Field hunters for Geese need a lil advice

Dave Shady Larsen

Dave Shady Larsen

Well-known member
I have the opportunity this year to do some field hunting, being a BIG MAN not real up on shooting from a layout style blind on my back. I have found a bigman layout but still going from incline to situp to shoot not the best choice I would enjoy much.

Haybale Blinds like the OTTER 2 man. Looking at that as an option. I realize that you cant HIDE as well and may work better near a fence line or other cover in an open field. And you can hunt with your partner keep dog in the blind ect.

Reading Reviews online some say work well some say the SUCK. The otter does have grassing straps to blend in some natural cover with is a must.

If going to invest the 200-400 want to know what im picking is going to be comfortable so I want to go hunting.

any of you hunt from a Bale Style much???



Found this older style cover model on EBAY 200$ good buy at 349$ Regular
 
I've hunted out of a hay bale blind when I had a youth hunter with me.

The geese didn't seem to mind at all....they see rolls of hay everywhere.
 
As long as you stubble it up to match the field you should be fine. An even better scenario is if you can put it out and let the geese get used to it for a few days before hunting.
 
Dave,

I have zero experience with any "hay bale" blind but have some input which may be applicable. Several years back I purchased a Turkey blind after hunting from several of them. I choose one that was made from the heaviest cloth I could find at the time. Just the opposite of what one might be expected to do. The reason I went with a heavy cloth was to cut down or eliminate any shaking and movement of the blind when the wind hits it.

I would think this would be true with a "hay bale" blind as well. I would choose the most solid set up you can get. I would not go thin and light weight. You don't see many hay bales shaking in the wind and I don't think you want your blind to shake in the wind either.

I could be all wet, but those are my thoughts on the subject.
 
If your goal is concealment, I would steer clear of hale bale blinds as well as any ground blind in general. They will not give you the low profile you are looking for in many situations. I feel so strongly about this, I would rather hunt out of a Gillie suit on a fence line than one of those things.

You need to look at layout blinds.

If you are willing to invest $400, I would recommend an Eliminator Pro-guide or if necessary, an Eliminator Pro-guide XL. I have field hunted for a lot of years, and these blinds are well made and comfortable. I have had some buddies who have hunted out of off-brands. They come and they go, but my eliminators have lasted for years. If used properly, the layout blind will pretty much disappear in most fields. Good luck.
 
If you do decide to go with a layout blind, you may want to see if you can find a FA Legacy. They are not in production any longer but you may be able to find a used one. This blind is larger then the Eliminator Pro Guide XL. I own both. I am a big man also but find that it works well for me. I have thought about the hale bale but find that the geese get very leary of anything in the field after opening day and even more so as it gets later in the season. You need to keep a low profile with good cover.
 
Dave
I have a brand new hay blind I'll sell you cheap. Never been used. I also have a dozen Herter's snow geese shells never used again brand new. Make me an offer.
wis boz
 
Dave,

I've never used the haybale blind. I have seen a couple in the field and the ones I saw seem like the fabric isn't very heavy and any breeze blows the fabric with an unnatural look. Have you checked with Rudy at R&R yet to see if they have one that you could setup?

I bought one of these this year to setup on a couple of potholes I know of.

http://www.ameristep.com/blinds/3326_wingshooter.html

Your welcome to check this out and see if it'll work for you. It's built around a bag type chair. It has a rain fly, 2 pockets inside for stuff like calls and shells and it has room in for a hunter and a dog. It has a zipper dog door on the front for easy access. Also has grass loops for vegitation.
 
Thanks for all the input and advice guys, Whiz sent you a PM. Ed appreciate it but I EXCEED The load limit of them chairs lol. I look at them and thought was cool but the what-a-chair in NORMAL MAN sizes scare the crap outta me lol.
 
Two pics I took from my layout blind. Closest decoys are at about 15yd in each. Unless you have some really dumb geese or you are hunting a refuge, you will never get this out of a haybale!

P1060448.jpg


P1070747.jpg

 
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Jon,

I have to ask...why have you not sat up and shot????

Dave, best of luck bud. Bale blinds would not work often in my mind. not often I find geese in fields with bales. if they are, they stay as far from them as they can,

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
Great question... I tried to quote but screwed it up! Sorry.

I'll try again.

I don't like to shoot into large flocks for many reasons. The first is simply not to educate the birds. We play with the same population of geese for the majority of the season. If I simply let them feed for awhile, then walk the birds off... it isn't too long before they trickle back to the field in smaller groups.

The second reason is because the hunt would be over too quick. Dad and I spend countless hours scouting, securing permission, and meticulously setting up spreads of decoys and camouflaging our layouts so that we can experience this. I would hate for it to be over in minutes.

Last, and probably the most important reason, is because I love being a part of the flock. Because we are so meticulous with our sets, these birds will (within seconds) become comfortable with our spread and begin acting completely natural. The call, feed, and move about exactly as they would if we weren't even there. This is where I get my education. I watch, listen, and learn from the true masters themselves. It is what I live for. After one has experienced this, the killing becomes of lesser importance.

Don't get me wrong...I love the kill, but I will always love the hunt just a little bit more!
 
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Good on your part! Why ruin thousands of birds for weeks when you can keep the gun down and enjoy the show for a while!!

Great question... I tried to quote but screwed it up! Sorry.

I'll try again.

I don't like to shoot into large flocks for many reasons. The first is simply not to educate the birds. We play with the same population of geese for the majority of the season. If I simply let them feed for awhile, then walk the birds off... it isn't too long before they trickle back to the field in smaller groups.

The second reason is because the hunt would be over too quick. Dad and I spend countless hours scouting, securing permission, and meticulously setting up spreads of decoys and camouflaging our layouts so that we can experience this. I would hate for it to be over in minutes.

Last, and probably the most important reason, is because I love being a part of the flock. Because we are so meticulous with our sets, these birds will (within seconds) become comfortable with our spread and begin acting completely natural. The call, feed, and move about exactly as they would if we weren't even there. This is where I get my education. I watch, listen, and learn from the true masters themselves. It is what I live for. After one has experienced this, the killing becomes of lesser importance.

Don't get me wrong...I love the kill, but I will always love the hunt just a little bit more!
Click to expand...
 
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Big fella, you may need a haystack--The field you plan on gunning, does it have the big bales around, because one may stick out just like building a regular blind in the field--Best bet is the laydown, amply dressed with the foliage in the field--Stalks, etc.
Have fun.
 
Dave, I have hunted out of a hay bale blind with 2 other guys. We were set-up on a strip mine lake with a steep bank right behind the blind. I would of used a layout blind but I was a guest and we killed three limits of geese. It was very easy to shoot out of.

For field hunting I really prefer a layout blind. I slso like it on the bank of streams and ponds. You arent laying all the way down iin the blinds. I would check Rogers for an XL layout blind, I think they have a couple different brands. If you are taking the dog get a dog blind.
 
Dave,
Here are a few pictures of layout blinds from early season in August. Two of the pictures of grassed blinds are from hunting on the bank of potholes in pastures. The other photo is of the blinds in a swathed barley field. All of the sets were killers. We will use the blinds on the potholes in the pastures again in duck season. They work really well. My buddy s a pretty big guy who isnt real agile but he can hunt out of a large layout blind pretty well.

View attachment 2012-08-16_10.36.20_2.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-17_07.05.47.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-18 07.33.02.jpg
 
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