Third Time's a Charm

By Ryan Cook
Zink Calls Pro-Staff
16 December 2009

With temperatures dropping into the low teens and the forecast calling for single digit lows, we all knew what we had to do. If we were going to have any chance at birds tomorrow, we were going to have to get to the river, the only open water around. I had been scouting every morning on my prep period at school and had 2 pretty good groups of ducks located and couldn't wait to hunt them Saturday morning! The ducks weren't going anywhere and it was going to be a fantastic shoot, so it was surprising when my hunting buddies called me Friday night and told me they would rather hunt a group of geese that had really been putting it on us over the past couple weeks.

"I can't believe you guys want to leave these ducks and hunt those geese, they haven't shown the last two times we have hunted them and they never do the same thing two days in a row." Over the last two weeks, we had been hunting a pretty good group of geese that had been using the river but they were always one step ahead of us. I'll admit it, I was over them. After running almost an hour up river and setting up on them for the second day, and again not have them show was it for me. I was frustrated with those geese and was ready for some new birds that wanted to play fair. On the other hand, Donnie Cole and Justin Dixson were two of my best friends and their enthusiasm to goose hunt had changed my attitude. Both of these guys are first rate goose hunters and I agreed with them, the ducks would wait, these geese had one coming from us. It seriously had become personal!

As we pulled into the ramp at 4:00 a.m. Saturday, the temperature on the truck rearview read 9 above, the hour long boat run was going to be brutal. After getting the boat loaded with all the gear, we started for the sand bar that we all thought the geese would use after they left the warm water cooling ponds they were roosted on. The boat ride was just as cold as we thought it would be and after arriving at the sandbar on the river bend, I couldn't wait to start setting the decoys and get some blood flowing again! As we were working on the spread, I thought about the geese and how unpredictable they had been and was really glad the guys had talked me into hunting them. These birds had been hunted hard by a lot different groups all season and we were going to have to do everything right to make this happen when, and if the birds showed up.

Legal light came and went, nothing moved and we were all starting to question the decision. On the other hand, nobody had lost confidence. Sure, we definitely could have shot ducks that morning but when it really came down to it, we were all goose hunters. We had made a big commitment to these geese and this area and we all agreed we were doing the right thing to kill these birds. It was going to take time and patience but sooner or later, it was going to happen. We had the right game plan and were going to out wait them. I had just screwed the lid back on the coffee thermos when it came, it sounded very faint but definitely what were wanting to hear, GEESE!! Everyone sunk a little lower in the brush and got ready for what we knew was going to be a one shot deal, make a mistake with these birds and the hunt would be over. At 300 yards we saw them, a thin black line stretching out across the eastern sky coming our way. When the birds crossed the tree line on the river, they were about 100 yards out and dropping fast, in just a few short seconds the birds had dropped to 15 feet above water and were closing hard. Hearing 100 plus geese closing hard on the pocket is why we had made this trip and left the ducks for later, it is an unbelievable feeling to close them like this and we were only yards from getting even! We were all taking it very easy on these geese, not wanting to push them with loud calling, we stuck with soft moans and short clucks on the SRI's and the geese sucked right into the pocket. It was over in about 3 seconds, 6 shots rang out from the Super Black Eagle II's and six birds fell from the group. The ensuing chaos of the group bailing out of the spread was fun to watch. Geese went in every direction and the loud panicked calls were piercing to hear. One minute later peace was again restored on the sandbar as we picked up the birds. Justin had knocked down a neck collar goose and Donnie had a leg band, a deserving end for two friends that had convinced me to change plans and hunt these birds. Goose hunting is not something you are going to be very successful with if you don't commit to it 100%. I am very lucky to have friends that have the same kind of passion and commitment to goose hunting as I do. That morning was proof that sometimes, the third time can be the charm!