Among lovers of prey, goose is considered a rather honorable trophy. At the same time, it should be understood that goose hunting is not the easiest task, requiring certain knowledge and skills. As a result of uncontrolled shooting and poaching, the population of this bird has greatly decreased. Moreover, many species had to be listed in the Red Book. Therefore, goose hunting today is strictly controlled by the relevant state bodies. Any harm to the population is punishable by law, so you need to know what kind of bird and when shooting is permitted, and which not.
general information
On the territory of our country there are only eight varieties of game belonging to the genus of geese. In the spring, only two species are allowed to hunt: for the common boomer and the white-faced. In the fall, goose hunting is also possible of a gray variety.
The remaining species - white, mountain, white-headed, small-faced and dry-fronted - are generally forbidden to shoot in any season. Goose hunting is not only an unforgettable experience. It is preceded by multi-stage preparation. The time and time for prey is selected based on the behavior of birds living in a particular region. Goose hunting is carried out only in autumn or spring. For each of these seasons, certain equipment is required, which is prepared taking into account the main subtleties of the shooting.
The timing
Almost all lovers of this pastime will agree that goose hunting is special. It requires the shooter not only accuracy and experience, but also great patience, time and money. The goose is a very serious adversary. This is one of the most organized flocks of birds that travels thousands of kilometers twice a year, encountering a huge number of dangers on its way. The timing of geese hunting is different. They depend on the season and the region. In the southern regions, goose hunting opens much earlier than in the northern regions. The beginning of the fall season depends on the time of flight of the birds. How quickly the geese will fly away from the nesting sites is determined by their strength and wind. This is surprising, but they are able to fly around our country in three days. Goose hunting in the spring begins in March or April, and ends in May or June. Exact dates can only be determined taking into account a specific region. For example, in the Kaluga and Ivanovo regions, the spring shooting season begins in early April and lasts 10-15 days. In the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, autumn goose hunting takes place from late September to mid-October. In different parts of our country, the timing of the shooting can be shifted in one direction or another.
Features of hunting in the fall
In early summer, geese begin to brood, in June old birds begin to molt and temporarily stop flying. In August, the period of gathering in flocks begins. And already at the end of the last summer month or at the beginning of September, geese fly south. The flight lasts from September to the first days of winter.
Autumn goose hunting begins with the advent of bad weather. In bad weather, these birds fly low enough. At this time, hunting is especially widespread - on foot, on horseback, or in transport. The best time to shoot is morning. In the fall, goose hunting is also practiced in years, on flights. The middle strip of our country and the tundra during this period become a refuge for numerous schools of this bird, from where they fly to more southern territories.
Spring hunt
Usually it passes in places of the most frequent flight of geese. Hunting a goose in the spring suggests the presence of effigies, decoys, etc. The hunter, waiting for the desired trophy, is hiding in an ambush on a feeding field. Goose profiles should be arranged in small flocks, and live decoys should be planted along their edges, tied to the pegs by the foot. The opening of goose hunting in spring should begin with the preparation of profiles and stuffed animals. The best choice, according to experienced shooters, are half-shell options that are distinguished by their natural color. Today, goose hunting with stuffed animals is the most common. The number of attributes may vary. The best choice would be to use about thirty profiles and a couple of dozen stuffed animals.
They need to be arranged in groups, keeping a distance between them. When birds flying close to the hunting shelter notice decoys or profiles, they, turning off the path, fall lower. It must be borne in mind that they very quickly recognize a fake and immediately soar up a dense heap. This moment is the best for shooting. Wounded prey should be immediately finished off, and broken down - collected. Goose hunting in the spring also involves the use of decoy - the most necessary tool that can guarantee half the success. Electrical options are prohibited by law.
Tactics
Goose hunting in the spring is a rather difficult task. After all, for her, you need to find a place in advance, dig a trench, arrange shelter. A person is constantly in a state of tension. In addition, very little time is devoted to preparing for such a campaign - only a few days before the start of the season.
Geese periodically fly around the territory on arable land. When they land two hundred meters before shelter, they need to be lured. Goose hunting with decoy requires certain knowledge and skills. If everything is done correctly, the game will gradually approach the hunter. Luring a flock that flies closer than a hundred meters from a person is not worth it: the birds, immediately sensing a threat, will emit a corresponding alarming cry. And in this case, all the preparation will be in vain. If everything went according to plan, then when approaching a hunter at a distance of about thirty meters, a person should stand up, take a sight and start shooting. Often prey, screaming intensely, tries to bring down the offender. You need to shoot at one bird, not paying attention to the rest.
Ways
For a hunter, a goose is a very long-awaited trophy, which is difficult to obtain due to the utmost care of this bird.
In addition, careful preparation is required. It is necessary that several factors coincide at once, for example, the opening of a goose hunt with good weather conditions and flight time of the flock. It is also important to select a suitable base, the location of which must coincide with the migration route, and with the mandatory presence of food fields and access to water - this is a very important condition for this bird, as well as the choice of suitable hunting tactics combined with patience and professionalism, etc.
The most common types are:
- hunting during the night;
- during the flight;
- when feeding;
- hunting surge.
Let's consider each method separately.
Shooting during flights
You can hunt for this bird directly during the flight. To do this, you should know the flight path. It is advisable for a person to take refuge on a hill, because in the highlands these birds fly quite low. Even lower, they approach the ground during a strong wind: in the dark, they can even touch the soil. An excellent option would be hunting in copses near the water or on the field, where production is sent for feeding. In this case, you can shoot from a standing position, hiding in the thickets of shrubs.
If hunting during the flight will take place in a dry and open place, a person needs to dig up skradok - a hole a meter deep, so that only his head would rise above it in a sitting position.
You canβt move in ambush: the goose is very attentive and cautious. You can get up only when the whole flock has already flown. The goose does not see anything from behind, but its front view is about 45Λ. It is necessary to monitor the fall of shot individuals, as often they fall far. If we are talking about goose hunting in a swamp, then digging a hole can be forgotten. In this case, you need to build skradok without a shovel, but otherwise there is no difference in the shooting process. In addition, it must be said that the vision of this bird becomes worse if it flies against the sun.
Shooting while feeding
Conducting preliminary intelligence is the key to success with this method of hunting. It is necessary to observe geese in the field from afar. Moreover, the main condition is undetected. When the flock flies away, you need to find the site with the largest amount of fresh litter and dig up skradok there. In the afternoon, such a hunt will not work, because these birds see too well. The best time is early morning or twilight.
If the flock flies conveniently for shooting, then you can hunt and fly. Otherwise, she needs to be allowed to descend to the ground, and the birds to be crowded. For this method of hunting, it is better to have several stuffed animals at hand, which are placed near the skrad.
Birds fly up to the profiles, and then the angle of fire will become comfortable. In some regions, including Siberia, the practice is to use live geese as bait, which invoke their goods with their voice.
Surge Hunt
If several people participate in the event, then this method is the most optimal. You need to take geese in one gut. When all the birds have already sat down on the ground, several people with weapons are hiding on the field on one side at a distance of eighty meters from each other. Beater rides past geese, removing them to his comrades. The correct direction for the pen is the side along which birds fly across the field. The best time for a surge is in the morning when the prey is hungry.
Overnight shooting
In order to hunt geese in this way, reconnaissance should be done in advance. Well-fed birds usually fly to a watering place at night, but during a strong wind they remain on arable land. In a pond, geese bathe for a long time, and then, after dark, go ashore. The hunter must pre-hide his skradok near the shore. When the birds go swimming, you need to hide in the pit. On such a hunt you need to be patient and wait until all the birds, having gone ashore, begin to rest. At this time, and you need to start shooting.
Equipment
Hunters attract the attention of geese with the help of stuffed animals and profiles - flat images of birds, which many make themselves of plywood, paint and natural feathers.
The outfit also includes an arrow suit, which must be matched in light colors - ocher, gray or light khaki. In autumn it is better to use yellowish shades.
The goose hunting rifle must be chosen heavy, with a chamber of 76 mm length. Experienced game hunters prefer to use MC. Their advantage is that they can withstand prolonged firing. For geese hunting, a collimator sight is often used. Shoot from pneumatics preferred by beginners.
According to experienced shooters, any smooth-bore guns can be used to hunt geese. However, there are often those who prefer to take for this game the so-called goose-bumps of a larger caliber and with a longer barrel length. As for the cartridge, you need to take a large fraction. Goose-type shooting is not practical.