10 Tips for Early Arkansas Resident Goose Season

[ducktape]

The resident Arkansas Canada Goose population has exploded over the past few years. In response the AGFC has created an Early Canada Goose Season which kicks off on September 1st and goes to September 15th. The bag limit is 5 and this early season is often overlooked, because people think these are park or pet geese. The resident geese are not stupid birds, they know the lay of the land.. These 10 tips for Early Arkansas Goose Season will help you overcome the advantage they have on you and help you bag more birds.

• When looking for geese, scout in the evening. These geese like to feed in the evening so likely roosting there or close will make a morning  hunt more successful.These geese eat alot of different grains and grass seed besides the normal crops, so don't get discouraged if you can't find a fresh corn field close by.
  
  
  
• Once you have found them, check out the highest point in the field, these geese will lite on the biggest hump, hill, or mound then they tend to walk around grazing, so set up  your decoys in groups around that point but not on the point.
• Unlike during the fall when the migrators come down, these residents tend to work better with smaller groups of decoys, so a couple dozen or less will get the job done, your decoys need to be in tip top shape, the better looking the decoys the better your chances. If you can afford or borrow some flocked head decoys, do it, you will thank me after the hunt.
• Get on the X. you need to be where these Canada Geese have been feeding. These birds are creatures of habit, so start scouting now and get to know their patterns so on September 1st, you will be prepared.
• Also unlike those big migrators, these birds are still in groups, likely with mothers and juveniles, they don't honk much so you don't need to call as much. Maybe enough to get the birds attention, but don't call at them like it is Dec, it won't work.
• Like every single other type of hunting, your camo will make or break your hunt. If you are in a hay field, brush your blinds with hay from the same field but a different area and brush them good. These birds know the land, you should know this, you should have been watching them for a couple of weeks. The birds will know if something is out of place, so concealment is key.
• Back to the decoys, a healthy mix of full body and shell decoys with flocked heads will be your best bet, the more realistic the better. A week into the season these birds will have seen alot of decoys so your spread needs to look better than the next guy's spread, clean the mud and dirt off the decoys, make them sparkle. Have you ever seen a muddy live goose?
• Similar to ducks confidence decoys work wonders, if your geese have been loafing in a backwater slough, put up a heron decoy a few hundred feet from the spread. If your geese have been hitting a sandbar on the river, a few floating duck decoys can work wonders.
• This tip should have been #1, don't be afraid to knock on doors. Most people consider these birds a nuisance and would have no problem with you harvesting a few, just be respectful of their property.

Be sure to put your pictures up in the photo gallery after your successful hunt.