Going after specks and snows

[Eterry]

I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon for a guided goose hunt Monday. They are killing mostly specks and snows over dekes, birds coming in to 30 yards.
I'm taking my new (to me) 12 bore double, but its cylinder bore. The guide said to bring it, but also bring a c'tridge arm in case they are flying farther than my open bore will reach.

I've been patterning with steel #2s, and some #2 hevi steel a friend gave me. It seems 30 yards is a stretch, I'm hoping to use my front stuffer, but may not be able.

I've never hunted geese period, and only hunted over dekes once.

Any tips and guidance from those who have done this??

Thanks all.

Eterry

 

[Treestalker]

My dad was a locally notorious modern duck hunter who was deadly with a Browning suppository gun. He said specks (specklebelly) geese were known to be high flyers, and hard to reach with his modified choked gun. Any waterfowl hunting will be vastly better served with a choke bore than open, IMOP. If you use an open bore double (which I love on upland birds) you must take advantage of any pattern tightening tricks you can. Some on this forum have worked to devise just such techniques; Good luck in your hunt, and let us know how it goes! George.

 

[Britsmoothy]

If they are coming into dekes you'll be fine however is #2 steel similar to #2 lead?? If so I would of preferred #5-#4 to get a sense swarm on heads and necks.

Don't be put off, 30yds is easy on a bird with its brakes on. Have a blast and take some photos.

 

[Brokennock]

If they are coming into dekes you'll be fine however is #2 steel similar to #2 lead?? If so I would of preferred #5-#4 to get a sense swarm on heads and necks.

Don't be put off, 30yds is easy on a bird with its brakes on. Have a blast and take some photos.

Unfortunately steel shot has a lot less mass than lead so one needs to go with a much larger size shot compared to lead to get the pellets to do their job.

 

[Eterry]

If they are coming into dekes you'll be fine however is #2 steel similar to #2 lead?? If so I would of preferred #5-#4 to get a sense swarm on heads and necks.



Don't be put off, 30yds is easy on a bird with its brakes on. Have a blast and take some photos.

I have steel 2s, 3s, and 4s. I didn't pattern the 3s or 4s, but im taking them, just in case.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Unfortunately steel shot has a lot less mass than lead so one needs to go with a much larger size shot compared to lead to get the pellets to do their job.

I don't totally buy into that. At thirty yards a dense cloud of steel will still have plenty to break fine bones in the head and neck.
A #2 steel from a muzzleloader at muzzleloader velocity is not going to cope with breast feathers and muscle before it gets to vital organ very well at all.

It's a minefield of opinion this is and no one is wrong. What is wrong and it is just my opinion note is, thinking bigger is better ain't necessarily so.

 

[Golfswithwolves]

I would have suggested bismuth shot but I note that you are hunting as I write this! Please let us know how the steel shot works for you and what loads you use. Are you using a shotcup? Thanks GWW

 

[Eterry]

Update, the blinds we used (A frame style) and the amount of shooters (8+2guides) and cramped quarters caused me to leave the muzzleloader in the truck. We sat almost shoulder to shoulder, I didn't want to try to load sitting down, and the movement wouldn't be appreciated by others.

On the plus side I had a GREAT TIME!! The steel #2s worked great for me, I got the only double that day!!! We all got our limit on specklebelly geese., the snows were too high and didn't respond to a call. I'm already planning a return trip in January where I can be in a pit and use my ML.

 

[Eterry]

Here's the group of hunters I went with and the days bag.

 

[Treestalker]

Here's the group of hunters I went with and the days bag.

View attachment 18768

Looks just like old times... In my childhood!

 

[THBailey]

That's some first class table fare right there. Where were you hunting?

 

[Eterry]

Knox County, Texas, in the peanut fields close by the Brazos River.

 

[smo]

WOW! I thought we were going too talk about shooting over snow again.....

 

[THBailey]

Peanut field! Never heard of hunting such a thing. Out here in the Sacramento Valley it's pretty much all rice field hunting. I thought peanuts grow in the roots?

 

[bud in pa]

Can anyone tell me why you must use Steel shot on waterfowl, but I am legal using lead shot when hunting squirrels, rabbits, and grouse along the creek?

 

[Treestalker]

The steel shot BS started when some enviro-scientist dumped a handful of lead shot down a dead ducks throat, then x-rayed it, said the duck gathered it up while feeding in the marsh, and decided too much lead shot was polluting wetlands and making ducks too heavy to fly and so it began. I believe their story about like I believe the Ivory Billed Woodpecker scam here in Arkansas, just another bunch of BS.

 

[THBailey]

"Can anyone tell me why you must use Steel shot on waterfowl, but I am legal using lead shot when hunting squirrels, rabbits, and grouse along the creek?"

Steel is mandated by the Feds for migratory birds. Resident game critters come under the individual states rules and regulations. Count your blessings, out here in California it is no lead for everything.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Same in the UK. England, no lead for ducks and geese via a shotgun.
Scotland you can but not over wetlands!

It's all to do with ingesting shot while sifting mud which in my opinion is a dumb assumption!
It assumes that ducks bills are insensitive which is utterly wrong otherwise a duck would die from only ever filling it's gizzard with mud and stone!
Experts in white coats with an agenda again!

 

[SamTex1949]

I was a Hunter Ed instructor in Montana. While attending one of our Region Meetings discussion about steel shot came up. Now I didnt hunt migratory game birds but did hunt pheasants which was same time of year and where I hunted did border some lakes and ponds. Lead shot was allowed for those game birds. They agreed it would be somewhat of a sticky situation if a Game Warden came by to check. It all boil down to what they observed at the time and believe.

 

[ugly old guy]

Can anyone tell me why you must use Steel shod on waterfowl, but I am legal using lead shot when hunting squirrels, rabbits, and grouse along the creek?

Federal Waterfowl Regulations, beginning around the 1980's, if memory serves.

A few government "scientits" (note quotes) decided that lead shot was poisoning (lead poisoning) fish and other wildlife.

Congress in their "infinite wisdom" (note quotes) believed the alleged "scientists" (note quotes) and outlawed lead shot for taking any migratory waterfowl.
The fool President at the time, signed that BS legislation into law.