# nothin but yellow!



## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

well, I prefer a nice crisp green look but, these will do. I love my Benelli M2 by the way. It is a pleasure to shoot. I'd like to get another one chambered in 20ga for days like today. As for my buddy, well he sucks at shooting flat out but, managed to scratch them down. literally 

Time to bust out the good ol' bird hitch! 

I'v got yesterdays geese in the crockpot now, I'm going to do a pulled goose sandwich..............doesn't sound right, "pulled goose"? sounds dirty...


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

I have a matching pair of M1's in 12 and 20 gauge.
Just a warning to you, once you start using the 20 gauge you might as well sell the 12.
I used my 20 yesterday for geese in a cut oat field.
What a pleasure to shoot.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

shaner said:


> I have a matching pair of M1's in 12 and 20 gauge.
> Just a warning to you, once you start using the 20 gauge you might as well sell the 12.
> I used my 20 yesterday for geese in a cut oat field.
> What a pleasure to shoot.


I'v got my wife's 870 20ga that i'm going to break out this season but, since I bought that new autoloader, why would I want to go back to a pump.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Do you snow goose hunt also?


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

shaner said:


> Do you snow goose hunt also?


I'v shot them before, but I don't hunt them unless on an invite. I don't have the property or the gear for snows


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

shaner said:


> I have a matching pair of M1's in 12 and 20 gauge.
> Just a warning to you, *once you start using the 20 gauge you might as well sell the 12.*
> I used my 20 yesterday for geese in a cut oat field.
> What a pleasure to shoot.


Absolutely, Shane. I love my M2 in 20 gauge, it has to be the best 20 out there. It's the only gun I take to Canada anymore. Even here, I'd rather shoot it than anything else. It's perfect for ducks and geese over decoys.


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Well get the wife an autoloader! Problem Solved.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

That's a great start to the season Nate.8)


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

I've got some snow goose gear I want to get rid of, I would trade you all my stuff for a dark goose hunt if you would like?
I think I have 4 or 5 dozen snow silouettes and 50 or 60 socks on stakes. I also have appx. fifty or so more socks that are ready for stakes. 
I have my own stuff for Canadas and from reading your posts you are pretty particular on how you hunts darks, as I am also.
If you are not interested, it's cool.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

shaner said:


> I've got some snow goose gear I want to get rid of, I would trade you all my stuff for a dark goose hunt if you would like?
> I think I have 4 or 5 dozen snow silouettes and 50 or 60 socks on stakes. I also have appx. fifty or so more socks that are ready for stakes.
> I have my own stuff for Canadas and from reading your posts you are pretty particular on how you hunts darks, as I am also.
> If you are not interested, it's cool.


gear wouldn't do me much good without Snow property. I'm extreamly particular when I hunt Canadas. I have a hard time pulling the trigger on geese out side 20 yards if I think they will give another pass. That said, I'v passed on a lot of killable geese and watched them fly away but, I really, really love the feet down thing! so the missed opportunities are worth it to me.

Im extremely particular in my duck hunting too. Most the time I hunt over 8 decoys and the farthest I set them away from me is 10 yards. That requires my hide to be beyond excellent. I take 20 yard shots if I have to but, 10-15 yards is the norm for me. I'll never understand why people set decoys so far away from themselves. IMO if your set is perfect and your hide is perfect then you should be able to stand just outside your set. Using that tactic consistently puts birds well under 20 yards.... BUT, the hide is critical!!! can not move.

Also, my calling style is mellow for the areas I hunt. I never high ball my notes, 90% of my calling is just chattering, I don't call unless birds are inside 100yds and my chattering is just to keep them committed.

AND, I move decoys constantly, even 8 floater ducks. I have a pre determined spot in the air/water where I want to kill my birds, usually it is where I am the most comfortable in my swing. I move decoys until the birds consistently work that zone.

So to say I'm particular, well I'm probably more borderline loony!

If I come across a sure connection for canada's, I can probably get you on it. Especially if the favor is returned.

I typed all this in 1 breath. Holy Cow, I love waterfowl hunting..........


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

goosefreak said:


> gear wouldn't do me much good without Snow property. I'm extreamly particular when I hunt Canadas. I have a hard time pulling the trigger on geese out side 20 yards if I think they will give another pass. That said, I'v passed on a lot of killable geese and watched them fly away but, I really, really love the feet down thing! so the missed opportunities are worth it to me.
> 
> Im extremely particular in my duck hunting too. Most the time I hunt over 8 decoys and the farthest I set them away from me is 10 yards. That requires my hide to be beyond excellent. I take 20 yard shots if I have to but, 10-15 yards is the norm for me. I'll never understand why people set decoys so far away from themselves. IMO if your set is perfect and your hide is perfect then you should be able to stand just outside your set. Using that tactic consistently puts birds well under 20 yards.... BUT, the hide is critical!!! can not move.
> 
> ...


Given how selective you are about the shots you take, you really should trade that 12 gauge M2 for a 20. Same model, but they're completely different guns. The 20 gauge is a wand and makes the 12 feel clubby. I shoot 2 3/4" 4s or 6s mostly. We ran into a deal on 3" 2s and 4s last year and couldn't pass it up. They should be perfect for Canada.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

paddler213 said:


> Given how selective you are about the shots you take, you really should trade that 12 gauge M2 for a 20. Same model, but they're completely different guns. The 20 gauge is a wand and makes the 12 feel clubby. I shoot 2 3/4" 4s or 6s mostly. We ran into a deal on 3" 2s and 4s last year and couldn't pass it up. They should be perfect for Canada.


What do you guys consider the best semi auto 20 gauge out there. I would love to get one for my personal uses....it must be able to handle 3" as well as 2 3/4". I don't want a pump I want a gas operated semi auto.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

paddler213 said:


> Given how selective you are about the shots you take, you really should trade that 12 gauge M2 for a 20.


I mentioned that to him when he was looking for a new semi-auto. Goosefreak would do just fine with a .20 ga. with the style of hunting he does. I know when I hunt with him I would prefer to have a .20 ga.

I am really hoping my daughter buys a new Franchi Affinity .20 this year so I can use it.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

LostLouisianian said:


> What do you guys consider the best semi auto 20 gauge out there. I would love to get one for my personal uses....it must be able to handle 3" as well as 2 3/4". I don't want a pump I want a gas operated semi auto.


Winchester SX3 or Weatherby SA-08 for a gas gun. JMO!


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## Stimmy (Sep 10, 2007)

another vote for the M2, 20 gauge. great, reliable gun. it is all i use. killed many green heads and geese with this gun. we are freaks too about getting them close.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> Winchester SX3 or Weatherby SA-08 for a gas gun. JMO!


I bought my son a SA-08 20 ga. and now probably shoot it more then he does. For the money...I can't see how you can beat it.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

LostLouisianian said:


> What do you guys consider the best semi auto 20 gauge out there. I would love to get one for my personal uses....it must be able to handle 3" as well as 2 3/4". I don't want a pump I want a gas operated semi auto.


I shoot my sx3 very well & it's never gave me a hiccup. But my little Beretta 390 20ga is my go to gun. Everybody that I have let shoot this gun wants to buy it. It was the absolute best impulse buy I've ever made. They will have to pry the 390 out of my cold dead hands

Good luck finding one


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

JerryH said:


> I shoot my sx3 very well & it's never gave me a hiccup. But my little Beretta 390 20ga is my go to gun. Everybody that I have let shoot this gun wants to buy it. It was the absolute best impulse buy I've ever made. They will have to pry the 390 out of my cold dead hands
> 
> Good luck finding one


Interesting you mention that gun, my brother bought one for his daughter years ago and is the same way....won't sell it to me even though it just collects dust these days.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Fowlmouth said:


> Winchester SX3 or Weatherby SA-08 for a gas gun. JMO!


Love my Weatherby SA-08:mrgreen:


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Well this is my third season on my franchi affinity 20 gauge, It is well broken in now and I am loving the gun and it is just getting smother every time I shoot it.

It is Inertia gun but I hardly feel it and people that have shot it can't believe how light and well balanced it is.

It was 799.00 at sportsman for the MAX 5 camo 20 Gauge model. That price is hard to beat and it is the same at cabela's so sportmans might be even a little lower now.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Franchi-Affinity-Semiautomatic-Shotguns/1383146.uts

You need to go shoulder this gem, and if you want to shot it text me and I will meet you over by the lake.

And you guys spending over $1000.00 for the M2 might want to take a look at this video. 





FNF


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

JerryH said:


> I shoot my sx3 very well & it's never gave me a hiccup. But my little Beretta 390 20ga is my go to gun. Everybody that I have let shoot this gun wants to buy it. It was the absolute best impulse buy I've ever made. They will have to pry the 390 out of my cold dead hands
> 
> Good luck finding one


Missed one by 3 days on Utah gun exchange. Somebody put one up and it went pretty quick.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Obviously I am biased but I think the best one is my Benelli M1.
You don't know me but I only have one hand so carrying around an 7 or 8 lb. gun wears me out.
I hunt wild pheasants in Utah and the only way I could do it is with my little peashooter.
I only shoot decoying waterfowl now that I am older.
I would like to believe I helped start the 20 gauge on geese craze but I am sure there were many,many before me.
A few years ago I had a killer field and we used .410 caliber shotguns. What a riot waiting for Canadas to be inside of 10 yards and presenting a perfect head shot. A lot of geese got free passes but the ones we pulled the trigger on went down hard. 
My hunting tactics are the same as JerryH and Paddler.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

Nothing beats birds feet down in the decoys, that's for sure! I was watching some guys across the bay from me the other day blast away at any bird that came within 100 yards and was wondering what makes them want to do that-I genuinely wonder if guys that skybust everything have ever experienced what it's like to have birds decoy into close range.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Pumpgunner said:


> Nothing beats birds feet down in the decoys, that's for sure! I was watching some guys across the bay from me the other day blast away at any bird that came within 100 yards and was wondering what makes them want to do that-I genuinely wonder if guys that skybust everything have ever experienced what it's like to have birds decoy into close range.


90% of duck hunters in my opinion lack the necessary skills to consistently get ducks to decoy. It's a skill my grandfather and father taught me in my early teens. By the age of 15 I had my own boat and blind and hunted alone 95% of the time. I learned how to get them to come in and come in close by that age as I hunted with a 16 gauge which I still own. Most jackwagons I see in the swamps can't do that at 2-3 times that age. Bugs the crap out of me too. Not much prettier sight than a bunch of mallards feet down dropping out of the sky on a clear blue day...just beautiful.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

Pumpgunner said:


> Nothing beats birds feet down in the decoys, that's for sure! I was watching some guys across the bay from me the other day blast away at any bird that came within 100 yards and was wondering what makes them want to do that-I genuinely wonder if guys that skybust everything have ever experienced what it's like to have birds decoy into close range.


I think a lot of people would have a reality check when it comes to skybusting if they would simply go pattern their guns on paper. Only then would they understand how quickly a pattern spreads out at 40+ yards

people are idiots! people could shoot a lot more birds then they do now if they would just not shoot until the bird was begging to get shot.

I double dog dare all the waterfowlers out there to go shoot a couple shots on paper at 40 yards just to see what your pattern is like while you are blazing BB's up into outerspace.. At the very least it will give you a better understanding of the why's/why not's. (to all the whom it may concern)


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## SCtransplant (Jul 31, 2015)

Is there a shell limit here in Utah on WMA's?


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## waterfowlwhacker (Aug 13, 2016)

Bear river bird refuge has a limit of 10 shells when on the dikes I believe but other then that I don't know of any.


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## SCtransplant (Jul 31, 2015)

I'm not one for more rules, but that one is particular definitely cuts down on skybusting.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

LostLouisianian said:


> Missed one by 3 days on Utah gun exchange. Somebody put one up and it went pretty quick.


 &#*%. I can't believe I didn't see that ad.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> &#*%. I can't believe I didn't see that ad.


Me neither. I thought you checked it hourly.


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## stuckduck (Jan 31, 2008)

Pumpgunner said:


> Nothing beats birds feet down in the decoys, that's for sure! I was watching some guys across the bay from me the other day blast away at any bird that came within 100 yards and was wondering what makes them want to do that-I genuinely wonder if guys that skybust everything have ever experienced what it's like to have birds decoy into close range.


I have the same thoughts.... I even take it to Archery hunting.... nothing like getting up close and personal with the big game... such an adventure! No fun to blast away at 300 plus yards... to each there own I guess.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

paddler213 said:


> Me neither. I thought you checked it hourly.


 Just one more week and the 390 will be getting a workout. The new 28 will be also!


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

Stuckduck1 said:


> I have the same thoughts.... I even take it to Archery hunting.... nothing like getting up close and personal with the big game... such an adventure! No fun to blast away at 300 plus yards... to each there own I guess.


I'm with you there, the longest rifle shot I've ever taken on a big game animal was about 240 yards and almost every other animal I've shot has been at 100 or less. A good bit of the fun and challenge for me is seeing how close I can get. I know long range is the new fad, and everyone should be able to hunt how they see fit, but to me there is a point where it quits being hunting and turns into shooting at a living target.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Pumpgunner said:


> I'm with you there, the longest rifle shot I've ever taken on a big game animal was about 240 yards and almost every other animal I've shot has been at 100 or less. A good bit of the fun and challenge for me is seeing how close I can get. I know long range is the new fad, and everyone should be able to hunt how they see fit, but to me there is a point where it quits being hunting and turns into shooting at a living target.


Everyone needs to experience a deer hunt once in their life in central and south Louisiana. I've hunted places where you couldn't see 50 yards away and that was from an elevated tree stand! A heck of a lot of shots are less than 40 yards. Just about the only way to get a 50+ yard shot is on a food plot or fence line or power line right of way. Usually I hunted with my shotgun and the first two shells were 00 buck and the last shell was a slug.


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

Pumpgunner said:


> Nothing beats birds feet down in the decoys, that's for sure! I was watching some guys across the bay from me the other day blast away at any bird that came within 100 yards and was wondering what makes them want to do that-I genuinely wonder if guys that skybust everything have ever experienced what it's like to have birds decoy into close range.


Back in Nevada we hunted a lot of rivers and that was my favorite thing. If we had a good flight coming in we'd even let some touch down before we started shooting. That way we got shots from the back of the flight all the way to the leaders. You have all day to shoot and way better chances of dropping them. Plus. Who can complain when you have a big slowing target in front of you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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