Species

Canada Geese

Field-feeding migrants; a cold front and wind drop fresh birds into the decoys. Here’s the behavior the score is built on.

How it behaves

Fresh birds ride in on northern cold fronts, and the freeze pushes them south.

A sharp temperature drop and a falling barometer trigger hard movement.

A breeze keeps birds flying and decoys alive; dead calm is slow.

Feeds in the grain fields, loafs and roosts on the water.

Cold-weather game. It moves through the cold half of the season, and a hard front only sharpens the movement.

Cold fronts. Each hard northern front pushes a new wave of birds down; hunt the day of and the day after.
Freeze-up. When northern water locks up, birds pile into whatever stays open.
Wind and grey skies. Nasty weather keeps birds flying all day and finishing into the decoys.