Okay, so me and my buddies are Going to be hunting in the Midwest this coming week, we are set up to hunt water more than fields and we prefer it over a field anyways.

Patterning the birds up there confuses the hell outta me, I'm used to getting to the hole before daylight and setting up to wait on the birds, last year up there we would find the birds on a pond and setup at daylight. Some days they would come in after daylight like we are used too but others we would scare them off the roost and fuxx up the hunt.

I guess my question is how to hunt a roost/rest pond? Watch and wait for them to leave in the mornings then set up and wait on them to come back? What time do they generally come back? All at once or trickling back in?

I just got back from ND and they DO NOT hunt over water for the reason u stated.

I've had more luck hunting geese in the morning in fields. With that said, we have had success water hunting geese when there were fields nearby and hunting pressure in those fields. We get on the water and get ready for the birds to leave the roost and go out to feed and get pounded on by field hunters. When they come back to the water for safety, we are waiting for them.

My family has ag land in the Chesapeake Bay area that we goose hunt every year- we don't hunt the roost ponds until the end of the season, and then only if we can't get the birds on the fields. If you shoot a roost, you'll mess up the whole area. Try to stick to feeding spots- you'll be much more consistent and can often hunt the same spot multiple days if you're able to limit and get out early enough to let birds get back in and feed.

And everybody says hunting and fishing is so relaxing. It's shit like this that stresses me out. Having to make decisions that will make or break a trip. I bet you can get away with it, only if you get the f out of there as soon as you get your birds. I would set out maximum 6 decoys for a fast escape. I hunt big water some and the geese definitely will spook as soon as they hear a double cluck in a non feeding body of water. Just looooooooong honks. Good luck.

Lots of times they'll loaf in a different pond after they feed. We regularly scout in the mornings to see where they leave from and feed. If you want to hunt water set up where they left from for your evening hunt.

Yeah, if you do that you can find the loaf or possibly a pond or creek where they water after feeding in a field.

I hunt geese over water almost everytime I hunt ducks. I do it in North Dakota every year too (with North Dakotans).

We get huge groups of geese and they genaerally all leave the roosts within 15 minutes of each other if they are not spooked off. Then we set up as soon as they leave and they come back in groups that range from 3-50. If you do it right a limit can be taken before the bulk of the group returns.

We do our homework to find them and hunt ducks at daybreak until the geese leave within a half mile or so. As soon as they do we pick up the duck decoys quick and haul ass to their spot.

They will continue to use that same roost for a month or better if the weather cooperates. If the weather gets bad, they leave and more come to take their place.

Geese in fields is harder than getting them the water when I use this technique. I usually use 12-18 canada goose floaters and two snow floaters as the spread. Depending on where we set up, I might throw in 4 full bodies to line the bank.

I've never bought into not hunting the roost ideology. Its legal, its productive, and it gets results. Plus I don't think it damages the patterns like it would for ducks.

In ks my experience has been that the birds (geese especially) will leave their roost at unpredictable times. Which I think is woodies question. I agree with what you are saying, sometimes it's just tough to coordinate.

KJH, y'all hunt ducks in the field at first light then run to a pond when the geese leave?

It's gunna be so cold I've got a good mind to leave after daylight and set up like 8ish

Shooting geese over water doesn't always mean you're shooting the roost.

It's supposed to be 32-7 on Saturday! And never get above 40ish all week!

That's sweatshirt weather for us northern folk, maybe light jacket in the morning. Should be good with the smaller water locking up. Find the open water and you will be golden.

You think ponds will be freezing even with a steady strong wind?

The wind will suck the heat right out of the water cooling it down faster. If it gets calm at night it will lock up in a hurry. We had Pool 9 on the mississippi lock up overnight one time. We were greeted with 1" of ice on the main channel.

This was a chilly close, it never got warmer than 10 that day.

I just broke close to 2" of ice last Wed on Pool 5. Ended up being an awesome hunt with a goldeneye I'm getting mounted.

The water thawed the next day, but the surface water temps are so close to freezing, any little drop below freezing and you'll be breaking ice.

Cold

not being mean , but wish it would be a normal year and y'all freeze up solid so that as your season ends the mallards actually migrate father south this year lol

You are getting your wish right now. Week or two left in the season on getting cold fast. Wind is blowin hard outta the north and temps are droppin.

I couldn't launch the boat this weekend because the whole pond was frozen. Ended up deer hunting. This was the last weekend of the WI northern zone too. Season is ending soon for the whole state. Sucks.

I'm done hunting fowl here. It's a trip out west for coyotes this weekend, then off to Kansas for a few weeks!!!! I'm ready for water here to freeze hard and get buried in snow.

Once the snow will stay for good you can have all the ducks, I've switched gears already. Lol.

We don't kill any cats around here, coyotes are bringing about what they always have up here I think. I know muskrat is sky high right now though.

Idk what you guys are talking about i thought prices were rock bottom....

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