Outside Iowa: Dealing with the late honkers

If you were to ask 100 people what they are thinking about Iowa’s winter weather so far, I’m sure 98 of them would say they love it! I’m among the two out of 100 that are borderline clinically insane and actually wish for the coldest weather Mother Nature has available. It makes the hunting better; you can’t blame me for that.

I have been looking back on my deer hunting records and have not found a stretch of weather like this during late December. Its odd and it sure makes the hunting difficult.

But, if there is a bright spot in all of this unseasonably warm weather, it keeps the honkers around longer allowing for some great late season hunting.

Iowa’s Canada goose season in the North Zone (north of Highway 30) ends Jan. 4 and in the South Zone (south of Highway 30) it ends Jan. 11.

Taking the extended forecast into consideration and no harsh weather patterns on the horizon, there will be plenty of time with ample opportunity to run a few rounds of Double BB through your favorite shotgun.

And, what’s even better, you can take three honkers per person until the season closes.

The warmer temps have been keeping the ice relatively thin on smaller bodies of water, or on larger lakes and rivers the ice has yet to take a hold. As long as there is abundant food and open water, the geese will hang around no matter how cold it gets. The nastier the better, but they still feed heavily this time of year in preparation for their flight south and to battle the brutal winter conditions that are inevitably on their way.

Because there is such a lack of snow cover, they could be feeding just about anywhere, but rest assured, they are spending their time on what is closest and most available. I’d start out by locating a large group of birds as they are roosted on the water. Any of Iowa’s lakes, rivers, streams, ponds or reservoirs are worthy of investigation. However, if you know of a warm water discharge along a river you will most likely find a pile of geese taking advantage of it.

I like to sit in the cab of my truck at a good distance, with a hot cup of gas station coffee, and wait for them to head out to feed in the afternoon. Once they are up, the chase begins. I will follow them to their destination food source and again watch them for a while from a distance to determine where the perfect location is in the field. Geese will typically feed in the same location day after day as long as the food is available and they feel safe, so you can expect one - maybe two good shoots from the same location.

There are two critical aspects to late season honker hunting that should not go overlooked. Decoys and adequate cover will make or break your hunt. For the most part, calling can be effective, but the visual attraction will trump calling every time. Since the geese are grouped up, a larger spread of decoys will be the ticket. Set both full bodies and silhouettes up in standard family groups with the primary landing strip forcing them into the pocket as they keep the wind in their face to land. Layout blinds are the cat’s meow for field hunting this time of year. They easily become part of the surroundings and are very comfortable as you await their arrival.

While the current weather pattern is not ideal, it is comfortable and should be taken advantage of. Late season goose hunting is an absolute blast and can be the finest hunting you will experience all season long, especially if you have done your homework!

Live It Up!

Thomas resides with his wife and two children in Guthrie Center, Iowa.
He is a professional outdoor writer, photographer, videographer, and outdoor talk radio show host; for more information visit www.outdoorpursuitsradio.com. If you have questions or comments feel free to e-mail Thomas at tha481@gmail.com