when to shoot

Shoot em in the head and kill them dead.

IF you have a shot when they are coming at you. Take it every time. A goose is much more vulnerable when they have their breasts exposed. If you try and kill a goose in the butt they are much harder to kill. So, take the head any chance you get.

Was the wind blowing? We always shoot them coming in, but If the wind is blowing hard enough that you only have one good shot at them when the they flare we'll let them go over us and shoot at the back half. On windy days this works very well because the geese can't get out of range very fast. I saw my partner shoot his gun empty and reload and kill the goose he hit on his third shot.

Double Clucker

i was always told to shoot them in the butt because their feathers arent as strong there

Nothing is better then a good head shot. Look at my signature. :lol:

When we shoot over decoys we shoot them in the head. When we pass shoot we wait for them to pass and hit them in the ***. Trying to kill a goose by hitting it is the breast is almost imposible and in most pass shooting situations hitting them in the head is even harder. Generally most pass shooting is done at geese that are much further away than those that are decoying in at your feet. Wait until they pass and try to put big bb's (BBB, T, F) up into thier feathers.

When I decoy I like to wait till I can hit them with my barrel :lol: I don't like to shoot at them when they are way out there. I like it when they are right in front of me just starting over the decoys (15-20yds)

in my oppinion, it just makes the most sense go for the Head/breast shot. logicaly, Thats where all the Vital organs are. if ya think about hunting any other Game animal, you always go for the "vitals" I have hit a goose in the Back side once a while Back and it took a long time for that goose to die, we had to go to the other side of the lake we were hunting on to find it. So my Vote is for the head shot! :lol:

your never going to killa goose by hitting enough vital organs to kill it and still have an edible bird. I read that it takes like 14 shots in the front to get to the vitals and I have ruined the brests with 6! The head neck shot is the only way to go as far as i'm concerned but you can also bring um down if you wing um. Thats just what works for me.

My answer would be to NOT pass shoot them. All pass shooting does is make them fly high. :evil:

Hit them in the head and they will be dead but sometimes you don't have much of an option other than a rear shot. It's a tough call at that point. You can pass on the pass shooting or open fire and give em all 3. I've had luck bringing them down on the fade away shot. Let me also state that I have a very limited time to hunt so I am greatful for every oportunity that I can ethicaly take. To each thier own. I would recommend using a smaller shot size for the rear fade away shots. Seam to penetrate a little deeper.

kangoosehnter,

I am with you unless you can get a 10-40 yard shot over your decoys with cupped wings and preferably landing gear deployed DON'T SHOOT! Pass shooting is making these birds more wise and weary.

I can't say i've never pass shot at geese, but i have never missed pass shooting geese because i only pass shoot them when they are insanely low. But if the birds are 40 yards or higher pass shooting is insanely stupid. All you do is educate and cripple.

I like to shoot them right over the decoys, feet down and locked up.

Gooseman