How many of you set that alarm for an ungodly hour during the late fall and winter for something other than work? If you raised your hand, there is a very good chance you are heading out to go ankle deep in mud to settle into your blind and get ready for a day of goose hunting! Whether you are a seasoned veteran or just getting into the hobby now is the time to work on some basic hunting tips and tactics so you are ready go in the spring.
Shot Size Selection
Remembering how to choose the right shot size will likely ensure your first day back snow goose hunting won’t end with having a lot of cripples or constant bad pattern density. You want multiple hits on a bird and enough energy to reach vital organs (the sides of your ammo boxes have little charts offering different size recommendations) but when in doubt speed kills.
For narrowing down your choices, one path to take is thinking the smallest shot with enough adequate energy for a clean kill—small shot equals more pellets, and more pellets in your pattern means a greater shot coverage. Another path is to go with bigger shot, which has some advantages like more energy per pellet (great for birds that don’t decoy within 20 yards), and it is also better for tighter chokes, as it leads to a denser pattern. Keep in mind that steel is lighter than lead or Hevi shot and will slow dramatically bring lethal shot closer and will also get moved by winds much more.
Great Spreads
It’s always great for goose hunting to have creative, unique spreads, since geese learn quickly to spot danger during hunting season, and here are two ideas to give a try. If you’re hunting over grain fields, one possible spread is a small one of between 500 and 600 full-body snow goose decoys while mixing in several flyer decoys for added motion. For this spread, conceal your layout blind effectively and position decoys naturally so the downwind edge is centered in the field.
For snow geese in the spring season, try using larger decoy spreads of up 1000 or more decoys, given snow geese are the smartest waterfowl to hunt using larger spreads of windsocks and full body decoys their eyes on them and off of you. Conceal the blinds with the surrounding vegetation; setting decoys downwind with the upwind edge of the spread using blind door and windsock decoys to help conceal the blinds (upwind edge forms a feeding line trailing off in a loose teardrop downwind). The key here is to create as much of a lifelike appearance as possible.
Early Geese
Goose hunting early in season can mean feast or famine, but there are ways to make the most of it just as you would right smack in the middle of December. For one, scout at the right times and go during the time of day you plan to hunt—that way you can discover their feeding patterns and where to expect them. You should also be scouting as close as possible to your hunting days, as patterns can and will change with little to no notice if the geese start to come under fire regularly.
Second, don’t hesitate to move everything (blind, decoys, etc.) if geese start to circle and leave out side of your shooting range. Make a clear landing zone in your decoy spread, if you’ve got high winds give yourself a bigger looking spread (increase landing zone as appropriate). Also, customize your camo based on the region where you’re hunting geese (because they can spot the unusual), and don’t start calling at the flock as soon as they start heading your way (look and listen to gauge the flock’s personality