Severance – Surrounded by Canada geese at a date in November on which freshly arrived northern birds have not been seen of late, John Young was an oddly frustrated man.
With five companions, the veteran hunter had planted several dozen state-of-the art decoys in a cornfield east of Windsor Reservoir where some 3,000 geese had tucked their beaks for a night’s repose.
This was perhaps the largest single gathering in what had been a steady migration of birds in the short days leading up to the Nov. 19 opening of the eastern Colorado goose hunt. This marked one of the earliest movements of flight birds in recent years. With nearly three months remaining in the season, waterfowl enthusiasts have reasons to anticipate a banner year.
“Just this last week, we’ve seen them flocking in,” said Jake Hyland, who lives just a long shot from the lake. Hyland, 16, is more celebrated locally as quarterback of the Windsor High School football team. Others know him as Young’s protégé, a particularly talented young goose caller who had but a week’s respite between the end of one season and start of another.
Young had more immediate cause to be encouraged. This considerable gaggle of geese was positioned within plain sight of Young’s spread, surrounded by succulent ears of golden corn left over from a recent harvest.
As outdoor endeavors go, this seemed a reasonably predictable thing: Hungry geese leave reservoir to feed. Geese spy decoys and cornfield. Expert callers summon them to the feast. Hunters leap from cover and, well, you know the rest.
Two things went immediately wrong.
Large groups of geese indeed swarmed off the water. But instead of bending east, they flew against considerable odds and various laws of nature due north into the teeth of a biting 25 mph wind.
“They must have already been using a field up in that direction,” Young said. “They sure have to want it badly to fight that wind.”
Young also gave words to the silent thoughts ringing in the minds of the rest of us huddled beneath ground.
“There are a lot of birds on the lake. Some of them will drift our way.”
What happened next seemed more like a sprint than a drift. With wind in their tail feathers, the birds flew toward us at warp speed. Some of these high-flyers gave us the courtesy of a brief waggle. Others actually cupped their wings briefly, sending little ripples of excitement through the pit.
But for one modest group that at last answered the call, all the others sped past for some far-off place. They carried with them the realization that all geese are not created equal and that, even in these early days of the hunt, it’s important to know the difference.
As is the case nearly every year, the first birds to migrate are the lesser Canadas, also known as the short-grass prairie variety. Moving in larger flocks, these diminutive birds are less tolerant of the cold, often pausing in eastern Colorado only briefly along what increasingly has become a well-worn flight path to the reservoirs of New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle.
In their considerable numbers, lesser Canadas are, well, flighty, more difficult for the reed magicians to command.
“These little birds are three times, no, make that 10 times harder to call,” Young said when at last he surrendered the field.
Young, who has spent decades hunting the goose-rich portions of Larimer and Weld counties, confessed what may have been a strategic mistake. Or, considering the unpredictability of these wayward birds, maybe not.
In any case, he opted for fewer decoys than usual, choosing quality over quantity. For this season, Young purchased six dozen motion decoys by Avery, lifelike shells that dance with the wind. Placing these strategically among his collection of conventional full-bodied decoys, he decided against a wider spread using several dozen more silhouettes. Whether this might have made a difference is one of those articles of speculation that a goose hunter considers as he drifts off into dreams.
One thing is certain. Some day, perhaps soon, frigid winds will storm down from the north bringing the more desirable greater Canadas and sweeping away many of the pesky lesser birds.
Until then, hunters should give thanks for the early offering we already have.
Listen to Charlie Meyers at 9 a.m. each Saturday on “The Fan Outdoors.” KKFN 950 AM. He can be reached at 303-820-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
