Tips for shooting Canada geese

SMOKESKULL said:
Have a permit with lots of restrictions. Having a hard time getting close enough to them. Its in a campground and shooting them in the air isnt possable. Not allowed any calls or blinds. Cant shoot towards the lake and thats the first place they head when they get suspicious. They are very cagey and seems theres always a gaurd on the lookout that warns the others while they have heads down eating grass. Also they seem to always put something behind them like a building or electrical box that you have to get around before you can get a safe shot away.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

They have great eye sight, as you are finding out, they also have really good night vision. They cooperate, and post guards, and when the guards squawk, the whole lot of them starts screeching like fighting crack hoes. It's worse when there are goslings around, which times in with their moult, when they all shed out their feathers and fly poorly.

Any options to access rooftops or elevated positions? How about out of a camper, or other vehicle? This would add the use of every vehicle out there as an additional deterrent, once they figure it out, which they will. Shots from elevated positions are easier to keep the bullet going into a safe backstop, plus it is not the direction they seem to pay as much attention to.

Any option to use a sound moderator? An individual may not own one here in Canada, but a Corporate Entity can, as I understand the Laws. Which is to say that you cannot, but the Pest Control Company may be able to.

I really hate the buggers, between the eternal screeching, and the greasy turds everywhere. I have been buying a Migratory Bird Permit for the sole reason that there is a short spring season, and if I go out and make a lot of noise whanging away in their general direction, they generally get the idea that it's not a safe healthy place to raise their brood, and go elsewhere. Have a lot more ducks hanging around the pond and raising broods, without the goose population now.

Not required to save the meat, are you? If not, then I would be going with whatever you have that will shoot the fastest, accurately, with a frangible bullet, and stick to center of mass body shots. The longer reach of a .17 or .22 center fire round, puts the noises further from them, a fortuitous shot may well pot more than one ( I got two Coyotes with a .223 a while back).
 
SMOKESKULL said:
Have a permit with lots of restrictions. Having a hard time getting close enough to them. Its in a campground and shooting them in the air isnt possable. Not allowed any calls or blinds. Cant shoot towards the lake and thats the first place they head when they get suspicious. They are very cagey and seems theres always a gaurd on the lookout that warns the others while they have heads down eating grass. Also they seem to always put something behind them like a building or electrical box that you have to get around before you can get a safe shot away.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
navy-seal-rumor-buster-image.jpg
 
Not sure where it is that you are shooting but I always heard that you are allowed to shoot waterfowl on the water or land. Only thing is that it may not be seen as sportmans like.
 
If a rifle is permissible, I'd pass on the rimfire which ricochets badly, and use a .22 centerfire loaded with frangible bullets. Thus you have a long range solution, with tolerable noise, without bullets bouncing all over the country.
 
Slightly off topic but they are everywhere around my place this year.

What they don't know (but will learn the hard way) is the coyote den is just to the left of the pond and they are patiently waiting while the chicks fatten up. Last year the single goose family got stalked by the 'yote until one day everyone was gone. Those are smart dogs waiting until there's plenty of goose to go around.
 
That solution only works if you don't also have pets and livestock or poultry around, plus you can stand the screeching of the geese every time you walk out your door.

Didn't take as long to train the remaining coyotes about which areas I figure are 'mine' vs. 'theirs', as it has the geese.

Geese make a swell alarm in the night, but sorta like the idiot that has an alarm on his car, while he sleeps on the far side of the apartment building from where it goes off every night, there is only so much worth putting up with.
 
SMOKESKULL said:
Have a permit with lots of restrictions. Having a hard time getting close enough to them. Its in a campground and shooting them in the air isnt possable. Not allowed any calls or blinds. Cant shoot towards the lake and thats the first place they head when they get suspicious. They are very cagey and seems theres always a gaurd on the lookout that warns the others while they have heads down eating grass. Also they seem to always put something behind them like a building or electrical box that you have to get around before you can get a safe shot away.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

When you say permit with restrictions, do you mean permission to hunt on private land, and the land owner is giving you the restrictions?

You have to ask if the land owner actually wants you to shoot their geese. If so, I would try to convince him to loosen up a little bit.

If they don't actually want you to shoot their guess, then sounds like you need a better property owner to be working with.
 
If a rifle is usable, use it.

If a shotgun with no plug is usable, use it. Get a magazine extension and the heaviest shot you dare use in that location. I know guys who used to shoot them with 00 buck back in the day.

A bow/crossbow is probably silly, but sometimes they have their uses as well.

If you don't care to eat them, it makes it a lot easier. 00 will really tear them up.

Can't build a blind? Use a ghillie suit.

Can't call them? Bait them. That's even better anyway, if legal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom