Need help for first time waterfowl hunt with son

[maw1]

This weekend is the first time my 12 year old son and I will be going after ducks and geese. Really looking forward to having my son join me in this.

I have some spots picked out for duck hunting, but am coming up short for geese.

Are there any farmers/property owners in the Edmonton area that would be willing to let us hunt geese on their property? Please let me know.

Thanks in advance for the communities help!

[elkhunter11]

To be successful hunting geese, you don't just need property to hunt on, you need to find the geese actually feeding on property that you can hunt. You really need to go out in the evenings or mornings when the geese are feeding, and find exactly where they are feeding, not just the field, but the specific part of the field where they are feeding. Once you have found this, get a county map, and go and ask the landowner for permission. I spend an average of four to six hours of scouting for every hunt, and without that scouting, we would not be enjoying successful hunts. I was out last night checking on which fields are in grain, and which are combined, and with almost no grain fields combined, we will not be hunting geese for a week or two. We had hoped to perhaps set up a hunt for Monday, but until the combining progresses, that won't be happening.

[Benelli1]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

To be successful hunting geese, you don't just need property to hunt on, you need to find the geese actually feeding on property that you can hunt. You really need to go out in the evenings or mornings when the geese are feeding, and find exactly where they are feeding, not just the field, but the specific part of the field where they are feeding. Once you have found this, get a county map, and go and ask the landowner for permission. I spend an average of four to six hours of scouting for every hunt, and without that scouting, we would not be enjoying successful hunts. I was out last night checking on which fields are in grain, and which are combined, and with almost no grain fields combined, we will not be hunting geese for a week or two. We had hoped to perhaps set up a hunt for Monday, but until the combining progresses, that won't be happening.

Very eloquently put Elk, most would not have been so polite.

To the OP with his first post.... welcome to the forum and good luck in the upcoming season.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Benelli1

Very eloquently put Elk, most would not have been so polite.

To the OP with his first post.... welcome to the forum and good luck in the upcoming season.

Just trying to be realistic, I still get a chuckle when I think about posts from a couple of years ago where someone posted about picking a random field, putting out a couple of home made decoys, and not understanding why flock after flock of geese flew by and paid his decoys no attention.

[maw1]

Thanks for the feedback. I probably should have added that anyone that is seeing geese recently in their combined fields or ponds could let me know. Those would be good areas to scope out for hunting.

[nube]

I'm guiding a few residents this year if your interested. Big water spread and a good time. I'd let the kid hunt free in this case if you wanted to book a spot.
Got Sept 11 open....

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by nube

I'm guiding a few residents this year if your interested. Big water spread and a good time. I'd let the kid hunt free in this case if you wanted to book a spot.
Got Sept 11 open....

If the OP does not have blinds or decoys, and is not willing to do the required scouting, a guided hunt is probably his best chance of experiencing a quality goose hunt.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

If the OP does not have blinds or decoys, and is not willing to do the required scouting, a guided hunt is probably his best chance of experiencing a quality goose hunt.

There is a reason outfitters charge fir hunts and the fact that the decoys and blinds are supplied are just two reasons !
A pile of time can be used up simply scouting and spotting and well worth the fees charged,
Cat

[threeforthree]

Great offer Nube!!!!

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

There is a reason outfitters charge fir hunts and the fact that the decoys and blinds are supplied are just two reasons !
A pile of time can be used up simply scouting and spotting and well worth the fees charged,
Cat

Our group is pretty low budget compared to many people, but with decoys, calls, blinds etc, the three of us have $3000-$4000 invested in total. And that doesn't include a tank of fuel every week for scouting, for one shoot per week. We had four hunts last fall, so we probably broke even compared to hiring an outfitter for those four hunts. Pooling our decoys allows us to put out enough to be quite successful, but if one person wants to buy enough gear to hunt on his own, the investment would take a few years to pay off hunting once per week.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Our group is pretty low budget compared to many people, but with decoys, calls, blinds etc, the three of us have $3000-$4000 invested in total. And that doesn't include a tank of fuel every week for scouting, for one shoot per week. We had four hunts last fall, so we probably broke even compared to hiring an outfitter for those four hunts. Pooling our decoys allows us to put out enough to be quite successful, but if one person wants to buy enough gear to hunt on his own, the investment would take a few years to pay off hunting once per week.

Yup , between my goose hunting partner and I we have at least that tied up .
As luck would have it he lives in the area we hunt and scouts on the way home from work .
It doesn't take long to ring up the dollars in decoys , a trailer , blinds etc, even with buying most of ours used .
We are moving away from the layouts in the fields this year and going back to Williw style blinds .
I am forever missing water blinds and sneak boxes though, it is a completely different style if hunting waterfowl !
Cat

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Yup , between my goose hunting partner and I we have at least that tied up .
As luck would have it he lives in the area we hunt and scouts on the way home from work .
It doesn't take long to ring up the dollars in decoys , a trailer , blinds etc, even with buying most of ours used .
We are moving away from the layouts in the fields this year and going back to Williw style blinds .
I am forever missing water blinds and sneak boxes though, it is a completely different style if hunting waterfowl !
Cat

I usually scout within 10-20 miles from home, which saves a lot of time and fuel scouting. We are also trying willow blinds this fall, in the interest of comfort. I have always hunted over fields, so I have never really had a desire to hunt over water.

[catnthehat]

Big strings of rigged dekes with flights of birds coming in with the gear down and wings locked water blinds big enough for a Coleman stove with bacon and eggs coffee breaks , and of course black Labs - always black labs!
A shotgunning culture as steeped in tradition as upland hunting !
Cat

[angery jonn]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Big strings of rigged dekes with flights of birds coming in with the gear down and wings locked water blinds big enough for a Coleman stove with bacon and eggs coffee breaks , and of course black Labs - always black labs!
A shotgunning culture as steeped in tradition as upland hunting !
Cat

You've been watching to much Zink TV

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by angery jonn

You've been watching to much Zink TV

Nope just remembering my childhood and youth.
I don't watch hunting shows on TV .
Cat

[angery jonn]

Originally Posted by nube

I'm guiding a few residents this year if your interested. Big water spread and a good time. I'd let the kid hunt free in this case if you wanted to book a spot.
Got Sept 11 open....

Heck of a offer!

[sns2]

Originally Posted by maw1

Thanks for the feedback. I probably should have added that anyone that is seeing geese recently in their combined fields or ponds could let me know. Those would be good areas to scope out for hunting.

Welcome to the forum, and good on you for taking your son out.

As politely suggested, putting on some miles and spotting the geese is the only way to go. I am surprised the answers have been as polite as they have been because that kind of question usually gets some snarky responses.

If I were in your shoes, I would take Nube up on his offer as it is an excellent one!

If not, head east. Get a set of waders and an extension pole. Find puddles with ducks on them, get permission, sneak up and have fun. Your boy will love it. An inflatable dinghy also works great. Your boy can be the lab. Make sure he wears a life jacket. Good luck.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by maw1

This weekend is the first time my 12 year old son and I will be going after ducks and geese. Really looking forward to having my son join me in this.

I have some spots picked out for duck hunting, but am coming up short for geese.

Are there any farmers/property owners in the Edmonton area that would be willing to let us hunt geese on their property? Please let me know.

Thanks in advance for the communities help!

Maybe start with the ducks and go from there.
If you do not have a dog, a heaving line with hooks on a 2X4 can be used, or a heavy fishing rod .
Don't forget your waders if you are near the water!

Cat

[nube]

Sept 11 is booked up now Sept 12 can still take one or 2. Rest of the season is pretty booked up as well and might only have a couple openings I could fit some guys in

[maw1]

Thanks for the comments thus far.

We have a guided hunt planned for Canada's and snow geese later this fall. Should be fun. For now I am just looking for landowners that see geese currently on their property and wouldn't mind helping out a first time father-son hunt. We will be going for ducks this weekend as well, but geese move around alot and are harder to pin down.

Anyone that can help, much appreciated!

[marky_mark]

I’m looking also
I have a nephew that would like to come on his first hunt

[TROLLER]

Originally Posted by maw1

Thanks for the comments thus far.

We have a guided hunt planned for Canada's and snow geese later this fall. Should be fun. For now I am just looking for landowners that see geese currently on their property and wouldn't mind helping out a first time father-son hunt. We will be going for ducks this weekend as well, but geese move around alot and are harder to pin down.

Anyone that can help, much appreciated!

Most if not all experienced goose hunters have their area and they spent in a lot of cases years developing relationship with land owners and constantly scouting for shoots. For you to ask for some leads from these dedicated hunters who have spent years at it is pushing it a bit far. IMO you had a great offer from Nube and did not jump on it. You should concentrate on ducks and finding them in ponds. One tip if you see the ducks flying and they are just dropping straight down without a lot of circling they are going into water. That should help you a bit I hope.