Early goose?

[fabsroman]

Welp, I'm ashamed. We had at least 50 geese work the blind this evening. Only dropped 1. Really poor shooting.

On the plus side, teal are everywhere. Hopefully the morning puts limits of teal in the blind.

You are a better man than me. I never would have come on here and admitted to only having knocked down one.

Teal season is already here? Sheez.

 

[Marshmallow]

You are a better man than me. I never would have come on here and admitted to only having knocked down one.

Teal season is already here? Sheez.

It's just hunting. I had two new goose hunters with me so I was more focused on calling and getting the front screen pushed down for the shots. But yeah, teal is here, and if today goes like last night(which it wont) we should have a great morning.

 

[fabsroman]

It's just hunting. I had two new goose hunters with me so I was more focused on calling and getting the front screen pushed down for the shots. But yeah, teal is here, and if today goes like last night(which it wont) we should have a great morning.

You are also wiser than me. I realized that "it's just work and it's just money" at the age of 28. Did not realize it's just hunting until I turned 32. Hunting has always been one of my passions. Used to be very focused on limiting out until I reached 32 years of age. Maybe that is because I got my dog at 32 and started to worry more about training him than shooting a limit. Then came a wife and kids.

I used to be a lot more anal and high strung than I am now. Everything had to be perfect and money was extremely important. I know, probably hard to believe that I am no longer anal and high strung. lol

 

[Marshmallow]

You are also wiser than me. I realized that "it's just work and it's just money" at the age of 28. Did not realize it's just hunting until I turned 32. Hunting has always been one of my passions. Used to be very focused on limiting out until I reached 32 years of age. Maybe that is because I got my dog at 32 and started to worry more about training him than shooting a limit. Then came a wife and kids.

I used to be a lot more anal and high strung than I am now. Everything had to be perfect and money was extremely important. I know, probably hard to believe that I am no longer anal and high strung. lol

Dude I'm 24 and could care less about money, limits of birds, or work. I enjoy spending time with my family, friends and dog down at the blind and at home it's the same thing. Learned life's too short a few years back when I lost my best friend. Live!!

 

[Hyp81]

Just heard from our guide. Meeting at the early hour of 6 AM in Hagerstown. Hopefully the hunting gods smile upon us and geese and steel rain from the sky.

As an aside... what is the going rate for tipping guides??

 

[Marshmallow]

I was gonna tip like I hope to get tipped when I mate on my buddies charter boat. 20%.

 

[Hyp81]

I was gonna tip like I hope to get tipped when I mate on my buddies charter boat. 20%.

Okay. I just didn't know what the standard was.

 

[Marshmallow]

Okay. I just didn't know what the standard was.

Never looked in to it for hunting, but with fishing being a close cousin to hunting, I assume it's the same.

 

[Hyp81]

Okay.

For the record, going to talk to these guys about setting up some later season hunts, too. I'll post once I know more. I'd like to do a Saturday, and then one weekday hunt over my Christmas break (between Christmas and New Years).

 

[Hyp81]

Disappointing day. Not so much because we didn't shoot any birds, but because the guide service wasn't what I expected for $150 per gun. We were in layout blinds in a field, and the blinds to me were very uncomfortable. I do not think I will ever pay to sit in a layout blind again, personally. We saw quite a lot of birds between 7:30 and 8:30 AM but only one came close enough to shoot and he dropped down and landed while a larger group circled, and the guides hadn't cleared us to shoot. None of the birds seemed like they wanted to land. On the way home, Wes and I discussed the field itself and both of us independently noted that there was almost no goose poop in the field, and very little corn. It was the cleanest cut cornfield I've ever seen. Guide swore that geese were coming over the trees and landing in this field all week, but Wes and I saw no evidence of this. Guides also had very little personality, and while we laid in the field from 6-10, they sat behind us and chatted to each other, with little to no interaction with us.

I enjoyed meeting Josh AKA Marshmallow, and enjoyed the weather and the day off of work, but all told, a disappointing $150 spent, and not because we didn't down any birds, but because the guide's effort (to me) was poor.

I am going to try and get in touch with Captain Dale, whom I used last season, to see about setting up some later season hunts.

 

[Marshmallow]

A dove hunt there would have been a blast lol.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

That's disappointing to hear.

Better luck next time I guess.

On another note, I just found out a guy in one of my college classes does waterfowl guided hunts on the Eastern Shore. I'll have to get his info.

 

[Hyp81]

That's disappointing to hear.

Better luck next time I guess.

On another note, I just found out a guy in one of my college classes does waterfowl guided hunts on the Eastern Shore. I'll have to get his info.

Chris, it would be great if you could get his contact info and price per gun. I'll add him to my "potentials" list.

 

[Hyp81]

A dove hunt there would have been a blast lol.

Yes there were quite a lot of them flying around.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Chris, it would be great if you could get his contact info and price per gun. I'll add him to my "potentials" list.

I see him Tuesday, so I'll probably post on Wed.

 

[fabsroman]

Yes there were quite a lot of them flying around.

You guys should have asked the guides if you could hunt doves there at noon to make up for the goose hunt. Talked to a buddy of mine and they are actually having a tough time with doves this year. Don't know if it has to do with the weather (e.g., rain and colder weather than normal) or what, but they have 100+ acres of sunflower mixed with corn, they mow down a couple rows a week, and they struggle to kill doves.

Sucks about the goose hunt. I cannot find the post that you made about lack of sign in the field, but if geese have been using a field you will usually find feathers and poop galore.

Why didn't they let you guys shoot the single that landed when it got up to fly away? I would have done the same thing as them before that though. If a single drops in with a group circling, I would let that single sit. However, somebody would be in charge of watching it and blasting it as soon as it got up to go.

 

[Hyp81]

No idea. As I said... compared to the other guided hunts I have been on, I just wasn't impressed. $150 isn't chump change to me, so I go and expect to be impressed with good service/ effort at the least. I know the animals are never guaranteed... but scouting is kind of why we're paying a guide.

 

[fabsroman]

No idea. As I said... compared to the other guided hunts I have been on, I just wasn't impressed. $150 isn't chump change to me, so I go and expect to be impressed with good service/ effort at the least. I know the animals are never guaranteed... but scouting is kind of why we're paying a guide.

$150 isn't chump change to me either. It really sucks that you feel like you didn't get your money's worth.

Thing is, this is a business. Once the guides get all the huntable land locked up, you really have no option other than to pay a guide fee in order to go hunting. There is also a barrier to entry for the guiding business. A person has to have worked for a guide before he/she can become an outfitter.

Anyway, I hope your next guided hunt is a good one.

 

[Hyp81]

$150 isn't chump change to me either. It really sucks that you feel like you didn't get your money's worth.

Thing is, this is a business. Once the guides get all the huntable land locked up, you really have no option other than to pay a guide fee in order to go hunting. There is also a barrier to entry for the guiding business. A person has to have worked for a guide before he/she can become an outfitter.

Anyway, I hope your next guided hunt is a good one.

Yeah. I just look at it as a learning experience. I had a good experience with Captain Dale last season so I will try to set up some additional hunts with him this season. He was booked solid for the early season when I contacted in August (whenever I made this thread) and there is probably a reason for that.

I have no issue paying for guides at this time, because I don't have the money to lease land myself, or purchase the decoys I'd need to hunt it. I also don't have the space to store the decoys. It evens out.