doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Goose calls???

They are- for the newer guys- who also like synthetic stocked shotguns and all the Mojo working decoys. For us old farts (I'm 75) walnut stocks on Model 12's well-worn but as reliable as a friend's handshake on a deal, and older "broken in stuff" w/o the new from Mack's PW retail outlet shine- suits us right down to the ground. The Zink instructional tapes are first class- actual field sounds from geese- can't do much better than that.

I've had a few of those Model 12s and taken in the context of the American eye, a beautiful shotgun. One from 1916 and the other from 1935. Love the gun, especially its war record but, I just can't get use to the position of that safety. I never shot one very well and its seemed every time I missed with one I always thought to myself, if I only had my Ithaca.

On trap courses, 11, 12, my highest ever was a 14 whereas with my Ithaca, 20, 21, 24, and even a few 25s. That pretty much sums up my experiences with a Model 12. I sold both.

Any cheap call you can blow properly is better than a pricey one you can't. Flute calls at cabelas work great also. Canada geese aren't fussy. Getting them to finish takes more work. I use a cheap call to get them interested. Then I use a very easy to blow grounds wooden Real Thang to entice them to come in for a landing.. but that's just me.

Ten gauge never required btw.

Sounds like you have a lot of factors going against you.

Are you tied to a particular field or location?

Being where they want to be is going to get you more birds than any call you can buy.

If you are locked in try to differentiate yourself from the rest of the public crowd. Not only with calling but decoy type and quantity.

Most of what I remember about PA is lots of hills and bluffs. If your call is putting out an echo switch to a Ken Martin/Glen Scobey type call nothing fancy just short clucks and mellow honks.

If you really want to throw them a curve get a tube call and spend the rest of the summer learning it.

From the sounds of your problem your dealing with stale geese that know the ropes.

Good Luck, Will

Thanks Dal and Will!! I just bought a house up here in the Southern James Bay Zone south of Lake Erie and I have never hunter up here before. Just experiencing some troubles in this new area with geese that, as you nailed it, 'know the ropes.'

I need to improve my calling skills as they have diminished over time. Got lazy. I'll check out that Ken Martin/Glen Scobey type call and that tube call also.

When you have taught the geese all you have to teach them it is time to learn more yourself. Blow more, blow less, a lot less! Instead of a big spread make it only a 1/2 dozen birds, put your blind 20, 30 yards ahead, behind, to one side, try a flute call as someone has suggested although more difficult to make the sound, then the song, then the right song.

Be in the right field. Every year I hunt just outside Calgary city limits in december. I have to have a good field that they see just after passing all the houses. Still on a blue bird day they will pass over me and no matter what I do they will not come down. then I do all sorts of things. Less hunters, different calling, small decoy spread, radical decoy layout, motion in the spread, kites, flying decoys on a pole, get behind a hill so when they come over you surprise them, get on a hill and scream at them to they know you are there.

Biggest thing I can say to anyone doing anything. Watch and learn. If what you are doing doesn't work stop and do something else. How many times have I seen the wrong thing being done only to have it emphasized and repeated even more. How loud will a man yell at mute knowing he is deaf?

I agree....I just blow enough to get there attention....small spread....If they come they come, if not then I don't have to try to make them into half way decent table fair....Never was one that had to get one much less limit out to be happy...not like I don't have food at home......but its nice to know I can get my own if I have too.....

A good goose hunter north of me, (farm fields for miles on end) would have his two kids watch the fields in the morning and afternoon while on the school bus, and report back.

Then he'd get permission and set up the next day. He had a trailer load of full bodied goose decoys. Any geese within sight of the spread, would usually turn for a look and come in. Four guys would limit out usually by 11am. A lot of mallards would also flock in, so double limits were not unusual.

Scouting for feeding and rousting fields is very important for good goose hunts. I prefer to take them on the water while duck hunting....less work.

Oh I know where they're at. There are literally thousands of them sitting in these propagation areas on each side of state route 285 and Hartstown Rd. Trouble is they get up and fly off and don't look back.