Early Goose Season

A

anthony m coons sr

Well-known member
Well Sunday September 1, is the start of early goose season here in NY State. I love it because you can go hunting with shorts and know boots. I Got some of my best sun burns hunting early goose season. Yet I still go and enjoy myself. I hunt mostly evenings because I love see them fly into the decoys. I only keep three shells in my gun. I also only take a few birds if I can. I'm not a fan of shooting 15 or what ever birds the limit allows. But I will get what I get and go grill them asap. I have had some pretty great days . Both in the field and on the water hunting them. Some say they are so easy to get . Not true at all if you don't hunt a golf course. Its hunting! and its beats sitting in the house watching tv. The regular goose season limits here have been cut and the limits dropped. But I'll still go then too and have fun doing it. Been trying hard this year to get more kids into waterfowl. In order to keep are thing alive! that is just as important as saving the wetlands. So take a kid out early goose season or teal where ever you are. Let them think its always warm and easy when you go duck hunting. Maybe we can hook them that way. View attachment dad.jpg
 
Good luck! I have to miss the opener unfortunately. I was out on the Hudson for the early season opener two years ago...and saw exactly one flock, far away. I've certainly shifted my strategy.
 
Won't make it out opening day for dove or goose this year. I fly back to NC on Sunday evening into Monday morning from Alaska. I have a lot to do to get ready for hunting season but will get there once I get the house back straight from being gone.

Hope your season is a great one Anthony and that the kids get hooked if you take any out.
 
J.O.

Got out on opening day and saw one big flock. Tried to get in on them but failed. But still had a great time with my son. Hunted for a few hour in the morning. I think If we went out for the night flight we would of gotten into that flock. But hunting is better then sitting home. So I'm happy. Get out and try buddy. Right place right time. That's all it takes.
 
Michael

Hope you got out dove hunting, I went goose hunting ran into one flock. But came out empty handed. But enjoyed the river and my son. So I'm very happy. Good Luck thanks for the post.
 
benp

Be safe first my friend. Not sure if the storm is coming up that far. Hooked my sons girlfriend into getting her hunting licence. So I'm happy for that. One more youngster to carry on what we all love. Went hunting Sunday saw one flock in one of the bays. Couldn't get into them but I tried. I think if I would of went in a little earlier They would of came right into me. Thanks for the post. Be safe my friend.
 
Anthony~


I understand your point about not needing to take a full limit. I used to hunt our September season years ago. Although the hunt itself and the shooting were fine, leaving the fields with dozens of Canadas got "old" for me very quickly.


I recall one September opener, though, where 5 geese settled onto what we call Home Pond a little after dawn. As it turned out, I had just pulled my Model 12 out of storage - one of my midnight jaunts in the shop - and it was ready to hunt. So, I concocted a plan.....


I snuck down to the dike with a pocket full of BBs and slowly showed myself - knowing all would leave the Pond right over my left shoulder as I was on their only escape route. I had no desire for a big score and thought that maybe I held too many cards on this particular morning. So, I let the first 4 pass over me about 16 yards up - then took the final bird. I was on the scoreboard for the season and had only one big bird to clean.


All the best,


SJS

 
Steve

Great story, It true! that at one time all or most of us were judged by ducks or geese in the bag. For the last thirty years or so. I guess that my love is just seeing and shooting and getting enough to make it worth it. At one time I was a killing machine. Bag limit met ,how many can fit into a bag. Not proud of it, but I did eat every bird killed. Even ate some that I wish I didn't. Don't believe every game cook book out there. Trust
me ! I made some of the best water fowl and also some of the nastiest too. Who knows how long our sport will last. It will n't be long before we come under attack just like the other gun owners. I'm so thankful that I came up when I did in life. We are a different animal then most. But we are the reason that so many people can enjoy the outdoors and nature . Its our money that pays most of the freight.
 
Tried one early season years ago, shot birds but wasn't the same. Too warm and had to breast the birds quickly.
Would rather they increase the bird limits the first part of our split season. They say they want to get rid of local birds. We shoot more local birds the first month of the season than migratory birds. The weather has not yet pushed them down.
Don't like hunting in short sleeves and shorts, the mosquitoes are hell...
 
Capt.

Your are so right! bugs and snakes and field mice. Seen just about everything New York has to offer out there.I like it ! But nothing like real hunting. But you are so right about the way they think. Its more about keeping the golf course clean I think. If you times the hunters and the days of hunting. And the number of days people hunt. The bag limits doesn't really matter. Three birds or two birds isn't going to make a dam bit of difference. If I was hunting ten days and the laws says I can shoot thirty geese in that ten days (3 A DAY). But in that ten days I only bag five. Does that mean the goose population has gone up. Because All those birds I didn't harvests were saved.
 
Anthony, I hunted a golf coarse during the season years ago. Kept it fairly clean. three decoys, had about a hour to shoot and leave. Very little goose droppings on the greens and was told the night before which hole they were using. Oh, had to rake the trap before leaving...
 
I enjoy the early season but have issues with the 15 bird limit in NY. Over the years guys have figured out they can kill limits of birds the last week and a half of the season, problem is they are killing early migrants not locals as the limit is intended. I have seen huge flocks of birds towards the end of the early season in areas that do not hold big numbers of locals.
 
Capt.

I too hunted golf course years back with three of my friends. We had to get there day break and also had one hour to hunt. We had it good because we got to use the golf carts. And these geese dang near trashed the holes we hunted. We got more then a few and ran them out of there. A week later they were back with more of their friends. We stopped going because it wasn't really a fair hunt. And the golfers really didnt want us around with shotguns . September goose can be really fun if its not summer like heat. Thanks Capt.
 
Kj.

I been doing this a long time my friend. I agree with what your saying. We can now only shot two geese during regular season here in the Hudson Valley. Yet at the end of September season we can kill tons of birds. Its the hunter that makes the hunt, People think because they kill a ton of bird that makes them a better hunter. To me the hunter is the one that can take what he needs. Then walk away or just watch nature at its best an enjoy the view.
 
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