Garry Mason: Fall Brings Geese and Memories

Fall Brings Geese and Memories

Nothing stirs the emotions of a waterfowl hunter more than the sound of the air as the first fall flight of geese take to it.

Just looking up at the sound of these magnificent birds winging their way overhead brings back memories of past hunts and of brisk fall mornings.

The first flight of geese means the summer’s heat is gone and the frost of fall is on its way. Leaves are turning and a light midday breeze brings a hint that winter is not very far away.

Goose hunting has been a passion of mine since I was a young boy however I would be in my mid-twenties before I would actually get my first goose. Many hunting seasons have passed since that day but I remember it like it was last week.

We had a small blind set up on the Tennessee River near my home and even though we owned only a few goose decoys, I was still able to coax four Canada Geese into the spread that morning.

Since that day, my passion for hunting geese has increased with each and every hunt. Canadian Geese were my first love in the goose hunting world and even though we don’t have many migrators in Northwest Tennessee any more, we still have lots of local geese to hunt.

Local geese are birds that stay in one area all year long while migratory geese travel from long distances to winter in the southern states of the flyways. Most local geese are Canadian Geese and can be found near lakes and golf courses nearby most anywhere in West Tennessee. A fact that makes most golf enthusiasts unhappy.

Back to our goose hunting. I have hunted several other species of geese since my first bird and I can tell you that they each one still make my heart flutter.

From Snow Geese in North Dakota, Canadian Geese in Nebraska and South Dakota all the way down the flyway for White Front Geese in Missouri and Arkansas.  I have been blessed to have hunted in some of the most beautiful places on the planet and have traveled many roads in order to enjoy chasing each species.

I would venture to say that there are as many or more opportunities to hunt geese these days than ever before. Even though a lot of Canadian Geese have changed their migration patterns, a hunter can still find lots of hunting up and down the Mississippi Flyway.

Snow and Blue Goose populations are still very strong on their wintering grounds in several of the southern states and White Front Geese seem to also be doing very well as far as numbers are concerned.

Whether you love to goose hunt or just go afield and take pictures. Watch these magnificent creatures as they rest and feed along their travels southward, the opportunity is there for us all to enjoy.

Good Hunting and God Bless

Garry Mason

Places to visit

Tennessee National Wildlife Refuges: Big Sandy and Duck River are both great locations to view wildlife

Land Between The Lakes: Recreational Area. South entrance is in Stewart Country TN.