First Canada Goose

A

anthony m coons sr

Well-known member
Now days seeing geese is know big deal. But Back 44 years ago in New York State it was. I remember going hunting with some old timers back then. They would always tell me stories of commercial hunting. And how these guys really put a hurting on waterfowl population. Back when I was a kid we had tons of ducks but rarely seen a goose. One day we were riding around looking for deer. I was with a man that killed many many deer in his life. He was my dads best friend at the time. He looked out in the field of corn and we saw one Canada goose. I had a single shot twelve gauge number two shot 2 3/4. He told me to walk through the corn, until I got to the cut corn THEN BE READY! When I got to the opening the goose was surprised to see me . He jump I shot! he died. Not knowing this was a big deal at the time around here. He drove me all around town showing seasoned duck hunters what a goose was. Busting chops all the way. I'll never forget that day.
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Not the first Canada goose I shot, but the first I shot very close to where I lived.

October 3, 1970. Canada goose season had been opened at Shenango Lake, the previous year 1969, when my cousin Anthony Steele and I shot the first one there.

In those days the Giant Canada was being brought back to huntable populations at Pymatuning Goose Management, Area, Crawford County, PA, and at Mosquito Wildlife Area, Ohio.


After much scouting I planned the Oct. 3rd hunt. We water hunted over my rig of Herters plastic goose decoys, with my Black Lab Molly to retrieve the geese.

A family group of eight geese came in, and are in the newspaper photo.

Shooting a Canada goose back then, was major news, and drew more folks to visit than a good whitetail buck did.


One member of our group was on the Five Man World Skeet Champion Team. The cup was displayed at the same sporting good store where this photo was taken.

The local deputy game warden was sure we did something wrong, and followed us for years. We did not, much to his displeasure.


Six years prior to this photo, my Goose addiction began, and it took me to some of the most wonderful places any goose hunter could dream of.

Sadly three men in this photo have Walked On, and I very much miss them.



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Vince

Such a great story. Thank you for telling us about it. Like you my first goose was big time news I'm 58 and still track those honkers. Like you some of my old partners are hunting with the lord. When I tell my kids about how people back then got fired up over a goose. They laugh at me. They can not understand the way it was

Thanks
 
My father turned to goose hunting farmer friends fields in the mid sixtys. During the winter he carried a huge stack of plywood goose silo,s in the truink of the old rambler he used for work. spare tire in the trunk stood upright against back seat partition. Silo,s were stacked against tire.During rifle deer season while unloading his bolt action 30-06 at back of car he accidentaly fired a round thru trunk lid, stack of silos, spare tire rim and bullet lodged in back seat. Stuck with him for a long time that he had killed the whole flock with one shot!
 
Vince I like the hair styles there in that photo.

My first goose I shot was on my grandmas farm with my middle brother. As per most my hunting we snuck through a bean field to get close enough to a flock of them in a cut corn field and got one a piece. Thankfully I just added the photo to my phone from my computer to show y’all me as a “baby”

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I still remember my first snow goose. I was with the same brother and we had snuck down a ditch and they flew up right over us. He unloaded and shot 3 and I shot 3 a little slower than him but that third one had a band; and on the landing, it just about took my brother out.
My first specklebelly was this year and again I snuck up on him on the river, swan were everywhere so it was extremely difficult and slow moving. But got right up there and flushed them and knocked the one down.
Each one has about as much excitement as the other because they all provide fond memories and still talk about them with my brother even though he wasn’t with me on the speck.
 
Ben

That is a great story, And to share them with your brother is super great. Loved how you use the same attack method. Hope you keep that memory forever.

Thanks
 
Vince
Hair is over rated, I have a ton yet. In the morning I look like Don King. You wake up and you look as good as when you went to bed. Think about that my friend [sly]
 
Jim

Wow they banded birds back in the fifty's. Nice! did you save the band or wasn't a big deal back then. Thanks for the post and I learned something new. Thank you.
 
Beckdols (sic) Sporting Goods on State Street.

Back then folks were accustomed to seeing hunters in town and deer hanging during deer season. No so much today.

Genes Gun Shop was on Sharpsville Ave. John Palermo who is in the photo worked there.

Gene had a trap door in the counter and when folks brought in a gun with problems. He would open the trap door, put a round in and fire down into the cellar. Took out his water heater more than once. The wooden cellar stairs were riddled with bullet & BB holes. Then the police made him stop. He was a character and a good gunsmith.

When we would run into Gene goose hunting at Murders Row, Pymatuning, he would always say. "More Powder More BB's I Keel Those SOB's!! Then he would.
 
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