Reading up on the NJ site, September 1 - 30 is open season on Canadian Geese...  Never been bird huntin' before, wanna give it a go but no idea where.  Got a license and a gun.  Anybody goin' out in the south want company or have any advice?  Gonna pick up a set of decoys, a call and a flag in the coming weeks.

to go goose or duck hunting you also need a state and federal duck stamp. you get federal from the postoffice and the state from the sporting good store . oh almost forgot yes we have to pay extra for them. also need to use steel shot 4shot or larger . I am in Middlesex co if I were closer to you this would be fun . Bob

to go goose or duck hunting you also need a state and federal duck stamp. you get federal from the postoffice and the state from the sporting good store . oh almost forgot yes we have to pay extra for them. also need to use steel shot 4shot or larger . I am in Middlesex co if I were closer to you this would be fun . Bob

Good to know...  Still haven't actually gotten the license yet.  Did the safety course last year but money wasnt there to buy any gear so I never got the license.  Still have the card from the safety course I just gotta go get it.  What's the total cost for the license + stamp, if ya know?  I actually have 1/2 a case of #4 steel already that was given to me last year by a friend.  Not 100% sure what he used them for but he said he just didn't need em anymore and I'm not one to turn down free ammo...  

 

And hey man...  I'd be willing to take a day trip to the hilly north if you're lookin for some company for goose.  Hell I'll share my ammo and buy beers in exchange for some periodic pro advice throughout the day.    Besides you're less than an hour away...

hunting license $27.50    nj waterfoul stamp $5.00  hip number $2.00  federal duck stamp $25.00. getting out in the blind priceless

The #4 steel may not be ideal for goose. I've had it bounce off them. Smallest i use for goose is #2. Regardless.. good luck. Have fun and be safe.

The #4 steel may not be ideal for goose. I've had it bounce off them. Smallest i use for goose is #2. Regardless.. good luck. Have fun and be safe.

 

I see you're in my area.  Any chance you could recommend a good spot/area?   

I haven't hunted waterfowl in 10+ years. So, sorry I can't really point you in any particular area. What little waterfowl I did do was usually in the bogs out in Wharton. When I did duck hunt I used #4 for duck and #2 or bb for goose. Not a fan of goose meat so I don't shoot them too often. Good luck in your quest

 

Nick

The smallest shot I would use is #2, and I think that is a bit marginal.  I have had a lot more success using BB and switch to BBB in really windy conditions

The smallest shot I would use is #2, and I think that is a bit marginal.  I have had a lot more success using BB and switch to BBB in really windy conditions

 

Yeah I thought it'd be too good to be true to use that ammo...  I'll grab myself a few boxes of BB.  So what would the #4 steel be good for?  Anything? 

 

So I'm pondering going to the Millville WMA.  Never been there but from what I can gather from the website and this NJ hunting app I have it's the closest WMA to me that I can hunt geese on.  I may be a little silly here...  But I'm debating on making it a camping weekend.  I have a buddy that wants to go but doesn't have a hunting license but is down for camping.  Thinking pitch a tent, bring a cooler with some dry ice so I can breast and preserve whatever I can bag during the day and do some campfire chillin' at night. Is it "legal" for me to breast the geese on the WMA and bury the bodies?  Is it...  I guess "acceptable" to set up a camp on the WMA?  I mean common sense tells me it's preserved land for that very purpose but friggin' A knowing New Jersey there's some stupid regulations/laws that somehow ban camping... 

 

The regulations say "WMA's are closed from 9pm to 5am unless engaged in lawful hunting, fishing or trapping activities..." so, I mean, if I just post up near a body of water and cast a line I'm technically "engaged in a lawful fishing activity", right?  lol

Are they truly edible?  I've read lots of varying opinions.  I hate these creatures so much I think I'd take entirely too much pleasure in hunting them.

#4 steel you could use for ducks. That opens in October. If your going for geese definitely use B or BB. Also for September goose you can take the plug out of your gun. Just don't forget to put it back in before you use the gun for any other season. On geese I personally use BB 3-1/2" blackcloud. I recommend bringing about 2-3 boxes of shells.

 

BTW those shells probably cost more than the license, hip number, and both stamps combined lol. But it'd definitely worth it. You're going to have a hard time getting a spot location from fellow hunters. Good waterfowl spots are like gold, and guys are very secretive of their locations.

Are they truly edible? I've read lots of varying opinions. I hate these creatures so much I think I'd take entirely too much pleasure in hunting them.

You need to add a lot of stuff to make them edible. I usually just cut them up and make them into jerkey in the smoker, after marinating the meat for a day or 2 first. That's personally the only way I like them.

Yeah I thought it'd be too good to be true to use that ammo...  I'll grab myself a few boxes of BB.  So what would the #4 steel be good for?  Anything? 

 

So I'm pondering going to the Millville WMA.  Never been there but from what I can gather from the website and this NJ hunting app I have it's the closest WMA to me that I can hunt geese on.  I may be a little silly here...  But I'm debating on making it a camping weekend.  I have a buddy that wants to go but doesn't have a hunting license but is down for camping.  Thinking pitch a tent, bring a cooler with some dry ice so I can breast and preserve whatever I can bag during the day and do some campfire chillin' at night. Is it "legal" for me to breast the geese on the WMA and bury the bodies?  Is it...  I guess "acceptable" to set up a camp on the WMA?  I mean common sense tells me it's preserved land for that very purpose but friggin' A knowing New Jersey there's some stupid regulations/laws that somehow ban camping... 

 

The regulations say "WMA's are closed from 9pm to 5am unless engaged in lawful hunting, fishing or trapping activities..." so, I mean, if I just post up near a body of water and cast a line I'm technically "engaged in a lawful fishing activity", right?  lol

#4 steel is marginal for big ducks.  I usually use #2 for duck. 

4 is okay for early season duck/teal. For jump shooting blacks in the bogs i use 2or 3.

Are they truly edible?  I've read lots of varying opinions.  I hate these creatures so much I think I'd take entirely too much pleasure in hunting them.

its a cull event, have at it.  

 

 

 

 

 

i

So... I just went on Amazon and priced out decoys...  Holy hell they're expensive.  I did pick up this swanky goose call and have been *seriously* anoying the shit out of my girlfriend with it.  Hey, gotta practice right? lol but, anyway...

 

How important are the decoys?  I mean if I get in the right spot where they're flying over and I'm on point with the calls and the flag will I still have a shot at some?

its a cull event, have at it.  

 

 

 

 

 

i

Just a reminder that NJ now has a wanton waste law.

Anyone have a link to this? Can you hunt them in any WMA? Anyone else have better experience eating goose? 

They are called 'fowl' for a reason

Anyone have a link to this? Can you hunt them in any WMA? Anyone else have better experience eating goose? 

 

Buddy told me you can use goose anywhere you'd use beef...  Crockpot roast, jerky and teriyaki sticks some things I've got lined up if my rather ambitious plans work out...

Buddy told me you can use goose anywhere you'd use beef...  Crockpot roast, jerky and teriyaki sticks some things I've got lined up if my rather ambitious plans work out...

I agree with this statement.  I hunt and eat goose quite a bit (Canada and snows).  Treat it as a type of red meat and do not overcook unless doing slow cooker/jerky.  There is a lot of meat on a Canada goose.  I hunt a lot and will not shoot anything that I won't eat.

Anyone have a link to this? Can you hunt them in any WMA? Anyone else have better experience eating goose?

You can hunt them on WMA's or state/private/Township land open to firearm hunting. You can also hunt them from water.

So... I just went on Amazon and priced out decoys... Holy hell they're expensive. I did pick up this swanky goose call and have been *seriously* anoying the shit out of my girlfriend with it. Hey, gotta practice right? lol but, anyway...

 

How important are the decoys? I mean if I get in the right spot where they're flying over and I'm on point with the calls and the flag will I still have a shot at some?

I use decoys on land and water for better success. They're social animals, decoys definitely help. Learning how to set them up properly is also important. Some are Sentries and some are, sleepers, resters, or grazers. You want to try to mimic their patterns in the wild, so your set doesn't look "fishy" to them.

 

 

I order all my decoys, calls, and waterfowl stuff from this place. They have everything for waterfowl hunting. Their prices are reasonable too. And they have sales all the time, they send me fliers in the mail every month with all the sale items. You don't have to get crazy expensive decoys to start out. The $350 hand painted Avery stuff is what you buy if you're a diehard, and hunting waterfowl every day of the season.

 

https://www.rogerssportinggoods.com/decoys.html

When hunting fowl, Decoys are 90% of the work. Your calls are literally just to entice them to come in if they don't want to or cant see the decoys.

 

Geese are easy, if they like your spread they will come in. Your going to be hunting local geese in September, so where ever you plan on hunting them, you should find them there scouting prior. Set up shop where you know they will be getting some morning food, they move before the sun is already up and we usually have them in the spread before shooting time. 

 

I haven't had a good goose hunt in a while, we lost our farm 2 years ago and the passiac river boat launches are all officially blocked off. That river is LIT with waterfowl. The only access to it is way too far a ride in the morning to get a legally hunt-able spot.

 

If you cant find a farm to hunt on (cut corn or winter grass), your only real option is to find a water spot.

 

Decoys are NOT cheap, at least the good ones. Hunting snow Geese gets REEEAAALLLYYYY expensive when you have a spread of 800+ decoys.