Written by Follow these steps to start goose calling!
There is nothing like chasing the Canada goose. Step outside on a crisp winter evening and you’re likely to be welcomed with the cackling of the Canada goose. It comes with the time of year! Looking up to the sky and seeing flock after flock of migrating geese is a wonder to see. There is something special that cannot be matched: sitting in a blind with friends, freezing your butts off waiting for the faint sound of geese off in the distance.
A little about myself. I was born in southeastern Pennsylvania and went on my first goose hunt back in 2009. I was a young man home on Christmas leave from the Marine Corps. A friend and I limited out within the first hour. I was hooked, and from then on goose is what has been on my mind most of the day. Now I am 27 with a family, living in east Tennessee and the passion is still alive and well.
Now, by no means do I claim to be an expert or Scott Threinen, but I have a passion for goose that only those addicted to the chase can understand. One of my favorite parts of goose hunting is the ability to help new hunters catch the bug like I have. With that, here are three tips that have helped me find success in the field where I live in Tennessee.
Invest in your training!
First, this is brand new to the game in 2018. But invest in Scott Threinen’s Bad Grammar Academy. I considered myself a decent caller, until I invested in this program. It is the best $40 I have spent in my pursuit of geese. This has brought my calling game to a whole new level. Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned hunter this will up your calling to new levels. The BGA breaks it down step by step. From moans and honks to piecing together a nice little routine. I’m not saying you are going to turn into a champion overnight, but you will see an improvement in your calling game. There is a reason why Scott Threinen is a multiple time world goose calling champion: he speaks the language.
Don’t be afraid to get on the call.
Time and time again you hear people say they do not want to call because they are new, or others in the blind are better callers. How does one expect to better themselves without trying? You are never going to get better if you are too afraid to try and get on the call. What’s the worse thing that can happen? The birds flair. Who cares – there will be plenty more birds in the future, I promise. And if they do flair, switch it up. Maybe you tried something that didn’t work; change it for the next time. Communicating to birds is almost like communicating to people: everyone is going to respond differently. Maybe some will only respond to a couple moans, while another responds to you going full bore.
Trust your ears and imitate what you hear.
It’s been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Some of the greatest successes I’ve experienced is from mimicking what I hear. Sometimes you have the single flying around, doing single locating honks. Respond back with a single honk; he honks, you honk. Dance the dance with that goose. At other times you have that flock – loud, vocal and going crazy looking for a place to eat. Respond back, loud and vocal. You are just telling the birds, “Hey, I’ve got food over here. Stay away from ours.” You’re basically challenging them to come check it out. I’ve found that most of the time the closer the birds get, the more vocal they get. Just continue being vocal. Keep blowing that call as they come in; blow it until they are in your spread and you call the shot. Going back to the second point, what is the worse thing that could happen? They could flair, big whoop! I promise: there will be more birds.
Finally, stay humble and have fun.
It doesn’t matter who you are – geese will keep you humble. Even the best callers have days when the geese just won’t cooperate. That’s part of hunting. Stay humble and eventually you’ll add some geese to the bag. Just have fun with it.
As I type this, I reflect on hunts past and memories made. Regardless of the outcome of the hunt, fun was had. Every time you go out you should be learning something new to add to your toolbox.
There is something special about freezing your butt off with friends, sitting in a blind, waiting to hear the faint call of goose.
Last modified: July 19, 2022
Great article. I used to get nervous to call out in the field. Now I just need to get my fiance on the call.