The First Goose

by Erik Nilsson
Jordan Marsh, Zink Calls Pro-Staff
14 December 2009

In an early September goose hunt in Northern Wisconsin, I had found a goose field with around 100 geese feeding morning and night in a small grain field just north of my home town.

I was in the search for a field to take out a first year goose hunter who had never hunted geese before and had asked me to take him out for his first goose. I am all for bringing out youth and introducing them into the outdoors so I jumped on the opportunity and set up plans to pick him up the early morning.

When I picked him up in the morning he was fired up and ready to go. On the short truck ride to the field he was telling me how he had such a hard time falling asleep the night before and had a hard time staying asleep. I knew right then and there this young guy was not just in it to harvest a goose, he was just happy to be tagging along.

As I started unpacking the trailer full of decoys, I explained to him what we were doing for the set up and the reasons why. After getting the Greenhead Gear FFD's out and blinds stubbled, I introduced him to a goose call. As almost all people for the first time, he could not get a note out on the Zink LM-1 call. As the morning progressed the call became his "toy" for the morning and what sounded like a lot of air coming from the call turned into a honk. The honk had come from behind the trees and up in the sky.

As we jumped into the blind I explained to him he was getting the first shot to kill a goose and I would follow up to help him clean up the small arriving flock. The first flock consisted of only 5 birds but just after them was another small flock of around a dozen birds. The two flocks circled and joined together and locked on us and coming in perfectly. I called the shot for Brett and to my total amazement jumped out of the Finisher blind and completely folded the front goose. I helped add two geese to the pile but before I could even finish my third shot Brett had jumped up to tell me he killed one. "Jordan, I got one! I got my first goose!" Words that I will never forget coming out of Brett's mouth. He was so excited and ran out to grab his first goose. I could not stop smiling as I was very proud of him and I. Proud for him for getting his first goose but also happy and proud of myself for realizing how much we can impact these young guys and gals and introduce them into hunting. We ended the early season hunt with 8 honkers. It was a great day for both of us and great to see such happiness on his face when he was explaining to his parents how the geese worked into the spread and what went on in the mornings hunt.

Remember to introduce someone new into the outdoors, they will appreciate it for a lifetime.

Jordan Marsh
Marsh Outdoors