Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    Hi,
      I agree that the honker population is on the rise.  We got 28
    last year, which was by far the most I have ever gotton in one year.
    Isn't the "bonus" season only good for the coastal zone. 
    Jeff

    JEFF,
    
         WOULD IT BE TO MUCH TO ASK WHERE YOU GOT SO MANY HONKERS?
    IF YOU DONT WANT TO REPLY HERE YOU CAN GIVE ME A CALL IF YOU
    LIKE MY DTN: 272-7379 ASK FOR MIKE MCNULTY
    
    
    
                                               THANKS IN ADVANCE
                                                    MIKE

    
    Check out the Bolton flats area after all the pheasant hunters and
    weekend warriors leave. 
    
    Erik

    JEFF,
    
         YOU WERE RIGHT THE BONUS GOOSE PERMIT IS ONLY FOR THE COASTAL
    ZONE, AND IT;S ONLY GOOD JAN 21, - TO  FEB 5. FROM WHAT I COULD
    GATHER THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF PERMITS THERE GIVING OUT.
    

    Erik makes a good point about checking out the WMA's.  Most of these
    areas are full of idiots on the weekends but are almost empty during
    the rest of the week.  As for other places to hit for geese, check
    out any ponds or lakes in your area.  Most of these will hold geese
    due to the numbers of them around.  Another option is to check out
    newly cut fields of corn.  The hardest part is getting permission
    to hunt them.  Be polite, and offer to trade the farmer something
    for his trouble.  We will offer to help them do work around the
    place.  I've never had one take me up on it, but it lets them know
    that your willing to help them out.  Above all be polite and respect
    there property.
    Jeff
     

    Hi, I was over to the Westboro Field house this week ans the scoop
    with the extended season is as follows,
    
    You must apply for a permit send a self addressed stamped envelope
    to: 
    Goose Permit
    Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
    Field Headquarters
    Westboro Ma
    01581
       
    There is no limit on the # of permits that will be issued.
    The exp Canada Goose season will run from
    
    Jan 21 - Feb 5  limit 5 Possesion 10
    Coastal Zone ONLY    (Nontoxic shot ONLY)
    The biologests (sp) are looking for volenteers to save goose parts
    for study.
    When you are issued you permit you will be given a diary to keep
    track of your daily bag, days hunted ect. you will not be issued
    a permit next year if you do not return your diary so fill them
    out and send them in.
                                          
    Best of luck in the comming season.
    
    Mike

    Have any of you actually received your permit???  I requested one
    several weeks ago and haven't heard back.  
    
    Thanks,
    Mark
    

    Hi Mark, I haven't recieved mine either. 
    Jeff

    Thanks Jeff, that's good to know.  I was beginning to wonder if
    I had done something stupid, like send it to the wrong address.
    I guess I will keep waiting, since we have plenty of time for that.
    
    Thanks,
    Mark

    I got my permit last week, so I guess they are mailing them out
    now.
    
    I struck out with the geese the first part of the season, and have
    been concentrating on ducks and pheasants the last 6 weeks or so.
    Now that is mostly over and I plan to work harder on the geese.
    
    How has everyone else been doing with the geese this year????
    
    Mark,
    

    reprint without permission:
    Jan 15, 1988 Gazzette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, Co.
    
     Honker conks man on head: Hunter L.F. Walp, 83, of Bruceton, Tenn.,
    landed in the hospital for two week after a plummeting 10-pound
    Canada gooes smacked him in the head.
    
     "That goose knocked me out, cold as a cucumber," said Walp, who
    is recuperating at home after the Dec. 21 accident.
    
     "When somebody said, 'Let's get'em,' I swung around and show at
    this particular bird," he said. "I don't know if anybody else shot
    at it or not, but I saw four geese start falling right after that.
    I turned to shoot at some that were going on over the pit. That's
    when I got clobered."

    There was an article in the Feb 21 Sunday Telegram on the goose
    population explosion in Mass.  It said "The state Division of Fisheries
    & Wildlife survey taken Jan 11 and 12 reulted in a tally of more
    than 18,000 geese on the Mass coast.  A subsequent survey on Jan
    28 resulted in a count of 19,000 geese.  The normal count for Jan
    11 and 12 is 10,000 geese."
    
    It didn't say anything about the results of the special season,
    but it did say that there would be another special season next year
    and the year after.
    
    Mark,
    

    I live on a lake in Mass, and the beaches were closed down several times 
during the summer because of the waterfowl "wastes" in the water.  Seems that 
the lake is getting more and more popular with both ducks and geese increasing 
at an alarming rate (boy did my beach get sh*t on this fall !).

Mike

    Hey Mike,
      If you want me to help you with your goose "problem" this fall,
    ju let me know.  8*)
    jeff
    

    I read about an interesting method of keeping Geese away from lakes.
    It appears that Swans and geese don't mix at all.  Swans will chase
    geese away.  But then who wants a bunch of swans hanging around,
    swans produce droppings also.
    
    I read where someone made a swan decoy out of styrofoam (sic?) tethered
    with a long rope to a lead anchor and let the wind blow it around
    the lake in a circle.  The movement of the decoy was enough to keep
    the geese away.   It sounded pretty good to me, and cheap enough
    to try.

    Not quite humor and not quite a story....  but linked to geese..
    
    
    I got home from Thursday evening work around 1:00am Friday only to
    notice the living room was astrew...  The only thing I could think
    of was that the kids gave the wife a run for her money (not all too
    uncommon 8-))...
    
    After getting the dissarray cleaned up, I sat down for a few minutes
    to unwind as I usually do.  Then I start hearing a grunt every couple
    of seconds... ????  Maybe one of the kids has a stuffed nose, so I go
    and check them out...  All seems ok, back to my seat...  And the
    grunting starts again.  This time I notice that the glass doors on the
    fireplace a moving a little.  I take a peek in...  notice something
    black towards the rear of the hearth...  Get the flashlight to get a 
    closer look...
    
    Damn....   There's a goose in there....  
    
    Now the fun to get it out without getting the 'ol fingers pecked off.
    Anyway, I put on my leather gloves, and pick up the little goose trying
    not to hurt it...  boy, is he/she mad...  OK, now I've got it, how do
    I open the door...  I grab hold of it's legs and this bird tries like
    hell to fly "NOW"...  as soon as it's head was out the door he/she was
    gone in a flash.  As I closed the front door I look back into the
    living room to see it full of the last of it's downy feathers..
    
    The next morning, the wife wants to know where the goose dinner is!!!
    
    Women, you got to love 'em  8-)  Too bad it was only 3-4 pounds, maybe
    it would have been in the roaster insead of it's roost..
    
    Now, who said you can't find geese close to home...    many 8-)'s 
    
    
    Greg
    

    Neat story.  When I was a kid I was helping my Dad put a new thimble
    in a chimney.  We had the whole cut and my father stuck a mirror in it 
    to make sure everything was clear.  He noticed something in the chimney
    and reached up and pulled out a very toasted wood duck.
    
    Jeff