GOOSE CALLS

Calling geese can be one of the most challenging game calls to blow. Like ducks, calling geese requires numerous, repeated notes. But, unlike a duck call a goose call requires more air and much better air control than most duck calls. In my many years of duck hunting and outfitting in Saskatchewan CA, I have come across numerous accomplished duck callers but only a few accomplished goose callers. And, coming from the Texas Gulf coast where we rarely get an opportunity for Canada geese, I have very little experience with a Canada goose call. There was a time when I was actually quite an accomplished snow goose caller, but that was by mouth and not a call with reed.

Like duck calls, an inexpensive goose call, giving plenty of practice and perhaps some online video tips, will get the job done. It may be a good idea to check out a number of Youtube or other online goose calling videos to get some calling advise and perhaps find the best goose call for your ability and lung capacity.

Now here is what I have observed about goose calling in my 55 years of waterfowl hunting. Given equal calling ability, Specklebelly geese seem to come to a call best and the call seems to require less air than Canada and snow calls. Specks also respond to far fewer notes than the Canadas and snows. The big problem with the speck call is making the call break over with the correct sound and then recovering for another brake over note. Just seems like once that is accomplished, the remaining speckelbelly goose calls are rather simple. And, as a side note, specks are not particular about goose decoys either. They decoy to snow and Canadas as well a sspecks.

Now I rank Canada geese as the next easiest goose species to fool with a call. I actually believe that given equal calling abilities, Canada geese decoy more readily than specks. I rank the Canada #2 because there are more notes to the Canada goose sounds and they seem to require far more calling to encourage decoying. In other words, Canada geese call more easily given a caller that has accomplish a good number of sounds and has the lung capacity to make numerous notes while calling.

The snow goose comes in as the most difficult goose to call. Early in the season, the juvies can respond to a call and make the deadly approach and even in late season a mature snow can be called, but it takes rather precise calling and lots of it. Most snow goose hunters, especially in Canada, use the electronic caller. And, when the conservation order for controlling snow goose numbers was first issued in 2000, the e-caller was absolutely deadly on snow geese. Now, even in early season, mature snows will flare as soon as the e-caller is turned on. Snows, especially mature snows, are a tough hunt and that is why so many hunters have begun using the best equipment possible. Stuff like 1,000 fullbody decoys and flying machines that fly dozens of snow decoys to add maximum motion to the spread.

Whether you prefer snows, Canadas, specks perhaps all 3, get a lanyard full of calls, practice and show your budies you are a pro.