In the north zone of Illinois, duck and goose hunting started on October 15th.
Starting then, every morning I would hear gun shots going off down on the river or out in the surrounding cut corn and bean fields.
Duck hunting in the north zone ended on December 13th and so did the morning ritual of gun shots.
Which is odd, since goose hunting in the north zone doesn’t end till today, January 7th.
With the mild winter we’ve had so far, the geese have not left.
There are hundreds of them down on the river below my house.
Out in the fields and ponds near me, hundreds more hanging around.
Every sunset and sunrise hundreds of geese are either leaving or coming back to the river, flying directly over my house and in the skies for as far as I can see.
And yet, I’ve not heard a single gun shot since December 13th.
Until this morning, the last day of goose season in the north zone of Illinois.
Three lone shots out on the river.
He must have the same recipes I have, I think geese taste pretty damn good.
I never did get my act together enough to go do it myself.
I have to fix that problem for next year.
The Four Season Angler
7 Jan 2012I love to shoot a goose. Especially the ones around my work… leaving lil bombs everywhere and making sidewalk travel a lesson in agility. When next goose season hits lets kill some shit together. Real bonding, none of this sharing a bend in the river crap.
Ken G
7 Jan 2012Nothing brings men closer together than the loud reports of shotguns over water.
Or fields for that matter.
Or so it seems.
Going squirrel hunting on Sunday. Clean up at a state park Wednesday morning.
I expect a good walk and not a shot fired though. That’s the way it works lately it seems.
Erin Block
7 Jan 2012Ever since reading in an animal husbandry book about ducks and geese’s “copious droppings” I have thought all fowl must be. Good luck next year!
Ken G
7 Jan 2012They’re actually quite good. Haven’t had the opportunity to go in a few years. Most of the time I would sit there watching them fly around. Seemed like a shame to shoot at them sometimes.
Just got done watching the geese return to the river at sunset. A good hundred of them and that’s a very narrow window I can see.
Down on the river walk in the nearby little downtown, you do have to watch your feet rather than your surroundings.
cofisher
8 Jan 2012As a non-birdhunter, I’m convinced you’re right.
Ken G
8 Jan 2012I’ve had overcooked goose.
I’d rather eat my shoe.
Nina G
27 Jan 2012I could have used someone by my apartment in Urbana. Hundreds (literally) of geese squak outside my window every morning at around 5:00 without fail. I’d rather be eating them then having to wake up to that every day.
Ken G
27 Jan 2012If someone would finish what they’re supposed to do, the can take care of it themselves…
Catch my drift?