Welcome to the first entry for the GOOSE MAFIA!
I just wanna start out by talking about our group a little bit.
We came together as family and friends one faithful afternoon in the 90's. None of us could have imagined this happening at that point in time. It would have been completely unfathomable. On our first night out hunting, we realized there was something special about this sport. It was like deer hunting, where you just sat in a stand or a tree all day and night, wishing, hoping, PRAYING, the perfect buck would grace you with its presence. This sport involves so many levels of expertise...
When we first started, we had no "technique". We went out in the field blindly every single day, never knowing that we actually possessed the power to greatly influence our odds of success. I believe we had 12 Canada goose shell decoys, and we would just set them up in a corn field in a random pattern, while we took cover in a nearby wood line. And somehow, we managed to get lucky once in a while. We did have goose calls, and even if we did, it wouldn't have mattered, because there wasn't one of us in the group that would have know how to "blow".
Over the years, we've read articles both online and in magazines, and watched several waterfowl hunting movies, stuffing as much info as we could into our brains to take out in the field with us the next time. A couple of us even bought a couple goose calls a year or two later, and although we had to work day and night at getting it correct, it all paid off in the end.
We've even incorporated a youth generation to our group. Our nephews have been coming out with us since before they could even take a gun. They would just come along and watch and wait and listen and take mental notes so when they COULD hunt, they would be ahead of the game! It was also nice to have someone to hole Luke back on a leash so he didn't run after the birds too early. *smiles*
As the years went on, we got more and more involved, learned to scout for the geese long before they migrated based on what fields were planted with. So gaining permission from the land owner was definitely STEP #1. Without the generosity of these land owners, we wouldn't get to do the thing we love to do most. We have nothing but the utmost respect for these people and their property. We never leave ANYTHING behind. Not empty shell casings, not wads, not even broken corn stalks. Everything is either "as good as" or "better than" when we got there. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Now, here we are, present day, with crazy progress. Truck loads of decoys, everybody with their own lanyard and calls, a fully trained Labrador Retriever (CHANCE) and a kick-ass logo and club apparel to boot!
We continue to watch videos other waterfowl hunters have made...there's always new tips and tricks that they share with everyone...that's another part of the sport that is so great..."THE CAMARADERIE". Even though we are separate groups, in different parts of the state, or nation, or bordering countries, somehow in the end we take a piece of every group with us out in the field every time.
Some of the biggest things to think about are decoy patterns, and how the geese interact with each other. Calling them at the right time and stopping when it's not the right time. Calling aggressively vs not aggressively. Playing the sun and the wind. How the barometric pressure and cold and warm fronts effect the flight patterns, as does the phase of the moon. Camouflaging your self and your blind, if you use one, to the best of your capabilities. Geese can see EVERYTHING. When they are flying right above you, you can see them turning their heads side to side, looking for any sign of danger. SAFETY. We are CONSTANTLY reminding one another to check the safeties on our guns...you can never remind each other of this too often. And when youth hunters are involved, good sportsmanship is always a topic.
We also cut loose a lot of fun when we are set up early, and have some time to sit around before the birds fly. We'll just sit and talk and LAUGH. Sometimes the guys get bored and wrestle (And poor Kyle got a bloody nose today). Keith even plays music on his flute. I never thought Lady GaGa could be played on a goose call and actually sound "good". We talk about past hunts and how we want the group to grow and improve. We set goals, we accomplish them. Some people probably say, "all those people do is play (hunt). Those are the same people who have never gone out hunting, because although we DO have a great time, there is also A LOT of work that goes into each and every hunt before and after the birds fly. Just this past Saturday, I had a 17 hour day. On the go, steady. That's a long day for anyone. Spend it outside carrying decoys and guns and blinds and it feels like a 30 hour day at times.
Bringing you directly up to speed, we've pummeled 40 geese in 4 days of hunting. Last year our goal was 100 for the entire season. And we hit it, but it wasn't until we pushed right up to the end of the season. We ended season with 109. Right now, 4 days in, we're almost half way there! We've learned to take our time and aim and not just "poke and hope". We've got the skill, we just need to remember to use it. And the results are SO DRAMATIC.
Other elements play a huge factor as well, not just for the birds, but for the hunter. Heat, cold, rain, mosquitoes (very bad this year), snow, pollen (allergies), farmers working their fields, you name it. If it happens outdoors, it's going to impact us in one form or another.
I'll keep this blog as close to current as I can, posting many photos along the way. So keep track of us, we've got a lot of great things coming!
GOOSE MAFIA...OUT.
