Goose Hunting Essentials: Gear, and Strategies for the Late Season

Justin Hunold

01/05/2024

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We are getting down to crunch time across the country. You may have been on some local Canadas in the early season, or maybe you slept in during the Holidays, but in most flyways right now is the time to be in a blind chasing dark geese for the final few weeks of the 2023-2024 waterfowl season. Don’t turn all of your attention to Snow Geese and Spring Turkey Hunting just yet, there are Honkers to be had. Goose Hunting can be at its very best in the late season.

When we are packing into the cut fields, backwater creeks and open water safe havens geese call home during the late season it is supremely important we do so with the right gear, the right strategies, and most importantly the right mindset. Late season limits can be a bit tougher to come by in some areas, but the chance at some truly amazing hunts and a few more goose breasts in the freezer are great drivers for a winning attitude.

Let’s dive into some essential gear, with advice on the best waterfowl gun, steel shot, and waterfowl blinds. Then we will take to some strategies and techniques to get on them while goose hunting, and finally thoughts on the mental side of hunting late season for geese.

Equipment and Gear

Choosing the right equipment and gear is vital for successful goose hunting. Hunters must equip themselves with reliable firearms and ammunition, effective decoys, and appropriate clothing and accessories for various weather conditions.

Waterfowl Shotgun

The Best Waterfowl Shotgun

We recently put the spotlight on our ideas of the best turkey gun, and how shotguns have become job-specific tools. This is also true when looking at the best waterfowl gun. At the end of the day, any reliable 12 or 20-gauge shotgun will fit the ticket in the goose blind. When the cold winds of winter are whipping, a great semi-auto shotgun, with the appropriate barrel length, interchangeable chokes, and durable finish will be a lot more advantageous than a fancy over-under or a short-barrelled turkey gun.

Weatherby Shotguns

SA-08 SYNTHETIC COMPACT

Just a bit ago we mentioned any 12 or 20 gauge will work. If you’re a smaller-stature shooter, or taking one of those folks with you on a hunt, they should be using a gun just as reliable and purpose-built as yours. Heck, it might be more beneficial to give them the upgrade before you do it yourself, often, these folks will be new hunters, and you’ll want them to continue on the path. Good gear can help.

The Weatherby SA-08 Compact fits that niche. A tough, reliable, light recoiling, compact shotgun that can make a smaller hunter a more deadly hunter. With a Dual Valve operating system, this gun will handle any 2.75-3” 20 gauge you need it to. Moreover for the comfort and shootability of those smaller framed folks with you, the SA-08 sports a 12.5” length of pull and a 24” barrel. This gun is perfect in a layout blind. And it won't break the bank. The price of the SA-08 is just $679 MSRP.

Weatherby 18i and Weatherby Element Waterfowl

Let’s face it, when it comes to the most reliable shotguns in the world, all eyes look to an Inertia Operating System. For the best waterfowl gun you also need something durable and preferably camouflage or at least a matte finish. Weatherby Shotguns fit that bill. Both the Weatherby 18i and Weatherby Element come set up for the goose blind. Either gun will take 3” but the 18i has an option for 3.5” magnum payloads of steel Shot.

Regarding the best waterfowl gun, either of these Weatherby Shotguns will meet the challenge. It all depends on the price point and features you want. The Weatherby 18i Waterfowl can handle 2.75”-3.5” 12 gauge shells, depending on the model. If you’re in the growing number of people moving away from a 3.5” shell to a 3” or even 2.75” 12 gauge either the 18i or Element will suit you well.

12 gauge vs 20 gauge

The Granpappy of all shotguns is the 12 gauge. With unprecedented versatility, if you were only going to own one gun for absolutely everything, a 12 gauge is it. They can do anything. Yet, there is a growing number of waterfowl hunters making the jump to 20 gauge. And those hunters are taking Snow Geese and Dark Geese with the same effectiveness as those hunters with big 12’s.

Using modern shotgun shells with heavier than lead projectiles a 20 gauge can hit like the lightning of Apollo. No goose would know it wasn’t a 12 gauge. And with that market growing so are the offerings in ammunition, this makes a 20 almost as versatile as a 12. Almost.

Steel Shot for Geese

That almost comes in when the volume of the game has to be taken into account. Both Snow Geese and Dark Geese normally have high-volume shooting for high-count limits. 20 gauge steel shot just doesn’t hold its own next to its bigger brother. If you have to shoot 20 gauge steel shot for Snow Geese and Dark Geese, look at a 3” 20 gauge steel shot, in #2 -BB sizes.

You will most likely be shooting at Geese over a food source, or small open waters, a decoying situation. For that reason, if you’re shooting 20 gauge steel shot, go with a slower heavier load after a faster lighter load. Better to have more pellets than the speed when their landing gears are down and they are cupped up.

If possible in the 12 gauge vs 20 gauge debate for killing big winter geese at high volume shooting it would be better to shoot a light recoiling 2.75” load from a 12 gauge with more steel shot than the 20 gauge steel shot in a 3’ hull.

The reason now the real reason to shoot steel shot in 12 gauge. The volume of shooting. It will be more economical when chasing double-digit limits you will do a lot of shooting. Between locked-up birds and high-volume shooting, the less expensive steel shot can be a great choice when chasing Snow Geese and their darker cousins.

Layout and Multiple Man Blinds

Alps Outdoorz Alpha Waterfowl Blind and Alps Outdoorz Legend Layout Blind are the perfect ways to get in tight to geese feeding or on a backwater creek when the season is getting late and the wind is getting cold.

Using a layout blind brushed in with grasses, vegetation, muddied, or with a snow cover can be one of the absolute best ways to kill geese in fields, or even on shore near open water. Getting low to the ground will keep you warmer and hidden. The Legend Layout Blind is a great blind for a comfortable hunt in the winter months putting you on the X for those late-season geese.

For a few hunters sitting on a water edge, or even a secluded field the Alpha Waterfowl Blind is where it's at. Housing multiple people in one well-hidden blind can be much easier than multiple layout blinds spread through decoys. These blinds work amazingly on water edge situations, where the surrounding cover might be too high for shooting from a layout blind.

Bottom line you need a blind to get within shooting range of these late-season birds. A layout blind is a great way to get in just about all of the game without missing too many hunting situations when it comes to taking late-season birds. The multi-person blind really is a hit in the right situations and excels when there is adequate cover to brush it in a hedgerow or waterside brush.

Hunting Techniques

Effective goose hunting requires a strategic approach to scouting, calling, and decoy placement. Understanding and implementing these techniques enhances the likelihood of a successful hunt.

Scouting for Geese

Scouting is essential for locating geese and involves watching their patterns. A hunter should monitor fields during dawn and dusk to observe where geese feed and rest. Obtaining permission from landowners is critical if private land is the chosen hunting location. This is exactly where Infinite Outdoors comes in. You will have unpressured access to some of the best waterfowl hunting in the country.

Calling Strategies

A hunter's calling skills can attract geese and encourage them to land within shooting range. It is vital to use a variety of calls, such as greeting calls, hails, or clucks, that mimic the geese's natural communication. One should be observant of the geese's behavior and adjust the calling intensity accordingly.

Effective Calls:

• Greeting Call: A moderate series of notes signaling safety
• Hail Call: Loud, long calls to capture attention at a distance
• Cluck: Short, quick notes to coax geese closer

Check out some of our partners for the next goose call in your arsenal

Decoy Placement

Decoys play a crucial role in luring geese within range. They should be spread out to mimic natural behavior and provide ample landing space. Sometimes, fewer decoys in a strategic layout can be more effective than large spreads, depending on the hunting area and goose behavior.

I love hunting in a layout in the middle of the spread. Moreover, if you can mix shells, full-body decoys, and silhouettes together, it can give the spread a natural movement as the birds circle. Those 2d silhouettes can impart action by appearing and disappearing in a bird's vision as they move around and spread through the air.

When hunting open water, set some decoys on the ice surrounding it, some in the water, and maybe a few full bodies where the ice meets the shore. Sit as close as reasonable cover allows, but keep in mind that you need the wind in the bird's faces to get them to land. Adjust placement accordingly.

Decoy Tips:

• Space Decoys: Allow for realistic landing areas
• Vary Positions: Mix feeders, standers, and resters for a natural look
• Adjust to Conditions: Change spread size and pattern based on weather and location

Late Season Mentality

Just like all waterfowl hunting late season can be an exercise in discomfort. How good are you at being uncomfortable but on point? Late-season goose hunting can test every bit of that. It will be cold. You will likely be wet. To get the birds you have to put in the work, early mornings, lots of scouting, cold, snow, wind, long setups, and long hikes with heavy clothes, decoys, and blinds. It’s a grind.

From there, the limits tend to be a bit smaller than earlier in the year, but man, the winter birds are just fun in type two fun way. And they may be the only chance you get at hunting that species for the entire year. Late-season waterfowl is the stuff that makes me look in the mirror and take stock of the hunter I am, the type of hunter I want to be, and the type of person I am in general. None of which allows for the easy road.

If you’ve made it this far, I’d imagine you’re of the same ilk. If that’s the case, then you’ve come to the right place. We here at Infinite Outdoors are made for hunters and people like you. Hard chargers, do-it-yourself sorts. We are happy to have you.

Final Shot

Whether we are Snow Goose Hunting or Hunting Canada Geese, there are some universals. Bring a lot of shells and a great gun. Decoy movement matters but being in the right spot matters more. Scouting is essential, but seeing birds in a spot you cannot intercept them doesnt help at all.

But gear won’t get you to the finish line; a winning attitude and a bit of access need to line up, too. Bring along some luck, and you might be in the right time and space to bring home some of the biggest, most challenging, and most rewarding geese of the season.

Shoot straight, be safe and good luck.