where you can wear a hawaiian shirt and it just looks like camo to them. And they have incredible eyesight.

Squamish will generally let you pattern on the rifle range, as long as you're not doing it too often. And, for those shorter ranges, there's always the bush :) not hard to find 30 or 40 yards somewhere.

Learning to call helps.
 
Hmmm. Maybe I'll stick to decoying ducks and spending time at the range getting better at longer-distance shooting for this year, then.
 
With a generous limit like this, while it's certain that if you practise at skeet you'll be a better wingshot, why not get out and try for snow geese? Just try to wait for the best shooting oportunity possible.

I only ever shot at snow geese for the first time ever two years ago.

First time I ever shot at one I got it.
 
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