Wellington> Hunting News June 2007

RULES THAT SUCCESSFUL GOOSE HUNTERS FOLLOW.

Until recently, Wellington hunters who wanted to have a serious crack at Canada geese were faced with the prospect of a full scale expedition to some far flung corner of the South Island. All that changed with the establishment of Canada geese in the Wairarapa during the 1980’s. Many local hunters decided that the Wairarapa was close enough to home to warrant the effort involved in a goose hunt. But these early converts soon discovered that the close proximity of somewhere to hunt Canada geese was no great help in getting the birds within shotgun range.

When it comes to hunting Canada geese there is no substitute for experience. If you’re thinking about have a crack at Canada goose hunting for the first time, finding someone who knows what they are doing to show you the ropes is a very worthwhile first step. But failing that there are a few general rules that will help you avoid repeating mistakes that others have already made:

i) First find the geese.

This is the cardinal rule of Canada goose hunting. At any time outside the moult and the nesting period the world of the Canada goose is focused on just two places: the place where the flock goes to roost and the place where it goes to feed. If the flock has found a place that offers suitable forage they will move back and forth from their roost to exploit it until it is “eaten out” and they are forced to look elsewhere. The daily pattern of movement to and from the feeding site varies with the weather and the phase of the moon. The general pattern is an early morning arrival followed by a departure for the roost at dusk, although during a full moon they will often fly in to feed at night. The flock generally returns to the same place over several days.

To most people, the sight of piles of fresh Canada goose droppings dotted over a neatly clipped sward of grass is nothing to get excited about. To an experienced goose hunter it is a beautiful sight. They know that Canada geese are not fussy about dumping where they eat and that sooner or later the bird’s hunger will draw them back to that spot.

ii) Use advertising that geese understand.

Having found an area where geese are actively feeding, the hunter’s next task is to provide some visual encouragement for the birds to come within shotgun range. A decoy spread that works will “pull” the geese in close to where the hunter is concealed. One that does not work may attract the bird’s interest but see them alight away from the decoys and out of range. One of the keys to getting your decoy spread to work is to understand how geese on the wing interpret the visual signals that the decoys send.

Your decoys should be sending the message that this is the right place to drop in for a meal. If a flock of geese is on the ground away from the roost, then it will be doing just one thing; feeding. Geese on the wing will examine a feeding flock to assess the profitability of the feeding situation.

Canada geese feeding in a flock will signal their intention to move to a new location by pointing their chin upwards while shaking their head from side to side. This movement draws attention to the prominent white ‘chin-strap’. Other birds in the flock respond by lifting their heads, and pretty soon the entire flock will be standing alert with their heads up, before taking to the air in search of somewhere else to feed.

One of the best ways to tell a flock of Canada geese that all the best pickings have been taken and they are better off looking elsewhere is to put out a bunch of decoys that have the ‘head-up’ posture adopted by geese that are about to move. The geese are more likely to want to join your decoys if most of them are in the ‘head-down’ feeding posture.

Another important factor to consider is whether the decoys you are using present a realistic representation of a Canada goose. Chances are that if you look at your set of home made silhouette decoys and see a bunch of crudely painted bits of plywood then that is exactly what real geese will take them to be. Remember that Canada geese have extremely acute eyesight, and an eye for detail. When detail really counts is at close range, your chances of getting geese to come right in on top of your decoy spread is vastly improved with decoys that look exactly like real geese. Cruder decoys will work under conditions when there is poor light such as at dusk or under a full moon, but a detailed decoy will work in all situations.

iii) Make sure the geese cannot see you.

Given that Canada geese can easily spot an imposter in your decoy spread, it stands to reason that a poorly concealed hunter sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb. Crouching behind a sheet of camouflage netting may be enough to fool Parries, but it simply won’t work on Canada geese. The first rule of concealment for Canada geese is to be invisible from the air.

If you are going to use a sheet of camouflage net or a tank cover, then get under it. A favourite tactic of some of the “deadly dozen” is to dig a pit in which they can sit and to fix a sheet of camo over the top of themselves and the pile of earth they excavated. This is a lot more comfortable than lying flat for a long period, but it’s important to remember to put the topsoil back where you found it when you leave.

As added protection from those prying eyes in the sky, get decked out in camo clothing from top to bottom. Ensure that if you are using an auto-loader that you pick up the ejected cartridge cases, a stray shell is enough to give you away.

iv) Let the geese teach you.

In all forms of hunting, understanding your quarry is the most important tool for putting game on the table. Developing that understanding is also one of the most rewarding aspects of hunting. This is probably why Canada geese have such a strong hold on some hunters, just when you think you know all the rules; the geese will go and change them. Perhaps the most important rule to follow when hunting Canada geese is to understand that the best way to learn is to let the geese teach you.

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