The best part of goose hunting is when geese start to come in. The calls change, you can hear the wingbeats, and your heart starts to race. Once the wings are cupped, its time to get ready.

Wait for the geese to come in all the way. Allow a few to touch down before raising up to shoot. You spent hours placing decoys, adjusting the spread, blowing your brains out calling, flagging, and waiting. The final yards are the best! Be patient.

Too many hunters shoot too soon. You may get a cripple or two but if you wait, you can target a limit. Close shooting is way more sporting than long range. Hail Mary pass shooting.

You don’t need 3-inch super mags if you shoot close. Full chokes are not needed for close in targets. Once you take a bird or two in the air, you can target the ones that are lifting off.

Years ago, I was hunting with an over and under. We were in a pit blind. A flight of 100 birds were landing on top of us. When we flipped the lids, I took two quick shots within 20 yards. Both birds fell. I quickly reloaded and shot a second pair. During this hunt, the limit was 6 birds per hunter, so I now went for a final reload. Two birds were still standing in my decoys within 10 feet. In my mind I thought, “Here we go. I gotcha now!” My over confidence made me miss the next two close-in shots.

I have never had this kind of opportunity since, but it does make a great story.

It’s called hunting!

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, call him in at www.montanagrantfishing.com.