It's not the size of....

MLBob Furia

MLBob Furia

Well-known member
...the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog.

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Anyone who has lugged geese back across a stubble field on the way back to his truck, knows that they can be a load. I always wonder how my little Lab manages to find ways to pick them up and carry them. She's nine now, and it's really something to see her wade right in to run down a crippled honker.

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We had about a 2" snowfall yesterday morning that tapered off right around noon just as I finished setting up. Ground was perfect for snow covers on the blinds. Temps in the low 20's after low teens at night. Of course, by the time I had finished using the stake punch to get all my silhouette & decoy stakes into the ground, I was drenched with sweat. Why is it that no matter how cold it gets, I never stay dry?

Al Hansen : that call I'm using is one I did for myself from a nice piece of your salt-cedar.

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Hey Bob,
Looks like the call did what it was supposed to do. Some day take a closeup of it. I'd like to see it.
Love those pictures of your 9 year old pup. She knows what to do because of those years of experience. Aren't you the lucky one---
Congratulations on your successful hunt.
Al
 
Bob, great pics but it doesn't seem like a proper post from you without a decoy! Have you ever carved a goose?
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He's probably trying to avoid showing the MoJo in the background...
 
Bob,

It seems they either figure out how to grab those geese rigth there at the wing meeting the breat or they don't. My little 60# lab does a better job than my big block headed 85# lab. She knows where to grab them and he grabs where ever he can. I just wish she would learn how to swim.

One of these days I'm going to have to play with one of those goose calls you make. I don't plan on giving up the call I been using for the past 24 years but I sure like the looks of that call you make. Are they like an old style resonant chamber goose call or do they have short reed guts in them?

Mike
 
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Bob,
I am jealous of the fact your still hunting. I agree watching a dog run down a cripple is a true joy. My little chessie does not handle the weight of geese in dry fields but her sister of the same size hits them like a line backer and carries them back no trouble.
 
You can't help but admire her spirit! As long as the job is getting done, doesn't matter how.
 
Bob, great pics but it doesn't seem like a proper post from you without a decoy! Have you ever carved a goose?
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He's probably trying to avoid showing the MoJo in the background...
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I'm guessing a Vortex, I think I could see a bit of a car battery and a cable too :).
 
Bob, your post got me thinking about the range in size of labs, pretty amazing the range and they all can do the job.

Here is Pete with a big resident goose.

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Tod,

A good retriever is a joy to hunt with... and not a bad addition to the family. Ours is curled up in "her" corner of the couch in the family room right now ---but she will always just stand there in front of it, waiting until she gets the ok from one of us before she will hop up on it.

She'll hunker down in that field blind for as many hours as we hunt, and there could be cannons going off, yet she never moves out of it 'til she gets the call to start picking up birds.

Sadie has hauled a lot of big geese out of that field over the years, and I have had some great photo-ops hunting there. Watching the birds work always makes me want to go back after the season closes to set everything up and just shoot with the camera. I weighed each of those two geese from Friday before I cleaned them today. Now, I never believe the stories guys have told me about 16lb+ geese (wearing size 14 tennis shoes, no doubt), but the bigger of those two weighed in at 11.5 lbs and he was a hoss.

This is more Sadie's size:

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Chuck,

About the closest I get to a "mojo" is a 'T' flag. And to tell the truth, I never gun geese without one. IMO, passable calling along with the judicious use of a flag not only gets their attention, but on most days that flag will seal the deal pretty quickly.
We did put out a couple of those "goose magnet" wind sock-flyers a few times this year when there was a stiff breeze. I thought they looked really good, and created the illusion of geese landing in the "hole." Jury is still out, but the one day geese worked us when we had them out, they didn't seem to mind them at all.

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Bill,

I have done decorative geese, but not many working geese. I'll stick with plastics and silhouettes especially for trudging them across cornfields for a few hundred yards. I ain't getting any younger; and on the days when I hunt alone, it usually takes me about an hour & a half to get everything (blinds [mine & the dog's], full bodies, pickleweeds, sillys) into the field and set up.... and I can usually drive my truck along the edge of the field I'm hunting. I can't imagine trying to transport & maintain hand-carveds.
 
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Tod,

A good retriever is a joy to hunt with... and not a bad addition to the family. Ours is curled up in "her" corner of the couch in the family room ---but she will always just stand there waiting until she gets the ok from one of us before she will hop up on it. She'll hunker down in that field blind for as many hours as we hunt, and there could be cannons going off, yet she never moves out of it 'til she gets the call to start picking up birds.

Sadie has hauled a lot of big geese out of that field over the years, and I have had some great photo-ops hunting there. Watching the birds work always makes me want to go back after the season closes to set it all up and just shoot with the camera. I weighed each of those two from Friday before I cleaned them today. Now I never believe the stories guys have told me about 16lb+ geese (wearing size 14 tennis shoes, no doubt) but the bigger of thoise two weighed in at 11.5 lbs (Other was 9.5), and he was a hoss.
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Yes, the elusive 16 pound goose :). One winter when I was doing pretty well on our resident geese, I weighed a dozen and they were all in the 10-12# range, so right on what your were. Sadie looks real comfortable with that greenhead - great pic.
 
Bob
I sounds like you really put the work into it with the stake punch. Have you ever tried a battery drill with a spade bit in frozen ground?
 
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Bob, your dog looks at home carrying those geese.
I have always liked big labs till I bought a small lab 8 years ago.
I am not sure if I will ever want big lab again.
I get a big thrill watching how the little dog raises in head just enouph to run back with a goose without the gooses head hitting the ground
 
Hey Bob,
Some day take a closeup of it. I'd like to see it.

Al
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Al,

Back yesterday (Sunday), and took a pic of the call close-up.

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Snow was gone as Saturday was cold, but sunny. Temps rose all day yesterday. High 30's by the time I left, and just beat the rain that continued all night. Raining today; predicting 60 tomorrow +more rain Wed. Then possible snow Thursday a.m. as the bottom drops out on temperature again w/ a daytime high of 27..... Crazy weather; but maybe Wednesday (the final day for OH goose) will be a good bet for the next time out.

Didn't get a group to do it until just before 5 p.m. The wind had died and they came from directly behind me. I got what the old timers used to call a "tail-to" - as they looked to be going to jump the hole I had left to land long of the far bunch of decoys. Figured it was the best opportunity I would get. Took my two shots (I shoot a SxS) and thought I'd whiffed, but seconds later one dropped straight down and bounced. Guess he didn't know he was dead for a for a while ;-).

Very nice mark by Sadie who went right to the spot when she was sent. The spot of the fall had to be at 100 yds. min.

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It was a long wait, and I caught her snoozin' before all this happened:

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....but that's OK, I fall asleep in that X-Lander on a regular basis. Thank heavens the geese usually announce that they're doing a fly-by!
 
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Afternoon Bob,

That call looks just like the one I got from you. I will stop by Al place next time in his area and show it to him. My one year old YLF is at 80 pounds with no problem on the big or little geese.

Dennis S. (Rio Rancho, NM)

PS: We closed out the goose season with a few more birds. Looking forward to the Canada opening in September.
 
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