Goose reaction

[Drake Whistle]

has anybody noticed if geese react different over water vs. a field?? I mean like easier to decoys, more vocal, etc. Also what kind of decoys have given u the best luck? Like silos, full bodies, shells??

[HRK]

here in MI. they seem to like the fields better with full body's and sillouttes and just floaters on the water, as for vocal there about the same. bigfoots and realgeese or outlaw sillouttes

[corey carston]

Geese in NZ are heaps harder to kill over water we can have some huge kills over land with every goose cupped up over decoys whille over water they tend to land short and swim in making hunting them very hard

[Richie]

When we hunt geese here there is alot more pressure over land and are more reluctant to decoy in the field. I have started to hunt big lakes where i can and especially a foggy day. They drop in with hardly any calling or that many deeks. I use on any given time about 12-20 floaters and pound em. I think theres to many "not so good " field hunters here and really make it hard. but anyway as far as calling.........Just a little bit does it normally.........a few clucks and nothing more.

[scouttracker]

Here in MD the field is it. Full bodies and sillouttes make the rig. But if we do hunt the water I like V- boards, you get a big rig with less work. Calling dont seem to matter for one or the other.

[franchishooter]

Hear in DE we use full bodies in the fields (Green Head Gear) and we use floaters over water. (Green Head Gear). We just basically call the same for both no difference.

[Killer Miller]

Use the highest quality decoys that you can afford. Example: if I was a rich b*stard, I'd have a trailer full of Dave Smith Decoys. :D But they happen to run about $800 a dozen if Im not mistaken. :( So my misc. assortment of FA full bodies, GHG pro-grade FB's, Bigfoots, and Outlaw silo's will have to do.

Birds seem to be much more vocal out in fields. I went to a seminar at Sportsman's Warehouse early this fall, Clay Hudnall of Avery and Zink ( :x ) was the speaker. He said that when it is cold, they call harder and harder, mostly clucking, as the birds get closer and call until they are ready to shoot them. He says because when it is cold, the reason the geese are vocal while feeding in the field when other birds are coming in is because they DO NOT want the other geese coming and eating food with them. It makes sense if you think about it, its survival with these birds when it is really cold.

Also, he said that they always put the caller looker decoys (the ones with the mouth open and tongue showing) because those decoys simulate the big adult geese trying to keep the other geese coming in to land away. And he says lots of times the geese try to land right next to those decoys.

[rushcreekganderlander]

I think geese decoy a lot easier in water. As previously stated I don't believe they receive much pressure on water. Around my area most goose hunters hunt fields and the duck hunters hunt water. Our group is one of the few that really try to kill both consistently. And geese make a lot less noise on water. The only time we really call a lot on water is if we are in competition with other hunters (and the strait meats put on a clinic). Plus you usually get smaller groups coming back to the water which tend to be easier to get to decoy. But nothing beats calling a flock of geese into your lap in a corn field. Just my opinion.