Pennsylvania Game News - September 2023 - 17

Most of the goose harvest in the season's
last half comes via field hunting, for one
specific reason.
" Corn is king, " Huck said. " As the
season goes along and corn starts to
come off, cut for silage, that's when
birds really concentrate. I swear they can
smell the combine cutting corn because
they'll move in the day it's cut. "
The action is often best at first and last
light, which is why the September goose
season allows hunting until 30 minutes
after sunset, whereas most waterfowl
seasons end hunting days at sunset.
With birds bunching up at this time,
it can sometimes pay to put out more
decoys, perhaps five dozen or more,
Huck said. But even then, that's not
always necessary.
" If you have a really, really good
hide, just a few decoys can work well, "
Huck said.
A good " hide, " or blind, is key
throughout the early season, in fact,
whether you're hunting on the water or
on the ground, he added. That's because
Pennsylvania's population of resident
geese includes a lot of older birds.
" If they get to 3 or 4 years old, they
can probably make it to 10 or 15, " Huck
said. " They're going to live a long time.
And they see a lot of hunters, they see a
lot of things. "
Hunters who want to fool them have
to remain out of sight. That's why he
often arrives at his hunting spot an hour
or two before he expects to see any birds,
to give himself time to make his blind as
invisible as possible.
" Movement is going to kill you with
these birds, " Huck said. " If they see you
moving, if they see your dog move,
they're going to be out of there. So that's
really big. "
Around water, Huck might tuck into
SEPTEMBER 2023
GETTING STARTED
Hunters interested in trying for resident
Canada geese need to be aware of some
rules specific to waterfowl hunting.
First, in addition to a general Pennsylvania
hunting license or mentored permit,
waterfowlers 16 and older need a federal
duck stamp. It must be signed across the
front and carried while afield. Hunters can
buy an electronic version of the stamp, or
e-stamp, online and carry it in place of the
physical stamp until it arrives in the mail.
Stamps cost $28.47.
Hunters who pursue Canada geese
and other migratory birds also need a
Pennsylvania migratory game bird license.
Those cost $3.97 for residents, $6.97 for
nonresidents.
Both the federal duck stamp and Pennsylvania
migratory bird stamp are available
from any license issuing agent or online at
www.HuntFish.PA.gov.
Finally, hunters must use non-toxic
shot - steel, tin, bismuth or some combination
- when hunting waterfowl. Lead shot
is prohibited.
any grass or trees growing along the
water's edge. If that cover is missing -
maybe the grass is mowed right up to the
pond's edge - artificial blinds " grassed
up " with natural vegetation may be an
option to consider.
" You don't want to be able to see
that blind at all, " Huck said. " It should
look just like a big clump of grass sitting
there. "
Likewise, in fields, Huck tries to
blend in, whether by using a layout blind
or just finding a natural piece of cover
to tuck into. Which is best depends on
where the birds are feeding and what the
ground around it looks like.
" You want to go wherever the birds
were the day before, " Huck said. " If you
found them out in the middle of a field,
you really want to try and get out in the
middle with them.
17
http://www.HuntFish.PA.gov
Pennsylvania Game News - September 2023

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