Where to go for geese??

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2011/09/03 23:52:43 (permalink)

Where to go for geese??

I was eager to get out this year as usual, but today was just too stinkin hot in m opinion. The pup and I drove around for an hour and ended up at Seigel. We didn't stay long. I really hate that the commission drained that marsh. Hunting has declined so much there it is ridiculous. (minus wood ducks)....So I am trying to find a place I can go that I can take a "green" pup and find some geese (possibly strike doves in the same area). Any suggestions? I have been hunting Seigel for approx. 10yrs and unfortunately I think the time has come to move on. Just a matter of finding somewhere away from traffic and close to Erie (gas is too high). Any tips are appreciated.

Best fishes to you and yours!!
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    pghmarty
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/04 02:19:53 (permalink)
    At least 3 squadrons of them bombed sandcastle today.



    #2
    The Outdoors addict
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/04 02:34:33 (permalink)
    You mean near Pitt? I need to stay close to Erie due to gas prices. 

    Best fishes to you and yours!!
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    pghmarty
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/04 03:05:49 (permalink)
    The waterpark in Pittsburgh.



    #4
    woodnickle
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/04 07:26:21 (permalink)
    Can,t help ya in Erie but around Pymy are quite a few. Look at the regs. so as to not get in trouble.
    Around Wilhelm too. A litlle driving will show you where they are flying. Good luck.

    #5
    Hummer82
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/04 13:49:25 (permalink)
    Those days are over for Erie County and there are many hunters that are in the same boat.  The resident limit of 8 or 3 is working.  Your going to have to drive out to find them.  It a shame that the Dam at Seigal was never fixed.  I find it as a loss of habitat for waterfowl and fishing.  The PGC, NWPDA, and local DU should be ashamed of themselves for allowing that to happen this long!
    post edited by Hummer82 - 2011/09/04 13:50:23
    #6
    Wally Cat
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/05 19:46:42 (permalink)
    Found a bunch on a local lake(New Stanton area)opening morning and waited for them to come off the water. Put three in the dirt with the first three shots then wasted three more shells just punching holes in the sky. May go back out in the morning.

    Enjoy Life, Be Happy, Go Fish - Often!

    "God has blessed America - may He continue to do so, even though we are not worthy of it".
    Author..... Wally Cat
    #7
    Eman89so
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/05 20:37:40 (permalink)
    Wally, I'm from north huntingdon not too far from greensburg. I got my first goose hunt on saturday at indian lake im pretty excited
    #8
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/06 00:18:18 (permalink)

    ORIGINAL: Hummer82

    Those days are over for Erie County and there are many hunters that are in the same boat.  The resident limit of 8 or 3 is working. 



    Spot on there Hummer82. I got into waterfowl hunting 6 years ago. At that time, within a 10 mile drive of my house in southern Butler County, I could hunt 3 different flocks of resident geese that numbered in the hundreds by late summer/start of the early season.

    Last year and this year, numbers are way down and my local birds are not patterning well yet. Unless you're hunting park goose traffic, you've got to work harder in the early season and put some miles on scouting.

    The resident goose season is achieving, for the most part, exactly what it was intended to do in reducing the resident populations in many places.

    Outdoors Addict, one thing you have going for you as a goose hunter is that many landowners are very happy to have hunters shoot geese and keep them off their property. Although up your way, I imagine the competition is a little stiffer and you're probably competing with hunters that have leases and exclusive access to hot spots.

    On the other hand, duck numbers are looking excellent in my area for the 1 week October season and the Federal duck count this summer shows excellent numbers well above annual population estimates in almost all areas of the country.
    #9
    The Outdoors addict
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/08 18:27:10 (permalink)
    Well I am glad to hear some are having a lil luck. I have been itching since this cold snap came on to get out! Birds are starting to fly now at least over my house in the city.haha As far as the replies about Seigel...They had that all planned out. The reasoning for not fixing the dam (according to one of the head commissioners that told me) was so that they could in fact do away with the geese and create a more adaptable area mainly for ducks and...beaver. Yes, I'll say it again...Beaver. While the ducks (especially wood ducks) flourish in there, I would not say there has been an increase justifying the loss. Prior to them ruining the area, there were mallards, teal, pretty much every species as well as good geese populations, fishing, an many other wildlife species that have since lessened as I am sure you know. YES they should be ashamed. However, only a voice big enough to include thousands upon thousands of angered hunters who are willing to say something will ever change what THEY have decided was good enough. Goes right up there with extended doe season and our rabbit limits for an animal that their coyotes took away I guess. How much more of the "good old days are going to disappear in the next 10 years? I don't want to know. But I do know they could answer their own question when asking "Why there are less youth interested in hunting these days?"There has to be something to hunt to fit the logic of hunting. Sorry for the rampant...Guess I got a lil lost in thought while typing. But this is (as I am sure for most of you) a sensitive subject.

    Best fishes to you and yours!!
    #10
    Hummer82
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/08 21:44:40 (permalink)
    Their reasoning for not fixing the dam doesn't sound like good waterfowl management practices.  More water= more habitate= more birds & beaver.  Prior to them lowering the dam the resident goose limit was much less. I am sure the genecide limit of 8 will keep them in check if thats what they are worried about.  Amazing rationall they have!!  I could say more, but I shouldn't. LOL
    #11
    The Outdoors addict
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/08 22:59:53 (permalink)
    Wow I had a long passage typed out and my net crashed. Not cool, but I digress. Shorter now but here we go. I will say simply that the cause is ultimately poor spending. Instead of the hunter making the decision, we pay for our passion and some pencil pushing moron gets to write the law. Usually it's somebody who has never even stepped foot into the woods. Maybe instead of spending money on oversized hunting books that are filled with more ads than anything, they should place polls and questonnaires asking the HUNTERS vote on new laws before they put the screws to us. Only the HUNTER knows the TRUE conditions of his home woods. Only the HUNTER knows where the game is depleting, woods are in need of help, land being overrun etc. NOT these anti-conservationist money grubbing seat fillers! 1 example is the generalizing of the counties when deciding to slaughter the deer herd. Erie (for example) had just started regaining its herd after years and all because the big Metropolitan areas had too many deer (more like too many people), our herd got slaughtered. The same happened all over and yet justification appeases the insurance companies and hunters get extra kills, so in the end everybody shut up. Meanwhile the future of hunting is in dire jeopardy of turning out like it was a century or more ago when we actually had to immigrate a whole new herd into Pa after doing the same thing they are doing now. Fools gold isn't just a rock, it is a way of life to some. But the way I look at it, we pay for the license, maybe..just maybe we should have some say in whether or not the money is really being spent to CONSERVE our lands. -Deep breathe-....whew...ok I think I'm done.

    Best fishes to you and yours!!
    #12
    crappiefisher
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/09 07:56:58 (permalink)
      I did receive a questionnaire/survey on waterfowl in the mail last month. 1st they sent a reminder notice to make sure u sent it out. I called 'em & told them I never received it. They said they made the mistake ov sending the notices out before the questioner & it should be in the mail in a week. Got it in the mail & a page or 2 was missing from it. A week   
    later I receive the survey with a notice stating the mistake was made about the pages missing & to redo the survey. A week later they sent out the reminder notice again

     It did ask our opinions on some new ideas though.

    crappy
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    The Outdoors addict
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/09 08:09:40 (permalink)
    Ya, that is lovely.  I just think it is pretty logical to think that if the person(s) we never even picked to control things is NOT running the show correct, or even if they were we should have a voice. You wouldn't let somebody from a different county come and tell you what is your backyard, but essentially that is what we are all forced to do. It is just foolish to generalize and cut corners in places they have absolutely no right doing it. Our money, our land, our season, their decision? Now that is just idiotic. Take the ads out and use the paper for hunter's voice I say.

    Best fishes to you and yours!!
    #14
    crappiefisher
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/09 08:18:18 (permalink)
      rsquared,

     A bunch ov the goose nest were flooded out right before the hatch 'round these parts this yr & to late to re-nest. Most pairs I saw this spring had zero or only one or 2 young ones with 'em.

    crappy
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/09 11:49:35 (permalink)
    I saw the opposite where I am crappie. Couple of farm ponds I fish had great nesting success this year for geese. More than usual - almost 2x as many as usual. Although, that's a very, very limited snap shot of the big picture in Western PA. And those are hard banks, where water levels don't fluctuate too much and flood nests. But what you're saying makes sense. Was a very, very wet spring around here.

    Geese around my parts are definitely fewer and more scattered. On different patterns almost every day it seems.
    #16
    Eman89so
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/09 23:29:35 (permalink)
    Got my hunt tomorrow morning, i will post back and hopefully get some pics if we get anything ! First time geese hunting for me so im pretty excited
    #17
    thunderpole
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/10 00:29:49 (permalink)
    at them myself in the am hopefully we grind em
    #18
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/15 21:33:09 (permalink)
    Well how did you guys end up? I went on Saturday and got my 1st AND 2nd birds ever!!  I ended up hitting the backside ponds of Siegel and although there were only maybe 30 birds from 9am-8pm, I am happy to finally get em! my dog forgot how to swim...so i ended up having to get out the fishing rod and retrieve the 1st.lol Good times! I will try to post a pic asap. Get em!!

    Best fishes to you and yours!!
    #19
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    RE: Where to go for geese?? 2011/09/15 22:49:58 (permalink)

    Best fishes to you and yours!!
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