Canadian Goose Hunting
By eCountryLifestyle Staff Writer
Hunters who have seen the performance of the Canadian goose have surely seen one of the greatest performances on Earth.
This bird is so big that it can be seen from almost a mile away! This is probably because the wing span of this gorgeous bird can be as wide as 6 feet and they can weigh a whopping 18 pounds! There are close to forty different populations of these beautiful geese and one of the best places to find them is probably in the Interlake region just north of Winnipeg. There you can find many species such as the Canadian goose, the Greater Canada goose and Lesser Canada goose plus the snow and blue geese.
Most experienced hunters know that the best place to scout is near a large body of water. The geese will usually stop to rest there and then fly nearby to a harvested cornfield or other location for food. A lot of hunters will install their blinds and decoys somewhere between those two spots and then leave the lake and the field alone in order to make the birds feel "safe" when they are sitting still. Usually, when the geese choose a field, they will go back there again and again for many days. Its best not to disturb the geese at their feeding and resting spots. Changing the location where you choose to sit and wait each day will keep them guessing. It is even good to leave a few days in between each hunt before focusing again on that same lake or field.
Hunters typically use blinds, goose decoys, silhouettes, flags, flyers and windsocks when they hunt. They set up decoy spreads to get the best shooting opportunities in that area. The goose hunting blind is the most important piece of equipment, however, next to the gun. This is because it is so important to be well concealed. If there is enough cover in the field at the separation, you may not have to build a blind. A typical cover that might work could be an area of corn that was still standing up at least 6 to 8 feet square but, if you don't have that, a blind may be necessary.
A good blind can be made with 3/4 inch electrical conduit. The conduit needs to be painted green or yellow to fit in with the surroundings. It can be cut to 5 foot sections to carry and then you can tie them together to make a frame for a wall. Once you get the wall frame built, cover it with camouflage material that blends with the surroundings. You can use corn stalks or surrounding brush to get the most natural look. Once you are finished, you can get nice and comfortable and wait for the big shot!
Since the gun is even more important than the blind, a little something about the gun. If you must limit yourself to only one gun, the best is probably a 12 gauge semi-auto. If you are looking to save money, however, a pump gun will also do fairly well. For Canadian geese, a hunter can also do well with a 10 gauge semi auto shotgun.
An important rule when buying shells for your gun is this; "The closer your goose, the smaller your shot!". This rule is important because it helps hunters to get more pellets in each shell when they are planning to shoot at nearby targets. Goose hunters who are shooting in close range need more chance of hitting the geese. That rule has its converse in "The farther the goose, the bigger the shot!". In this case, the hunter will have less pellets but more power in their shot.
The Canadian goose is an extremely tough bird. Any hunter is going to need a lot of power when they are shooting at a goose that is very far away. Hunters often experiment with different size shells and find which ones suit them best. Once they are satisfied, they stick with the ones they like. For this reason it is good to know the rules early on when you are deciding which shells to purchase. After a while, your gun swing will adjust to the shell sizes that you decide to use. This will come from more and more practice. With this important tip, any hunter can learn to lead the bird and eventually develop a winning style in their goose hunting.
Canadian goose hunting is one of the greatest sports on the face of the Earth. Getting the right plan for attack will make your outing more successful and bring you back again and again. Have fun in the blind and be careful!
This bird is so big that it can be seen from almost a mile away! This is probably because the wing span of this gorgeous bird can be as wide as 6 feet and they can weigh a whopping 18 pounds! There are close to forty different populations of these beautiful geese and one of the best places to find them is probably in the Interlake region just north of Winnipeg. There you can find many species such as the Canadian goose, the Greater Canada goose and Lesser Canada goose plus the snow and blue geese.
Most experienced hunters know that the best place to scout is near a large body of water. The geese will usually stop to rest there and then fly nearby to a harvested cornfield or other location for food. A lot of hunters will install their blinds and decoys somewhere between those two spots and then leave the lake and the field alone in order to make the birds feel "safe" when they are sitting still. Usually, when the geese choose a field, they will go back there again and again for many days. Its best not to disturb the geese at their feeding and resting spots. Changing the location where you choose to sit and wait each day will keep them guessing. It is even good to leave a few days in between each hunt before focusing again on that same lake or field.
Hunters typically use blinds, goose decoys, silhouettes, flags, flyers and windsocks when they hunt. They set up decoy spreads to get the best shooting opportunities in that area. The goose hunting blind is the most important piece of equipment, however, next to the gun. This is because it is so important to be well concealed. If there is enough cover in the field at the separation, you may not have to build a blind. A typical cover that might work could be an area of corn that was still standing up at least 6 to 8 feet square but, if you don't have that, a blind may be necessary.
A good blind can be made with 3/4 inch electrical conduit. The conduit needs to be painted green or yellow to fit in with the surroundings. It can be cut to 5 foot sections to carry and then you can tie them together to make a frame for a wall. Once you get the wall frame built, cover it with camouflage material that blends with the surroundings. You can use corn stalks or surrounding brush to get the most natural look. Once you are finished, you can get nice and comfortable and wait for the big shot!
Since the gun is even more important than the blind, a little something about the gun. If you must limit yourself to only one gun, the best is probably a 12 gauge semi-auto. If you are looking to save money, however, a pump gun will also do fairly well. For Canadian geese, a hunter can also do well with a 10 gauge semi auto shotgun.
An important rule when buying shells for your gun is this; "The closer your goose, the smaller your shot!". This rule is important because it helps hunters to get more pellets in each shell when they are planning to shoot at nearby targets. Goose hunters who are shooting in close range need more chance of hitting the geese. That rule has its converse in "The farther the goose, the bigger the shot!". In this case, the hunter will have less pellets but more power in their shot.
The Canadian goose is an extremely tough bird. Any hunter is going to need a lot of power when they are shooting at a goose that is very far away. Hunters often experiment with different size shells and find which ones suit them best. Once they are satisfied, they stick with the ones they like. For this reason it is good to know the rules early on when you are deciding which shells to purchase. After a while, your gun swing will adjust to the shell sizes that you decide to use. This will come from more and more practice. With this important tip, any hunter can learn to lead the bird and eventually develop a winning style in their goose hunting.
Canadian goose hunting is one of the greatest sports on the face of the Earth. Getting the right plan for attack will make your outing more successful and bring you back again and again. Have fun in the blind and be careful!
