# Early Goose Season



## bdawg

I'll be going out for early goose season for the 1st time ever this year. Got any advice for a new guy? What kind of areas do you usually set up in? On the water or in fields this time of year? If fields, then what type of field? I assume cornfields are out since the corn hasn't been cut yet. 

Through my scouting, I found a part of a lake where the birds raft up in numbers at night on open water. How far away from this spot should I set up in the morning? Is 200 yards far enough? I don't want to spook them before shooting time. Would you set up along the shoreline or in open water? I have 2 dozen field decoys that I got cheap off of craigslist, but no floaters. My buddy has 1 floater goose. Should we also set out some duck decoys to make it look safer for the geese? I'm going to try and set up my field decoys on stakes in really shallow water. Will this be effective?


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## Bprice1031

PM sent


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## ducknut141

don't go to sweet corn it's bait per the rules


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## bontron3

Drive your boat through all the roosted birds at 0 dark thirty.


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## M R DUCKS

ducknut141 
please explain the sweet corn rule.....


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## ducknut141

they drive over it to harvest it then bush hog it both make it bait


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## ldrjay

ducknut141 said:


> they drive over it to harvest it then bush hog it both make it bait


just have to wait a certain amount of days after that and your fine per the rule book.


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## M R DUCKS

ok, understand, thnx.
I was thinking IF the corn is "picked" ( assume by hand) then there is no issue and no bait.


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## buckeyebowman

Like ldrjay said, there's a certain period of time that has to elapse until that is the case. Not sure if that's a Federal rule, but that might be the case. Ohio allows you to bait for deer, but migratory waterfowl are a different story.


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## ldrjay

I think it's ten days or so. it's right in the rules. so that being said I like some public areas so just watch places like that and be mindful of when it was harvested or cut.


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## M R DUCKS

Yes, all "bait" has to be removed/gone for a 10 day period....


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## M R DUCKS

BUT, to play's devil's advocate....
....IF in the case of sweet corn, it is "normal agricultural practices" to leave some corn AND to mow it...
great subject to discuss and debate !.....not to be confused with de-bait !......get it!


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## Minnowhead

Normal ag practice = not baiting
Hunt the sweet corn


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## DLC

I called a few years ago about this same thing and argued that it is normal practice no dice according to the big guy. Doesn't make a lick of sense but it is what it is.


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## bdawg

What about the corn that's planted on public hunting land? I saw this weekend while dove hunting that it hadn't been harvested yet. Can I hunt that field as soon as it's harvested? I don't know much about how they harvest it.

Went to a lake for opening day. Only had 1 floater goose decoy and some duck decoys out that my buddy brought. Didn't get any to come in. Got shots at one flock that was passing by and another that was probably too high overhead. My buddy got one. Another group had a nice spread of 2 dozen floaters and all the geese that were returning to the lake after the morning feeding went to their spread. They shot 6 or 7. It was pretty slow on the whole lake. Wish I could have been there in the evening. Might have been better.


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## Weekender#1

The early season is about over but in the farming region you had better be in cut wheat fields. Hunting in standing corn would be a stupid waste of time. Hunting in sweet corn is illegal and the DNR keeps an eye on the sweet corn, but give it a try. You will have action on some things.


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## Mitch b

Indiana opener was today 25 birds w 2 bands


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## ducknut141

is that a normal hand picked sweet corn field?


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## Carpn

Looks like silage to me


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## Mitch b

ducknut141 said:


> is that a normal hand picked sweet corn field?


400 acres of silage


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## bdawg

I don't know sweet corn from other types of corn. I was just wondering about the corn that's planted on public hunting land. Can I hunt that field as soon as it's harvested?


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## ducknut141

Yes I would think that they would make sure it is hunt-able


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