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It's about here finally. Early goose and dove season open here Sept 1st then wood duck and teal the 13 th, deer season the following weekend. We've almost made it thru another boring ass summer

I wish we had an early wood duck season. That would be awesome. I see tons of wood ducks in early goose. The best/worst was the time I had at least 2 dozen on the water that I could see, probably another dozen or more in the water behind me, and more on the other side of the islands in front of me. They came in small group after small group. It was pretty awesome.

Our early goose opens on the 6th. I've been watching several flocks pile into a section of beach about 3/4 mile from here every morning form 8:45-9:30. Low and slow, they don't even care about me and the dog standing there. If they keep it up, they will be in for a giant surprise on the 6th!

Wish we had some kind of early goose or duck season. Buncha lucky bastards.

That's my crew, been watching the geese just hope they stay the same for 2 more weeks and it'll be good. We been feeding some woodies for a couple weeks a pond we got on a big creek. I'm sure they'll be around. Just gotta make sure the foods gone by this weekend lol

Our early goose is weird.

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/hunting/hunting_ducks-geese-hunting_il_aa101603a/

These big birds are stay-at-homes when nesting, but the non-breeding portion of the flock – older geese and young, unmated birds – may migrate, usually in mid-May, in what is termed a molt migration. Some will go all the way to the Canadian breeding grounds, while others spend the summer in northern Wisconsin and southern Canada.

By mid-September, however, the bulk of these vacationers have returned to their familiar haunts in northern Illinois. The population of resident giant Canada geese in northern Illinois is difficult to assess due to the large urban area they inhabit, but estimates of several hundred thousand are thought to be reasonable.

It also seems when the young fledge, they often move out of the area. Also a lot that don't seem to be feeding on grass a short walk from their roost.

Some years hunting is good and other years you can go days on end without even seeing a single goose.

I haven't seen a single goose in the air in months. However, I saw hundreds of geese on the ground over the last week.

Sometime in the next month, it's like a switch flips and I'll see geese all the time. The only question is whether it will happen before or after 9/15. Usually before, sometimes even before the 1st. Before that it is just dumb luck if you catch a random goose, after that, they seem to be everywhere.

The urban area of residents is the case for sure down here. That's why I get to hunt a couple places I do. We can HUNT only inside the city limits. Can't discharge a firearm otherwise in the city. The law is written that federal law super cedes state law on guns. If your 100 yards from a visible dwelling with landowner permission your good to go. People are tired of wading thru goose shit and want them gone. I'm glad to help

I wish they would push our early goose back a week or two. It would make a huge difference in how many sidewalkshitters get shot, at least around here.

The problem is that migrants can start showing up. A few years, I know I was seeing migrants on the last day of early goose.

Yea, that would help you all. It's been an awful cool summer compared to the last 2 years. Maybe that will help some getting them moving. The residents sure get smart fast

SpinnerMan wrote:I wish we had an early wood duck season. That would be awesome. I see tons of wood ducks in early goose. The best/worst was the time I had at least 2 dozen on the water that I could see, probably another dozen or more in the water behind me, and more on the other side of the islands in front of me. They came in small group after small group. It was pretty awesome.

Fun to watch at least just hell of a lot more fun to kill

Yep can't wait. Been skeet shooting lately getting back into groove.

Good idea. We had that planned the other day when we planted our millet and the guy that was bringing the skeet left them at home lol. He had the cooler so we let him off easy

Steele22 wrote:

SpinnerMan wrote:I wish we had an early wood duck season. That would be awesome. I see tons of wood ducks in early goose. The best/worst was the time I had at least 2 dozen on the water that I could see, probably another dozen or more in the water behind me, and more on the other side of the islands in front of me. They came in small group after small group. It was pretty awesome.

Fun to watch at least just hell of a lot more fun to kill

Most definitely.

Steele22 wrote:Yea, that would help you all. It's been an awful cool summer compared to the last 2 years. Maybe that will help some getting them moving. The residents sure get smart fast

It hardly feels like we've had a summer. It's usually 90s in the day, mid 70s at night, and humid as hell. Two mornings ago it was 58. In August. What the hell. I'm sitting out in a field right now trying to burn up some crop damage deer tags in a t-shirt and pants, and I'm getting cold since the sun dropped. Nonsense. And there are Canadas flying over by the bucketful.

assateague wrote:

Steele22 wrote:Yea, that would help you all. It's been an awful cool summer compared to the last 2 years. Maybe that will help some getting them moving. The residents sure get smart fast

It hardly feels like we've had a summer. It's usually 90s in the day, mid 70s at night, and humid as hell. Two mornings ago it was 58. In August. What the hell. I'm sitting out in a field right now trying to burn up some crop damage deer tags in a t-shirt and pants, and I'm getting cold since the sun dropped. Nonsense. And there are Canadas flying over by the bucketful.

Did you do any good today? That's what I was thinking on the heat man. It's been awful cool for July and August. Until tonight and it's humid as shit. I got called in we had some jake leg fucker cutting trees and tore down his neighbors service drop. Of course it was in the backlot where we can't get trucks lol. I look like I jumped in a damn pond I'm so wet

It's extremely humid here today too! And, no breeze whatsoever...

SpinnerMan wrote:Our early goose is weird.

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/hunting/hunting_ducks-geese-hunting_il_aa101603a/

These big birds are stay-at-homes when nesting, but the non-breeding portion of the flock – older geese and young, unmated birds – may migrate, usually in mid-May, in what is termed a molt migration. Some will go all the way to the Canadian breeding grounds, while others spend the summer in northern Wisconsin and southern Canada.

By mid-September, however, the bulk of these vacationers have returned to their familiar haunts in northern Illinois. The population of resident giant Canada geese in northern Illinois is difficult to assess due to the large urban area they inhabit, but estimates of several hundred thousand are thought to be reasonable.

It also seems when the young fledge, they often move out of the area. Also a lot that don't seem to be feeding on grass a short walk from their roost.

Some years hunting is good and other years you can go days on end without even seeing a single goose.

I haven't seen a single goose in the air in months. However, I saw hundreds of geese on the ground over the last week.

Sometime in the next month, it's like a switch flips and I'll see geese all the time. The only question is whether it will happen before or after 9/15. Usually before, sometimes even before the 1st. Before that it is just dumb luck if you catch a random goose, after that, they seem to be everywhere.

That's the kinda of crap Ohio pulled on us for our late February season we used to have .we just had to measure the bills and report them .
they found out we where killing too many James bay geese .
so that ended the February hunting.

last step before pumping and brushing

my blind

That looks sweet! Did you say you were in Illinois?

Duckdog wrote:That looks sweet! Did you say you were in Illinois?

No. I'm in east tn. That blind is here near home. I hunt here and got a rice field in Ark

Right on...couldn't remember, and you don't have it listed on your avatar, so I assume you're in the witness relocation program. It's all good...Your secret's safe with me...

lol. Good deal man, don't want someone to get me

Fixed it. If they get me it's your fault lol