It's no secret that the goose population in New York is on the rise. This has many land owners and state parks looking for a solution to the problem.
When it comes to out-of-control wildlife populations, the solution is simple in the minds of hunters like myself. While to non-hunters and some wildlife agencies, the ideas can be a bit outlandish. When natural populations become protected or choose not to migrate, the numbers are sure to increase. Coupled with breeding groups inhabiting non-huntable areas inside city limits, they can simply spiral out of control.
Hunters were the first conservationists, and continue to be the best. They aim to not damage wildlife populations, rather to enhance yet keep their numbers at a safe and healthy capacity. They give more money than all other non-hunting, so -called conservation groups combined. In fact, the money generated by hunting and outdoor sports is more than all other professional and non-professional sports combined.
Fortunately, our state has decided to fight this problem using hunters as the main line of defense. This year they made an unprecedented announcement. The decision was made to increase the daily bag limit of geese from eight to 15. They also allowed hunters to remove the duck plugs from their guns, which had previously limited the gun’s capacity to three shots. A maximum of seven shells are now allowed, which will surely increase the amount of birds harvested per volley. The change is only for the early September season that is aimed at limiting local, not migrating populations. Non-toxic shot will still be required, along with all other preexisting regulations for transport and possession.
The problem with hunting larger groups of geese is that there are more eyes to be seen. The solution to the problem is gillie suit-typed blinds. I spent 20-plus hours before the season dyeing Raffia grass and tying it into bundles. I made hundreds of bundles in green to cover our blinds in clover, alfalfa, soybean, and winter wheat fields. Before the corn is cut, this is where geese prefer to hang out and feed. I also made several hundred bundles in tan, light brown, corn stalk yellow, and a light fall pond grass color. I did this in order to change up the camouflage as the season colors change. It will also offer you the opportunity to blend into cut corn, crop fields, and pond or river banks. With all bases covered, you will have a much better opportunity at fooling the wary old birds in the flock.
Concealment is the name of the game, and whatever type of blind you choose, it must completely hide the hunter, and blend into the background to be successful. I use four different types of manufactured blinds in my hunts for geese and ducks. The most commonly used is the layout blind. It is also called a coffin blind, in that it resembles a coffin when closed. They are rectangular blinds with two flaps that cover your body. They have a see-through camouflage mesh, and are flung open when the birds get into range. They offer a completely unobstructed shot, and the larger ones have room for you and your dog.
The next in line mimics a hay bale. They have flop-out see-through roofs, and also offer full concealment. The chair blind has a hole in the roof or can be flipped open completely for unobstructed shooting. Both the bail and chair offer enough room for your dog, too. The last manufactured hide is the boat or floating blind. They are used on the water, and are mobile, yet completely concealed. They have either a flip-out roof or sliding window to hide the hunters and their dog.
The last type of blind is the natural. This is when you use a bush, tall grass or corn rows to hide in. They take the least amount of work, and are free. The only problem is the inability to move if that is the only cover offered, and the birds are landing elsewhere.
Decoys are the final tool used to increase your odds of drawing the geese closer. I recommend in the early season using no more than 36. Set them up in small groups, and keep at least 20 yards distance between them. This resembles feeding family units, and has proven to be more productive than a single large group.
The last trick up my sleeve is motion decoys. There are four varieties: full body, wind sock, flag, and wing flapper. The full body act as bobble heads, and move with a slight breeze. The sock variety are light easy to carry, and also move in the slightest breeze. The flag is shaped like a goose, and is manually flapped over your head to mimic landing geese. My favorite is the wing flapper variety. They work by pulling a string to make the wings flap. This is the secret weapon, and if used correctly will put geese nearly on top of your blind. Don’t over work them, two to five flaps is sufficient, once the movement is spotted get your gun and be ready to shoot.
Good wishes harvest a horde of honkers.