Any goose hunters?

[Pullstart 62,807]

@WheelhorseBob posted about some bird hunting the other day, I’ve had geese use our field for a landing strip for years.  I just went and got my licenses and tomorrow my uncle’s meeting me in the morning to shoot some live *****.  Any tips?  @Ed Kennell I imagine you’ve shot a few in your day?

[SylvanLakeWH 25,496]

17 minutes ago, pullstart said:

Any tips?

Yes…

 

Aim steady

Take a lot of ammo

Shoot as many as you can

Then shoot some more…

 

[Pullstart 62,807]

5 is daily limit, max 15 in the freezer. 

[Pullstart 62,807]

Question.  I don’t know if I’ve eaten wild goose, if I have I don’t recall.  I see videos on harvesting the breast meat, but I feel like that’s a big waste of so much more, like cooking turkeys for family gatherings.  When I’m allowed so many, is it too wasteful to just take the breast meat?

[SylvanLakeWH 25,496]

Not a goose hunter but the couple I know just take the breast…

 

[Ed Kennell 38,029]

Not a waterfowler Kev.    My only experiences with Geese.   Mother made one for Thanksgiving one year instead of turkey.    It was sooo greasy no one could eat it. A sad day for Mother.

Then there were the  two big honkers that liked to try and pull me off my bike while delivering on  my TV Guide route.

 

The resident geese are a real problem here for the golf courses and the lawns around all the ponds.    They are right below the lantern flys on the pest list.

[JoeM 7,871]

43 minutes ago, pullstart said:

is it too wasteful to just take the breast meat?

No goose for me only chuckers and pheasants, just breast meat. I think as long as you leave the remains in the field for other animals to eat and not land filling, it is okay.  

[Pullstart 62,807]

2 minutes ago, JoeM said:

No goose for me only chuckers and pheasants, just breast meat. I think as long as you leave the remains in the field for other animals to eat and not land filling, it is okay.  

Might keep ‘em in the field for decoys until they are lost to coyotes 

 

Well, I’ve got game load and licenses to kill… might as well try it.

[Ed Kennell 38,029]

With your culinary skills and the right wine........Work your wonders Kev.    

 

Goose Jerky anyone?

[WheelhorseBob 1,549]

Pullstart, 

 

I've hunted plenty of geese. You will find that most wild fowl do not have enough leg/wing meat to worry about. Cooking, it is lean and goose should be treated as lean beef for cooking purposes. As for hunting, lay out blinds are the best but being as you are new, stay out of sight in a hedge row or something. Wait till they set their wings and open fire. They can’t take off again once their wings are set for landing. They will try but present you with a stationary target…😉

[Pullstart 62,807]

8 minutes ago, WheelhorseBob said:

Pullstart, 

 

I've hunted plenty of geese. You will find that most wild fowl do not have enough leg/wing meat to worry about. Cooking, it is lean and goose should be treated as lean beef for cooking purposes. As for hunting, lay out blinds are the best but being as you are new, stay out of sight in a hedge row or something. Wait till they set their wings and open fire. They can’t take off again once their wings are set for landing. They will try but present you with a stationary target…😉

my uncle said that if they happen to be flapping wings still, we should wait until they are past us to shoot.  Any validity in that?

 

I plan to either walk across half the field and sit inside a couple corn rows, or just on the edge of my weeds.  They fly right over… in fact here’s a picture of a few right now.  They were catching up with 20 something that flew by before I could pull up my picture taker.

 

 

[wh500special 2,163]

Make sure you have your federal and state stamps too.  Unless things have changed, you’ll need more than just a hunting license. 
 

There are worse things to eat than wild geese, but I’ve never liked them.  I’ve heard a slow braise or a crock pot can work wonders.   We quit plucking the the whole bird sometime in the 1990’s and just  kept the breast.  
 

my cousins and uncles now turn all their geese and many of their ducks into sausage and jerky.  Much of which makes it out into the blinds the next year for the next hunt.  It’s a bit like deer sausage…everybody thinks they have a magic recipe but it all tastes about the same.  
 

I haven’t hunted in quite a while.  Years ago getting a shot at a goose was a cause for excitement.  But now there are so many of them it’s commonplace.   This area - southern Illinois - used to be a goose hunting Mecca.  People came from all over to hunt in the fields around the big refuges down here.   Now there are so many golf course geese that industry has died.  
 

hunting is more about the time spent with others than it is the harvest.  Enjoy each other’s company!!

 

steve 
 

 

[WheelhorseBob 1,549]

If you don’t have decoys my advice is to wait until they are real close. They are tuff birds and no one wants to wound one. You should shoot at a bird coming towards you not going away if that makes sense. Good luck!

[WheelhorseBob 1,549]

10 minutes ago, wh500special said:

Make sure you have your federal and state stamps too.  Unless things have changed, you’ll need more than just a hunting license. 
 

There are worse things to eat than wild geese, but I’ve never liked them.  I’ve heard a slow braise or a crock pot can work wonders.   We quit plucking the the whole bird sometime in the 1990’s and just  kept the breast.  
 

my cousins and uncles now turn all their geese and many of their ducks into sausage and jerky.  Much of which makes it out into the blinds the next year for the next hunt.  It’s a bit like deer sausage…everybody thinks they have a magic recipe but it all tastes about the same.  
 

I haven’t hunted in quite a while.  Years ago getting a shot at a goose was a cause for excitement.  But now there are so many of them it’s commonplace.   This area - southern Illinois - used to be a goose hunting Mecca.  People came from all over to hunt in the fields around the big refuges down here.   Now there are so many golf course geese that industry has died.  
 

hunting is more about the time spent with others than it is the harvest.  Enjoy each other’s company!!

 

steve 
 

 

Well said.

[Pullstart 62,807]

 @wh500special yes, we have the federal duck stamp, waterfowl and migratory bird licenses, along with base game (and a combo deer license since I was there) which is what the Michigan DNR website says is required 

 

thanks y’all on the comments!  My uncle has a hunting buddy that joined us last year for deer season.  They’ve been hunting for years but hardly ever shoot anything.  It’s all for the time together in the outdoors.  

[Achto 27,511]

If you get good at goose hunting and decide that you like it, then I suggest getting a breaster that slides into your receiver hitch for cleaning your harvest. It's easy and speeds up the cleaning time. 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Achto

[Pullstart 62,807]

55, foggy and pop up showers in the forecast.  Waiting in my camp chair with a shotgun or two in the driveway.  Uncle Randy should be here any minute!  @Achto that ripper in halfer is awesome!

[Achto 27,511]

1 minute ago, pullstart said:

 @Achto that ripper in halfer is awesome!

 

Went snow goose hunting with family once. Our guide had one of these breasters. He cleaned about 50 birds in 20 min with it. Thought it was the coolest thing ever.

[Pullstart 62,807]

Just a bunch of wasted shells this morning.  

 

I have some struts to replace.  That cowl is a perfect 12 gauge holder!

 

 

[DougC 2,641]

I used to corn field hunt mostly. We would also go to marshes by the Des Moines river that the DNR flooded. If you have never smelled decaying grass in a marsh it is a very foul and nasty smell.

That is how the goose breast smells and  taste and why you need to wrap them in bacon before you grill them.

Just my own experience here in Iowa. You may find them quite tasty.  Enjoy!  

[Pullstart 62,807]

If they taste like the presents they leave on a beach, I’ll be sure to not get too heavy into the sport!  

[Pullstart 62,807]

Happy in a way to report we never downed a goose.  A guy stopped by asking hunting permission and explained to me that the season starts and stops often through the fall and winter.  Season opens back up on Saturday.  Here I was trying to make sure everything I was doing was by the book…

[Rusty Tinsnips 477]

On 10/5/2021 at 5:39 PM, Pullhosen’s Pony Express said:

I don’t know if I’ve eaten wild goose, if I have I don’t recall.

Try baking in a bag or cook in a smoker. Not too bad that way.

[Rusty Tinsnips 477]

On 10/6/2021 at 11:53 AM, Pullhosen’s Pony Express said:

Just a bunch of wasted shells

Should be using steel shot only and in size #2, #1 or #BB

[Pullstart 62,807]

19 minutes ago, Rusty Tinsnips said:

Should be using steel shot only and in size #2, #1 or #BB

I think we used too small of shot… and yes steel