kitchrat Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 (edited) I thought you people might be interested in my duck/goose hunt at the weekend, here in Canada. There is a "Wildlife Refuge" some 80 miles away from me, where you can hunt for $10/year. Don't ask me why, I'm just pleased I can! The Refuge is at the bottom end of a huge lake and consists of several lakes and lots of wetlands, separated from the farmland by a raised dyke. The dyke has lots of cottonwood trees on top, about 90 feet high, so the birds are quite high, but also has brushwood for cover. However, it is 3000 yards long and getting under a skein is a lottery. The fall migration is in full swing and although it's not on a major flyway, I know from an earlier visit that there are 100's or 1000's of ducks and geese, which fly out to feed soon after dawn, then back a few hours later. (repeat evening) They were feeding on a field quite near the dyke, so didn't get up too much height, in either direction. So I set off at 4.00am, drive for nearly 2 hours over 2 mountain passes (not too much snow yet) and get to the end of the dyke soon after 6.00. En route, I have to avoid 2 elk, 1 black bear, 2 Whitetail deer and 1 skunk! Since there are both ducks and geese I load one barrel for geese (acting on your advice) with 3 1/2inch Remington Hypersonics, 1 3/8 ounces of No1 steel shot, said to go at 1700ft/second, with Modified (1/2) choke. The other "duck" barrel has Kent (Gamebore) tungsten matrix, 1 1/4 oz, No 5, 1525 ft/sec through Improved Modified (3/4) choke. The chokes are tightish because I expect the shots to be rangy and I want good pellet density. It's 1000 yards to the 1st corner of the dyke, where the early duck go over, so I'm there by about 6.40, 1st "Legal Light" (1/2 hr before sunrise) is 6.57. It's misty and there are less ducks but one "greenhead" (Mallard drake) shows up at what I consider a reasonable range and the duck barrel drops him stone dead. Then it goes quiet until the geese start making a noise further along, so I move another 1000 yds along, to my 1st "best guess" location. As I move along I am quite exposed and 2 coyotes in the farmland see me and run over barking at me from 150 yds!! The geese start to fly, in family and multi-family groups!! As usual, I have guessed mainly wrongly, several groups pass about 50 yds away on either side but some 40+ yards up to get over the trees, I have to them leave alone. Then, 1 group heads straight at me, say 45 yards up! I pick a bird out and give it the goose barrel. Clearly a hit but it continues to fly and in despair I try again with the duck barrel. Falls stone dead!!! WOW, lucky escape. (Moves the coyotes too!!) This same scenario is repeated twice more, with the duck barrel cleaning up!! (plus the odd clean miss at not-so-close birds) What is going on/wrong??? Then it all goes quiet for and hour or two, during which time I find a few genuine Heavy Shot rounds (1 1/4 oz at 1625ft/sec) in my "Fanny Pack" (Bum bag), AND see a couple moose move out of the swamp! I use these shells for the return flight and drop 3 out of 3 geese, stone dead, 1st shot. I can kill sweet FA with steel!! The evening repeat flight does not work, the birds head to a distant field at great height and do not return before the end of legal light (sunset + 30mins) I do get 1 nice high hen mallard, which was just a bit lower, it had been ringed, as an adult, in 2014 at Bonner's Ferry Idaho USA, some 35 miles south. Now, like the Liberal Goverment here, I am punished for my success and have to drag 6 geese and 2 ducks over a mile to my truck. Drive back home, arrive 8.30pm. Sorry it's a long report, but quite a day!! Edited October 30, 2017 by kitchrat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Thanks for posting about your excellent outing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muncher Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 I enjoyed that read , sounds a memorable day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Nice to know how other people in other countries go about there wildfowling , excellent post and THANKS for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Nice to read about your day both the good and bad bits of your shooting. Bit of pattern testing with your size 1 steel goose loads and mod choke, something is wrong if your duck load kills them when your bigger shot size load fails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m greeny Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Fantastic report please keep us posted on your future trips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted October 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Nice to read about your day both the good and bad bits of your shooting. Bit of pattern testing with your size 1 steel goose loads and mod choke, something is wrong if your duck load kills them when your bigger shot size load fails. Agreed, there is a school of thought that says too much speed "blows" the pattern of steel shot, another says that really fast steel shot (starting out at 1700ft/sec), which is hard compared to lead, goes straight through without doing much damage. I dunno..... Fantastic report please keep us posted on your future trips Back to reality next week, searching for pigeons in Essex and chasing pheasants for others to shoot...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moor man Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 Thanks for taking the time to write your report. You paint an interesting picture and the wildlife sounds amazing. A great day out!MM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 An interesting read and a great trip Kitchrat. Essex is still here and ain't changed much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 Sounds a good day. Are these Canada geese? Did you get to do any stalking over there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted October 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 Sounds a good day. Are these Canada geese? Did you get to do any stalking over there? Yes, they are Greater Canadas, about 12lbs each. It was a great day but I forgot a couple of things - It was really scenic out there, after the mist cleared it was blue sky, Cottonwood leaves going yellow/orange/golden and snow on the mountain peaks either side of the valley. Flocks of swans passing on migration, one bunch of Sandhill cranes (very melodic) and sometimes long streamers of pelicans drifting by, so slow you can't believe they ever get anywhere! AND, how good did a couple of cans of Old Speckled Hen tasted!! Brewed in Bury St Edmunds, $3 for a pint can in Western Canada!! Brilliant!! Stalking, yes, once you have passed the gun safety tests you can buy up to and including semi automatic rifles, then do the hunter training course and you are good to go. I could hunt Whitetailed deer, Mule deer, elk and Moose (Moose if you are lucky in a Limited Entry Draw to get a "tag" which lets you shoot one). The others you just buy a tag for a few $$$'s and give it it a try. I don't bother because none of the above fly well!! Cheers, JK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Continental Shooter Posted November 2, 2017 Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 some pics would have been the perfect companion to a great story! well done on the hunt and great reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted November 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 some pics would have been the perfect companion to a great story! well done on the hunt and great reading! I'm not THAT clever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted November 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 some pics would have been the perfect companion to a great story! well done on the hunt and great reading! OK, I think I've managed to attach a piccy of the days bag, including 3 geese my buddy shot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted November 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 some pics would have been the perfect companion to a great story! well done on the hunt and great reading! And this one is a flock of snow geese, taken on a previous trip to Saskatchewan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted November 2, 2017 Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 Nice pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 We'll there are a few geese up there that's for sure, an enjoyable read, so why have you been in Canada? Work or play? Or should it be why you coming back to Essex? Because winters coming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Continental Shooter Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 yup, quite some geese up there thanks for the pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted November 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 We'll there are a few geese up there that's for sure, an enjoyable read, so why have you been in Canada? Work or play? Or should it be why you coming back to Essex? Because winters coming? I have a holiday home out here in rural Canada (property is almost free compared to the UK) I used to be a ski freak but a hip replacement has taken the fun out of that so now it's a fall (autumn) hunting lodge. This is one reason I am returning to the UK, 3 in of snow overnight, I might not be able to get over the passes for my final goose hunt. Then of course there are no pheasant shoots here to beat for and no pigeons to decoy. Hunting is stopped by snow and hunting seasons end (Goose ends 23 Dec) PS The snow geese in the other picture were about 50 yards up and didn't decoy much better than that..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 Looks stunning but as you say come winter all stop, my friend used to ski at whistler with the family she worked for, post cards that look like works of art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 Lovely photo , we haven't got anywhere in Norfolk to compete with your hills , the only ones we have got are Mole hills to obscure the view above sea level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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