early goose season is just around the corner.

[Cody Gruchow]

i know its still summer and everyone is still fishing but hunting season is just around the corner. i hit this season real hard to keep me occupyed(sp) so im not thinking about bow season. whos going this season? were? what spread you starting with on opening day of early goose? how many decoys do you use? what shells you shooting? i use a smaller spread sense i hunt closer to town and most of these geese have seen all the big spreads. last year wasnt a very good year at all. the geese seem to be smarter. it was very hard to get them to commit to the decoys and alot of the corn was still up late into the year.

[Go Big Red!]

Small spread maybe 2 doz. shells and big foots, kinda scattered around with a few landing pockets.  Standing corn was tough but we got the farmer to cut a few passes for us so we set-up between cut corn and hay field.  Shells are usually 3 1/2 inch KENT Fas-steel BBB.  Good luck!

Now that damn "itch" is back..... If it flies it dies!!!!!!

[Cody Gruchow]

i use 3inch black cloud BBB in the semi-auto and 3 1/2 inch black cloud BBB in the pump...lucky to have such a guy to cut the rows for you. that was a nice thing for him to do.

[The General]

I used to do tons of early season goose hunting until Canada and spending a week there every year.  I found that the best decoy spread was family groups of 5-7 decoys worked the best.  Maybe around a total of 24 - 30 decoys in total.  But that was 10 years ago. 

[fubar]

michigan nodak, 16 bigfoots and 24 averys family groups. fedral blue box 3'' bb out of a synthetic 870 express supermag laying in a ground force and hunting with 3 of my good buddys

[Cody Gruchow]

so does it help to do those little familys of decoys vs just a spread? im still kinda new to this, 3rd year.

[snow]

Yeah,I'm fired up as well,been out twice hunting crows,fun stuff.Early season its best not to bring your "A" team out,meaning leave the BF's at home for the early season,the young of the year are very dumb,couple dozen shells or sillo socks in small family groups will do ya just fine,also limited calling early,when the birds commit quit calling,to many times birds will flare at aggressive calling.

Also new this year from Hevi Shot is "Hevi Metal",its a premium load that will run around the same price as Black Cloud and the blue box loads,and winchester premium,only its more dense,its has tungsen in the pellet,almost a duplex load in each shell,you'll get more range and pellets on target.

I only shoot hevi shot myself,have for years,this load is so deadly that 3" duces does the trick out to 60yds for birds swinging wide of the spread or pass shooting.All to often guys shoot big heavy loads at birds inside of 40yds,this is not neccessary over dekes,infact its over kill,use the right choke and loads and you'll put more birds in the bag.

Read more here~ http://www.hevishot.com/

PS~ For you guys that like to pound with the BIG loads,Hevi also has "T" shot called "dead coyote,made for varmits but will reach out and tag hi flying snow geese,pass shooting and also a new home defense load in "00 buck"

[Cody Gruchow]

do you get 25 shells per box for hevi-shot?

[snow]

Yeah,in Hevi Metal...Hevi shot is a different story and 10 rounds per/box.Very lethal stuff and will maximize in longer range shooting.

[Cody Gruchow]

ok thanks snow i may buy a box or 2 to test them out.

[HD]

Are they more spendy than other goose loads?

[Cody Gruchow]

well if your paying the same amount for 10 shells as the same amount for 25 black clouds BBB shell i would say yes you are paying more, but he is saying its a better quality of shell i think more devistating on the bird......

[HD]

Naw, I was wondering if they are about the same price or more, compared to other bismith shot shells.
25 rounds...25 rounds...
or 10 rounds....10 rounds....

Apples to apples kind of thing...........

[Tyler Rother]

I'd love to say I could get out and early goose it, but no decoys or fields to hunt. And they don't land on the little water I hunt on, not to mention, I blow at calling. Just can't get it down.

[snow]

A box of Hevi shot will vary from store to store,last year GM had'em @$38/box,yikes! another shop in St Paul had the same Duck and Goose loads for $19.95/box (hevi shot,box of 10) Plus you could down load a coupon off the webstie for $10/box,limit one case per address,made them very affordable.The best thing to do is use hevi shot for the backup shot,we all know how fast a duck or goose can flare in the wind after that 1st shot,so use it for the 3rd shot to start with,or on spooky birds 2 & 3rd.If you do your job,YOU'LL BE AMAZED at how this load works.And yes,similar in price to the other designer loads,I shot both tung and bis for years until Hevi came along 10 years ago.

The infomation I have on Hevi metal is that it will run around $20-$22/box(25/rds)

[The General]

I know I've said this before but just buy yourself a patternmaster choke tube for $90.  Then you can shoot the cheap shells and have the same outcome.  I shoot a case a year of what ever 3 1/2in BB high velocity plain old steel shot is the cheapest usually $13 - $15 dollars a box.  I have zero problems shooting geese out to 60 yards.  However at 20 yards I have separated the neck right from the body.

[Go Big Red!]

Early goose tentatively opens Saturday, September 5.  Does anyone know if this is a set date now?  I just got off the DNR website and it still says tentative.

[Cody Gruchow]

well in the 2009 hunting regulations booklet it says september 5th. so unless i hear different im sure thats the date it opens.

[QuackSmakker]

Family groups, small setup, a dozen to a dozen and a half decoys at best.  I'll be shooting on cut fields and anywhere else the geese may be landing.  Flagging is huge, calling not as important, a few goods clucks and honks will do you this early in the season.  Just make sure you make more noise the closer they get.

I take an IC, Mod and Full Choke into the field and a bunch of loads.  Everything from Black Cloud to the cheapest 3" BB I can find.  You have to shoot according to the birds.  If they're coming in close enough to cut their heads off, you might as well open up the choke and get away from the heavy and black cloud.  No point wasting the expensive stuff until you need to take those passing shots. 

[snow]

Quack,and others~

Best be careful shooting steel with a full choke,not recommended unless you have aftermarket recommendation,also for blackcloud,ported chokes are not recommended and mod chokes with .025 constriction or less should only be used.

FYI

[Cody Gruchow]

yes i should of mentioned that also. working at the hunting club thats stell shot only, we have to always remind them not to shoot steel out of a full choke, unless like snow said its a special one made to handle that. all i shoot is steel

[snow]

Cody,"you worked at wild wings?" If so he must have met...

[Cody Gruchow]

no i work at Marsh Lake Hunting Club, they converted to steel shot a couple years ago. still get guys that "know" what they are talking about and refuse to listen to me or others not to shoot steel shot out of a full choke.

[QuackSmakker]

I just assumed you would figure I used the right chokes with the right loads.  Not everyplace requires steel shot on waterfowl where I'm from, like when you're shooting a private farmers field.  In that case, if the shot is around 40 yards all morning, I'll go with the full choke and a BB or BBB if I'm feeling unlucky.  If you have to use steel, that modified choke will serve the purpose.

If you're making those 60 yard shots, switch it up and go to a Patternmaster or if you feel like you need some more stopping power, go to a Black Cloud Patternmaster.  Somebody said something about shilling out $190 for a Patternmaster, but you can get a set of 3 for as cheap as $265 in some cases. 

The modified choke will do you pretty well for anything inside the 40 yards, however if you're working with Black Cloud you might even be able to go to the Improved Cylinder.  If you're pulling the birds within 15 yards there's no point to use anything over a standard BB, you'll kill the bird if you know how to shoot.

Also, If I'm not seeing birds within 50 yards, I don't even bother.  Especially if it happens more than once.  Then I start wondering what I could do to entice them to closer, not how could I shot further.

Meh...just my two cents.

-QuackSmakker

[Go Big Red!]

No full choke here... I like bringing them in and I'm not a big fan of sky busting... No t saying that I haven't done it, but as I get older, experience starts to win out...modified choke with BB and #2 if I need to get out further...more steel, better spread I think but I'm not expert... Cody has seen me shoot.........

[Cody Gruchow]

well i for one will not shoot at birds over 40 yards.. like quaksmakker said if i cant get them closer then that then i have to step back and think about what im doing wrong, am i sticking out? and etc. i was just saying my own personal preference i like steel so thats what i shoot, just like i wont shoot any other shell thats not federal, its just my own preference. i shoot modifyed most of the time i might switch to improved but thats highly unlikely. and i have seen Big Red shoot and he is a good shot

[snow]

quack said~" just assumed you would figure I used the right chokes with the right loads.  Not everyplace requires steel shot on waterfowl where I'm from"

You must be from europe eh? all of North America is required to shoot non-tox for waterfowl.

[snow]

I wonder why the waterfowl regs are not out yet? I'd put money on the 5th for the start date I also wonder about the 3 shot rule from last year,the 1st two weeks we did'nt have magizine restrictions.(early season goose)

[Cody Gruchow]

i thought you had to have a plug in for early goose?

[snow]

Yeah me to,I found out after the fact that for the 1st time in early season they eliminated the plug requirement.