- Remington 870 Express 12ga.
- Remington 3” Nitro-Steel BB Shells
- Final Approach Eliminator Decoys
- P.S. OLT 77 & 800 Series Goose Calls
- P.S. OLT A-50 Series Goose Flute
- Medalist Silvermax Silkweight Base Layers
- Medalist Silvermax Max Packable Jacket
- Medalist Cheyenne Pants
- Lacrosse Alpha Burly Boots
I crouched low, tracking the approaching Canadas between rustling shocks of corn. With a few more double-clucks on my call, the birds set their wings. The lead goose was now only a few feet off the ground, gliding steadily toward our spread. My heart thumped loudly in my ears as I anticipated the first shots of the season. Wings beat rapidly as the flock slowed its decent, and then I finally heard someone yell, “Take em!”
Our decoy spread included full-bodied dekes mixed with a few silhouettes; That’s me giving my warmest welcome to an approaching flock.
Opening day of goose season is always special for me because it marks not only the first day of waterfowl hunting, but also the official start of the entire hunting season. After a summer of target shooting and scouting, I’m really in the mood to get back in the game…no pun intended. Waterfowl hunting has always been a family tradition and I was glad that my dad, Tom, was able to join us for the first hunt of the year. Several other good friends were eager to join us and we had a total of six hunters, including a cameraman and an unfortunate observer. I say unfortunate only because he just happened to forget his waterfowl stamp at home, so he had to leave his gun in the truck and settle for spectator status. Ever have one of those days?
An incoming flock glides over the freshly-cut oats.
Despite my friend’s misfortune, our luck with the geese was very good. Several different flocks found their way to our spread in the large oats field. Like early season geese often do, a couple of the flocks even circled back to our calling after the initial shots were fired, giving us a second chance to harvest more birds.
My dad keeps his eye on the horizon for distant flocks; A small flock pitches into the back of our decoy spread.
Buck Weaver and I rattle off a few shots from the standing corn.
Buck and my dad retrieve a few geese, although they’re not quite as skilled as Drake, PSP’s official mascot and hunting dog.
After dropping two geese from the first flock to visit our field, I was very pleased to discover that one of the birds carried a band from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The little metal leg bands are affectionately referred to by waterfowlers as “jewelry”, since they typically end up as ornaments on call lanyards. The bands do serve a very important purpose, however, by allowing biologists to study migratory behavior and resident flock movements. Band numbers should always be reported to the FWS by calling 1-800-327-BAND or by registering the band number and harvest details on their website at http://www.reportband.gov/. After reporting my bird, I received a certificate of appreciation in the mail which included banding data explaining that my goose was a 3 ½ year old male that was banded near Knox, PA when it was too young to fly.
A new piece of jewelry was a great way to kick-off the season; Al Hogue and I gather up the decoys at the end of our hunt.
After the sun had climbed high in the sky and the birds quit flying, we all gathered around and recounted the details of the hunt. Everyone agreed that the morning ranked pretty high among our past outings and would be one to remember for years to come. It was certainly a great start to the season and I can hardly wait for more upcoming hunts. I wish everyone good luck and a great ‘08 season!
My dad, myself, Al, and Buck pose with the morning’s harvest.
Our crew packed up and headed for home after an excellent morning in the field!
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