Goose Hunting Colorado Help and Questions

[Slugz]

So........lots of ifs and whats and maybees and who knows here but.....

My son and I want to goose hunt more often than 2-4 times a year with a guided outfit. Reason we went that route was just the high initial investment and lack of public spots/land and to learn from a pro. Trying to lay all the variable out on the table and it appears the options are.

1) Join a club.....seems like there is a lot of them. Not sure about the whole thing though. Investment for most seem to be in the 1300 a member per year range. Land, pits, water included...some have decoys to share. Seems like a lot of pluses and minuses that could make it good or really bad. Initial investment as I see it is roughly 2400-2600 for two memberships + decoy cost. So say 5600 total. Then annual dues. If anyone has any experience in this please let me know or knowledge of any good clubs its worth me checking out.

2) Lease a field by myself or with some others.....big ranges of prices here from wheat no water near corn for 2500 to ones with water, corn nearby or in the field, pits already dug.....like a plug and play set up for 5000. I've looked at trying to get 3-6 other buddies together to do this. I'm ok with making the decoy investment myself as I see in the future I'm gonna want my own anyways. Say I leased a high end field and got some more hunters to buy in I see the initial investment is decoys + dues is roughly 3400. If I would go at it myself then its more than Option 1 above for a quality field.

3) Just go guided a few times a year......good ones are 250 a gun...min three guns....so I figure if I go 4 times in a season that's roughly 500+ a tip so say 600 per shoot x 4 = 2400 a year.....but still would need to fill that 3rd spot always or more.


Comments on the all is welcome......thanks for reading.

 

[hunter25]

I'm not a big bird hunter so experience is limited. But if you want to go a lot more than you're going now the lease option sounds the best overall. More control over what you like.

I've gone guided a few times just because I like to do different things. Sandhill cranes in north Texas, swans in utah. Guided prices similar to what you mentioned.

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[mallardsx2]

No leases
No guides
No Clubs

Do what I do....

Invest in 4 Layout Blinds
Invest in 4 Snow Covers
Invest in 4 Dozen FFD Decoys and 3 dozen sleeper FFD Shells decoys. Maybe a dozen duck decoys as well (I'm assuming your shooting Canadas)
Get you a solid boat with a reliable motor.


aaaaand


Hunt the river when it gets cold...

No crowds
No Clubs
No Leases
No Guides

Lots of birds
Lots of fun.

And trust me.... it doesn't take a big river..... Just figure out where they like to loaf and hunt them there. The weather will do the rest for you.


I killed more birds in 1 month by doing this than 99% of the black hoodie wearing, flat brimmed hat, high dollar call carrying dipsticks in Pennsylvania.

Was it cold? Yes... was it rewarding? Yes, VERY.

Having said all of that.

# 1 I am assuming you are hunting Canada's
#2 River hunting in cold weather is dangerous
#3 I have never hunted waterfowl in Colorado.

 

[Fink]

If you're going to lease a field, I'd make sure it's one that consistently kills birds. Out of all the fields we goose hunt, very few consistently provide good shoots, that we can count on, and a lot of that probably has to do with the fact that those fields are only getting shot once a week.
To be really successful goose hunting, you've got to be mobile, and not tied to one specific spot. You also have to hide, and hide well. I agree with mallards, get some good layout blinds (we really like Rogers goosebusters, good price, waterproof bottom, lots of room), and 4-8 dozen full bodies, i don't think they need to be fully flocked, but the heads should be. Sleeper shells are nice, they look so good in smaller spreads, and if you're not running a trailer, they don't take up much room.

Hunting geese over water is a ton of fun, and you don't need near the decoys. We usually only run a couple dozen, then put full bodies and sleepers up on the ice or the land.

Take my advise with a grain of salt..... I wear a black hoodie (or brown, or green), and run expensive calls, so I might not know what I'm talking about. No flat brimmed hat though, just my standby Prodigy Boats cap.

 

[mallardsx2]

Your not from PA are you?! LOL

 

[Slugz]

Thanks guys.....couple comments that's got me thinking of some different ways to tackle this. Thanks again.

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

I have not hunted waterfowl since I was a kid but just thinking about it for the money you are talking are there options in neighboring states like say Western Kansas on walk in land that might be worth considering? Looks like there is quite a bit of ag land that is open during season and those ares are not highly populated. I doubt many people from Colorado would go that far and same for folks from the other end of Kansas like they will for deer and pheasants so it might not be nearly as crowded as public places in Colorado.

CANADA GEESE

Season: Oct. 27-28, 2018 and Nov. 7, 2018-Feb. 17, 2019
Area open: Statewide
Daily bag limit: 6 (including Brant)
Possession limit: 18
Stamps Required: Kansas HIP Permit, State Waterfowl Stamp, Federal Waterfowl Stamp

Walk in map.
https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Hunting-Fishing-Atlas/Fall-Hunting-Atlas

 

[Slugz]

Thanks HPH.....I'll add to the research list. Thanks

 

[MichiganDIYHunter]

Buy yourself an enclosed trailer, and your decoys/layout blinds and run and gun! Much more mobile that way, and your able to follow the migration if you find the time. Most private land owners hate geese, and in most cases always grant permission if your respectful to their property. All we do is drive around and look for fields with birds and than ask the land owner. It works great, and your always on the birds!

 

[Slugz]

Buy yourself an enclosed trailer, and your decoys/layout blinds and run and gun! Much more mobile that way, and your able to follow the migration if you find the time. Most private land owners hate geese, and in most cases always grant permission if your respectful to their property. All we do is drive around and look for fields with birds and than ask the land owner. It works great, and your always on the birds!

Yep.......mobile......fast attack is the route I'm going........that way I can go to multiple states during my travels. Got my spread lined out already and just need to get one more layout.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I'm pretty lucky....I've hunted waterfowl for over 60 years. I've learned a lot and lots of it applies to ducks & geese anywhere they are.

If you live in an area that has a reasonable population of geese, get out and watch them. Where they go, where they feed, what times do they fly, etc. They are creatures of habit and unless conditions change, they will stay in the same pattern. Find out who owns the fields where they are feeding. Ask for permission to hunt. Don't be shy, lots of times farmers consider geese pests and want them out of their fields. I have several large hay/alfalfa fields (500 acres or so) that the farmers beg me to come and shoot these "pests".

It doesn't take a lot of decoys for Canadas. I use 30 or so. I have 4 "747 style", 4 magnum Big Foot and 1 1/2 doz normal sized shells. Canadas stay in family groups of 4 to 10 birds even tho they fly in larger flocks. When they land the separate into small family groups and really don't mix together much. ( I have a 2 acre pond and have 3 to 5 family groups nest here every year, so I watch their habits a lot). Down in the 4 corners area, our Canadas are non migratory and are here year round. We do get some additional migratory birds, but not too many.

I use mostly "T" size steel shot as they are big birds with lots of feathers for smaller shot to bounce off and not penetrate.

 

[CODAK]

Slugs PM me. Utilize all your time off and go hit the central flyway with your own dekes. I?ll help you get started, it?ll be way cheaper than staying in CO. I stopped years ago, way too expensive for mediocre hunts