[ferrari175]

I was out duck hunting today, it was about 60degrees out, blue skyes :/ and a mild wind, i was hunting from 1-4pm and didnt see a singel duck, my buddy set up the bildn around 8am and got off a few rounds at some ducks but none were present thisafternoon. We hunt on a marsh that has almost no hunting presuer. There are local geese that resied in the marsh all year round and at about 3:30, we saw a flock of 15 or so comming at us high up and about a mile away, i was calling on my double reed using the hail call and a some basic quack, when they were around 600yds out they droped down to probably about 200 feet and then droped some more to around 100 feet and came withing 11yds of the blind, i countined calling they bancked off and then came back this time just one the edge righ around 40yds and were nice and low probably about 20 feet off the gournd but i didnt make the call to take them becuse i was using #4 steel 3in and didnt think i would have had much of a chance. Why did these gueese come in so close when using a duck call and any advie on what I could do that is inexpencive to get them a little closer next time?

Thans, Ben

 

[Worc]

Because ducks and geese often share the same areas. Your duck decoys and call worked as a confidence setup.
I always take goose loads with me while duck hunting and they are in season. A gun with a magazine cutoff is also a nice feature at times like this.

 

[gbottger]

My guess would be your decoys. I would find it very hard to believe that a flock could hear a double reed duck call hailing them at a mile.

 

[ferrari175]

Thanks guys, but my decoy spred only consisted of 12 mallareds, 6 or eatch because in the marsh its all grass with tinny tidal pools. As for the gees hearing me, When you blow the call, you can hear it ecco all around the marsh and off houses because of the accustics of the place and the Geese didnt lower theri flight path until laround maybe 600yrds or so.
Can 12 decoys really get their attention that far away?

 

[Worc]

Their intent may have been to land there all along. Maybe if you had not been there they would have landed. You just never know.

 

[gbottger]

It may have been the spot you were in. Have a buddy drive a mile away and you blow for all your worth on that double reed and see if he can hear you. I know a short reed goose call can get out there and slap a goose a long ways out but a mile would be push it even with a short reed unless you had one hell of a wind.

If possible throw a few goose decoys out to one side of the ducks and buy a goose call. It really doesn't take much calling at times to get the geese comitted.

I would also pattern your gun with the 3 inch 4's and see what it looks like at 40 yards. It may or may not surprise you. Why didn't you take them at 11 yards? If you know what your pattern looks like at those ranges and have confidence I see no problem with taking the shot at 40 yards.

 

[ferrari175]

No i dont think so because we have seen them in the area befor flying higher and when they came within range they came down and did a higher pass by and then came in closer the seconed time, the place we hunt is litteraly my friends backyard and he has never seen them land there at low tied.

 

[gbottger]

There is nothing unusual about geese taking a few passes before landing. My guess is you didn't move and didn't spook them with your duck call so they checked it out. They saw something they didn't like or you would have bagged them by letting them circle again after the 40 yard pass.

I still ain't buying it. I don't think there is any way those geese heard you that far up and that far out. I take it, these geese are locals? How much pressure does this backyard get? Do the ducks land there?

 

[ferrari175]

I dont think the geese herd the call at a mile, but they started to decend at about 3/4 of a mile, They were a mile off when spoted. As for hunting presuer, I think we are about the only ones who have hunted the marsh in the last 5 years. Duck and Geese hunting isnt as big a shootingsport in maine which has its advantages and disadvantages for a newbi. I am going out thisafternoon with a goose call and a few cut out goose silloets and will try them off to the side of the spred and will have some BBs incase they come by.