# What Would You Do?



## 7summits (Nov 28, 2017)

I hunt in an area that has a few nesting boxes. Today I witnessed three pair of geese starting to fight over one of the boxes. This box has always been a productive box, spring after spring. They are local geese, probably half are banded. It would be very easy for me to throw a half doz decoys and take a few of these geese, but part of me just says no, let them be.

What would you do?


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## Slap That Quack (Mar 2, 2017)

I'd take em.


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

Shoot them. There's no shortage of geese and that's the whole point of the extended hunt. 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Take em!! By the sounds of it I’m willing to bet plenty other pairs will be vying for it after next week. A goose in the hand is better than 2 in the bush!


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## 7summits (Nov 28, 2017)

You guys talked me into it. I will hit it tomorrow and let you know how it shakes out.


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Good luck!!


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Doesn't sound like much fun to me. Almost like baiting.

These birds landed outside the spread and swam in to 15 yards. I sat up, waved my arms and yelled, trying to flush them, but they swam away calmly. Later, they swam back again, again to 15 yards, which is when I took their picture. I tried and failed to get them to fly once again, but they just swam away again. Great memory, and nice photos:


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

paddler said:


> Doesn't sound like much fun to me. Almost like baiting
> 
> View attachment 140119


A nest box is baiting. Now I've heard it all.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

IF, they are local city folk geese, I'd rip it up. Look for a neck tag. I know the DWR placed them on some geese that were "local". These Urban geese will never migrate like a bird from Canada does. You just need to ask them for their passport. :rotfl:


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

MooseMeat said:


> A nest box is baiting. Now I've heard it all.


I didn't say it is baiting, rather it's "almost" like baiting. Hunting in close proximity to a nesting box that pairs of geese are fighting over is similar to hunting over bait. Which is a stronger inducement to occupy a given location, a bite to eat or a chance to mate?;-) Personally, I wouldn't do it. Just my opinion, but I don't need another dead goose in my freezer that badly.


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

That almost sounds like setting up in a corn field they are using late season in the snow when they’re fighting over what grain they can find. Oh wait. That’s called hunting the “X”.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

How about hunting flooded corn next to a <loafing> pond. You see the pro's all the time on tv.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Personal decision, really. I just answered the OP's question, which wouldn't have been asked if he wasn't a bit ambivalent. Don't really care what others do so long as it's legal.


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## 7summits (Nov 28, 2017)

Ended up with just this guy. I should have set a bigger set, but I wasn't expecting to see that many geese this morning outside of the handful I had targeted. A lot of geese moving around right now.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

How do you guys feel about ground shooting geese in the decoys? Its a personal choice, just wondering what the general consensus is? This question should be set up as a poll.


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## 7summits (Nov 28, 2017)

JerryH said:


> How do you guys feel about ground shooting geese in the decoys? Its a personal choice, just wondering what the general consensus is? This question should be set up as a poll.


We put them out there for a reason. If a couple land so be it.

Usually a couple will land with others feet down right behind them. I try for the feet down first. By the time you back to the ones that landed, they are on the move anyway.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

JerryH said:


> How do you guys feel about ground shooting geese in the decoys? Its a personal choice, just wondering what the general consensus is? This question should be set up as a poll.


https://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=488112&messages=68&forum=9


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> How do you guys feel about ground shooting geese in the decoys? Its a personal choice, just wondering what the general consensus is? This question should be set up as a poll.


I let them flap their wings a few times. Often their feet clear the ground.;-)


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Wow no responses from the natural born killers. 

My theory is if you did a good enough job at setting the trap, they put their feet on the ground. Line their heads up! After all they do it with Turkeys.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Since we are talking about this I will bring up a subject that always has me looking over my shoulder because technically I am breaking the law...
I’ m sure many of you have been in my same predicament:
A flock comes by and a couple birds break off and land so of course you wait for the rest to circle and come in, then you take them.
Or, a flock sets in feet down and a trailing flock is seconds behind them so of course you wait for them, who wouldn’t?
Or, you have live ducks swimming in your spread a minute before legal and you let them stay and take the next flock after legal that flies in.
Well, technically you have just killed a migratory bird over Live Decoys and that packs a pretty hefty fine.
I still hunt this way but always wonder if one day I will be watched by a CO that has had a rough day and be ticketed....
Thoughts?


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Hey Jerry, I just seen the change of direction on this. So my theory is this... To me, the whole end result I personally am going after is to get them feet down in the decoys. Usually we pull just fraction of a second before touch down while they are feet down inches from the ground. Granted some may hit the ground before we pull, but 9 times out of 10 they will jump back up soon as our blind doors start to open and long before this old fat man can start pulling the trigger. If they are not smart enough to jump then I guess we did our job even better than feet down in the decs. We went the extra mile and made it so realistic they don't want to leave despite the people popping up out from the ground.:shock:


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

I do the same as BigBull, but if I know I can get an extra few in range by waiting I will let the first birds touch down.
About 6 years ago I did shoot two with one shot that were on the ground ( I confessed to Paddler years ago) and have never shot a bird on the ground since. I just didn’t feel good about my decision but I don’t care if others do it.
I will shoot birds after I jump them but their feet must be off the ground.
The only way to make a bird jump out of a good spread is to come out of the blind shrieking and waving like a Banshee, they have already been tricked in to landing and they believe they are safe.


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## Buckfinder (May 23, 2009)

shaner said:


> Since we are talking about this I will bring up a subject that always has me looking over my shoulder because technically I am breaking the law...
> I' m sure many of you have been in my same predicament:
> A flock comes by and a couple birds break off and land so of course you wait for the rest to circle and come in, then you take them.
> Or, a flock sets in feet down and a trailing flock is seconds behind them so of course you wait for them, who wouldn't?
> ...


I wouldn't consider wild birds that land in your spread "live decoys" nor have I heard of anyone given a citation for it.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Buckfinder said:


> I wouldn't consider wild birds that land in your spread "live decoys" nor have I heard of anyone given a citation for it.


Agreed. They're not decoys unless they are captive.

Jerry, you're cruel.;-)


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

shaner said:


> Since we are talking about this I will bring up a subject that always has me looking over my shoulder because technically I am breaking the law...
> I' m sure many of you have been in my same predicament:
> A flock comes by and a couple birds break off and land so of course you wait for the rest to circle and come in, then you take them.
> Or, a flock sets in feet down and a trailing flock is seconds behind them so of course you wait for them, who wouldn't?
> ...


I agree with the others. I don't think that wild birds that came in to your decoys are "live decoys". In my mind that has always referred to domestic birds that you take into the field. I've read stories of old timers staking out birds on small tethers. Or I even recall reading an article one time in a magazine decades ago about a guy who had a hen mallard trained to sit in the blind, and then when birds were circling his blind, he'd push the hen out of the blind and she'd fly up to the wild flock, and then lead them back in. So the rule of his blind was "never shoot the first duck back in", until one day a guy in his blind got antsy and killed the "pet" trained hen.

I personally have no objection to killing birds on the ground/water in the decoys. We're all out there to kill the birds, and if we did a good enough job to get them in the hole, and it's legal, then to each his own. 
However, having said that, I typically try to jump them still, because I feel like they're easier to kill once their wings are outstretched. Bigger targets and less wing/feathers protecting their bodies.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

shaner said:


> I do the same as BigBull, but if I know I can get an extra few in range by waiting I will let the first birds touch down.
> About 6 years ago I did shoot two with one shot that were on the ground ( I confessed to Paddler years ago) and have never shot a bird on the ground since. I just didn't feel good about my decision but I don't care if others do it.
> I will shoot birds after I jump them but their feet must be off the ground.
> The only way to make a bird jump out of a good spread is to come out of the blind shrieking and waving like a Banshee, they have already been tricked in to landing and they believe they are safe.


Agreed. Geese are dumb. I have actually chased them off, only to have them fly over to the other side of the spread and sit back down. I have a couple of photos where I'm crawling after a goose, it stayed just far enough in front so as to be just out of reach. I'll see if I can find it and post it up later. Another time, up in Canada, I'd shot my limit and brought the truck over into the spread. Doors open, my bonehead setter laying next to the blind, me walking around picking up, when a pair of lessers circled and landed on the edge of the spread. Contenders for the Darwin award, they were.

They typically get a pass if they land. But if they jump, well, it depends on the day.;-)


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Bigbull

Try coming up a little slower. It works.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

You can ‘assume’ whatever you want the definition of Live Decoys to be but in reality you are hunting over Live Decoys as I described in my scenarios.
Check the guidebook if you don’t believe me....


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

JerryH said:


> Bigbull
> 
> Try coming up a little slower. It works.


SLOWER?? Heck Jerry, with my bad back, 300 lbs don't come up slow!! It's a deep breath, hold it, then loud grunt and fart as I give everything I have to sit up through the pain!!!! Kinda like ripping off a bandaid. I would need One of those fandangled spring assist boards under me to try slowly sitting my fat butt up.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

shaner said:


> You can 'assume' whatever you want the definition of Live Decoys to be but in reality you are hunting over Live Decoys as I described in my scenarios.
> Check the guidebook if you don't believe me....


That don't make no sense. Here's the rule:

_*You may not use live birds as decoys. Also,
you may not take migratory game birds from
an area where tame or captive live ducks or
geese are present. The only exception is if the
tame or captive live ducks or geese are-
and have been-confined for at least 10
consecutive days before you take the migratory
game birds. The area of confinement must
substantially reduce the sound of the tame or
captive birds' calls. It must also totally conceal
the birds from the sight of wild migratory
waterfowl.*_

I don't think that allowing birds to land would be considered decoys. I think they mean captive birds.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

The first sentence of the rule says it all....


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Trust me, I am not advocating for it. I will not even change the way I decoy/shoot waterfowl because of this rule.
In fact, I hope to shoot four geese tomorrow with my methods as described.
I’m just saying that if Johnny Law watched how some of us hunt, was in a bad mood because he had been in a fight with the old lady and slept on the couch the night before, he COULD write a citation based on that rule and it would probably stick.
Maybe not, I dunno.


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## Buckfinder (May 23, 2009)

This is a non issue, Jonny law would have no leg to stand on.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Buckfinder said:


> This is a non issue, Jonny law would have no leg to stand on.


Agreed. Decoys are under your control. Birds that land in the decoys are not. Don't stress, Shane, you're fine.

Here are a few photos I mentioned above:

View attachment 140141


View attachment 140143


The following are scanned film slides, so quite some time ago:


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## 7summits (Nov 28, 2017)

paddler said:


> Agreed. Decoys are under your control. Birds that land in the decoys are not. Don't stress, Shane, you're fine.
> 
> Here are a few photos I mentioned above:
> 
> ...


That is awesome!


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

7summits said:


> That is awesome!


Thanks. No birds were harmed in the taking of those photos. Photos last a loooong time, and are better memories than another dead bird in the freezer.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

PHOTOSHOPPED! 

No fullbodies or flocking. It has to be fake news lol


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> PHOTOSHOPPED!
> 
> No fullbodies or flocking. It has to be fake news lol


It was a long time ago. No way I could do it again without DSDs. I could replace all 8 dozen of my G&H shells for $7500. Plus shipping. Plus the trailer to haul them. Plus a new shed to store them.

I did PS those old photos, just to correct the color. I took this one while chasing it on my hands and knees:


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

paddler said:


> That don't make no sense. Here's the rule:
> 
> _*You may not use live birds as decoys. Also,
> you may not take migratory game birds from
> ...


That rule is a holdover from the days when live decoys were common, in fact during the market hunting days nearly every market hunter had his own flock of tame birds that would be used as decoys. Most of our current waterfowl game laws, specifically shooting hours, magazine plugs, season dates, gauge and shot size restrictions, baiting, sinkboxes, and live decoys were specifically written to counter market hunting tactics. https://edecoy.org/livedecoy.html This page has a lot of really interesting info if you're a waterfowl history nerd like me!

I can only imagine how effective live decoy hunting would be these days, however allowing birds to land and walk around isn't illegal in the least. If there is one thing from waterfowling history that I would love to do, it would be hunting from a sinkbox over live decoys, that would probably be a shoot for the ages!


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