October 30th Goose Report
Goose Meter = 4
Significant amounts of rain again this past week continues to plague the fall harvest. We are hopeful and continue to gear up for a great season. At this moment the sun is shining and its windy, the needed ingredients to get into full swing. Most of the farmers we are in contact with are ready to go as soon as they can get into the field despite the probable 40 – 50 cents per bushel drying costs.
We are seeing new birds in the area slow and steady, several flocks of Cacklers have arrived and there is more activity and opportunity outside the refuge. We have hunted very little but we harvested a few this week in the NW area where a few hundred birds were hitting a chopped corn field pretty heavy. There seems to be more geese interested in any field that is black and corn fields, less activity in soy bean fields.
We are hoping things turn around weather wise and look to be in full swing the second week of Nov. and we will be ready sooner if mother nature swings in our favor. It should be a little cooler and dryer over the weekend helping the cause on both fronts. It’s a work weekend for us we intend to get some sets of pits ready before the crops come out so the minute the fields are picked it will be game on!!! The photo is a reminder that awesome Rochester Goose hunting is just around the corner !! Hunt Safe and Hunt Smart, we will see you in the field.
Posted October 21, 2009
Goose Meter from a scale of 1 – 10
October 15th Goose Meter = 3
Rain & Snow, Rain & Snow, in the Rochester area has slowed the Fall harvest to a standstill. With a guestimate of approximately only 10% of the crops harvested there is very little Waterfowl activity outside of the Refuge. We are praying to the Goose Gods to bestow on us some dry weather so the Farmers have a productive harvest and grain field hunting opens up.
With below average temperatures every day in October we are seeing the Fall migration of new Geese into the area. So far it’s a trickle of new birds and no big push yet. The good thing about a trickle is over time it works our favor. A majority of the birds seem to be staging on the East side of the Refuge and in outlying water on the West side. The main Lake ( Silver Lake ) has a minimal number of birds at this time.
What does all this really mean you ask? There are scattered opportunities to shoot a limit or two if you do your homework and scout. With few fields picked the ones that are harvested are prime targets for hungry Geese. Also Pastures, Hay, and chopped corn fields can be productive at this time. This also means there is less than normal pressure on the Geese for this time of year. As the arrival of new Geese continues, as it will throughout the year, coupled with less hunting pressure, once the crops do come out there will be a period of very productive hunting, Geese that have seen few decoys and heard few Goose Calls tend to make a fatal mistakes. As always we like to be in the field and encourage these mistakes. Hunt Safe and Hunt Smart !! We’ll see you in the field.
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