You’ve started preparing for your first Colorado goose hunting expedition of the season. Of course, getting your gear in order is a priority. But you should also take the time to review important strategies which will increase the success of each hunt. Planning ahead before you get into the field will increase your success rate.

The most important goose hunting skill is choosing the right location. Start by locating a large body of water where geese will rest at night and between daytime feedings, preferably an area sheltered from the wind. Then find the feeding areas, usually places with good visibility and ones which allow geese to land and take off easily. Establish yourself between the water and the feeding area, or right in the feeding field close to the water.

Spend some time planning how you will place your decoys on the feeding field, trying to mimic natural feeding patterns. If you are working grain fields, for example, line decoys along the swath rows. Some experienced hunters prefer to place decoys in two blocks of about a dozen each, although the more the merrier.

Decide on a cover tactic that will be effective. If you are working a corn field, find cover in standing corn next to cut corn. Use hedgerows and fence lines. Later in the season when foliage has dropped, be prepared to use a lay-down blind.

Spend some time trying to understand how geese communicate and try to imitate what they are saying. The most important calls to learn are the long call to get the attention of geese some distance away, as well as feeding chuckles, gravels and clucks. Changing the tempo and pitch of these calls can create the impression of a half dozen active birds.

After you have completed a few goose hunting sessions, using these skills will become second nature. For the novice, however, getting everything together can become a daunting task. Even experienced hunters often are pressed for time to locate appropriate sites and prepare decoys and blinds or other cover.

Your best approach to a hassle free Colorado’s Denver front range goose hunting experience is to book a full day hunting package with one of the experienced guides from Minturn Anglers located in Denver, Minturn and Vail. They have access to private fields and ponds throughout the state, have established pits and blinds, and provide necessary decoys. Best of all, they have the knowledge and desire to ensure a goose hunting trip that is both enjoyable and successful!