NJ Outdoor Women's League
OWLs ‘TAKE ’EM!’ Goose Hunt
November 16, 2002
OWLs ‘TAKE ’EM!’ Goose Hunt
November 16, 2002
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NJ Outdoor Women's League
OWLs ‘TAKE ’EM!’ Goose Hunt November 16, 2002 |
       
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by Gwen Gaal It was cold and blustery on November 16, 2002 as six intrepid OWLers ventured into the predawn darkness across a harvested soybean field towards a goose hunting blind. Since September we had read about goose management, decoys, shotgun shells, camo, and other things, and had practiced shooting on the range. Our guide was Joe Kucowski, an experienced hunter who has a wildlife degree from Cook College, and has taught hunter safety and tactics for the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife, and the New Jersey Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. He has extensive firearms training as a New Jersey State Trooper. At the blind, Joe explained how Canada geese prefer to land flying into the wind (it helps them stop) and into an opening or "pocket" among a flock already on the ground. We used two types of decoys: silhouettes, which are ultra-realistic two-dimensional images printed onto sturdy masonite type board, and shells, which are hollow plastic three-dimensional shapes with metal stakes. The images on the silhouettes are computer generated and give the illusion of movement as the light hits them from different angles. But since they are only two-dimensional, they seem to disappear as the geese fly overhead. Shells are less detailed, but provide the illusion of substance as the geese circle and try to decide if they want to join the "flock" on the ground. Under Joe’s tutelage, we set decoys into several small family groups, to form a rough crescent shape around the blind with a large pocket facing into the wind where we wanted to shoot. |
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Each family group consisted of decoys in a feeding position, some in a resting position, and no more than two in an alert or "sentry" position. Had we put more "alert" decoys out, it would indicate to the real geese that those on the ground were not at ease, and that it might not be safe to land. We reviewed safe gun handling, zones of fire and the day’s game plan. The blind was made of hay bales, corn stalks and sorghum positioned on the highest point in the field. Being 6½ months pregnant, it was a little awkward for me to climb into the blind, but we all got in, and hunkered down, waiting for dawn to break over the countryside. As Joe had predicted, around 7:15am, flocks of geese started their daily quest to find safe food. Flocks started out looking like barely perceptible lines just above the horizon, then, as they got closer, you could see individual birds. When the flocks were still a collection of dots ¾ to ½ mile away, Joe would call to them. Some flocks ignored him and appeared to be going"somewhere with a purpose," while others would turn abruptly and fly towards our spread. As the flocks approached, they would circle us several times, evaluating if they wanted to land. If they decided the location was favorable, they would find the wind, fly into it and cup their wings (aerodynamically this acts like brakes) and flap them in what looked like backpedaling in order to land. Meanwhile, in the midst of calling and keeping an eye on the horizon, Joe kept a running commentary worthy of any TV sportscaster. This served both to let us know what the geese were doing (we could not always see out of the blind since we needed to keep our heads down), and get us hyped up and ready to shoot. Everyone was so in awe of what was going on that when the first flock came in, and Joe shouted "Take ‘em!!!," we all got up, but could barely shoulder our shotguns, we were so excited. Eventually, everyone had the chance to shoot and most of us came home with birds. Cathy showed everyone how to differentiate between males and females, and how to discern immature birds from mature ones. It was also interesting to observe their physiology up close and feel how much air their body feathers are able to trap to keep warm. Geese are extremely challenging to shoot. Most of us used modified chokes (metal tubes screwed into the end of a shotgun barrel that determine how close together pellets travel through the air), and a non-toxic shot called Hevi-shot, which is heavier than lead and patterns tightly. The speed at which the birds flew was also difficult to estimate and translate into a proper leading distance. Joe said to pick out an individual bird from the flock, rather than just pointing in their general direction, and this made a big difference to our success. Despite the cold and rainy weather, all of us had a wonderful time and we are indebted to Joe for his time and patience in sharing his knowledge. It was a very successful hunt on all counts, plus the geese made delicious shish kabobs! |
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