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Pass shooting geese

3K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  Trout 2003 
#1 ·
This afternoon I had to pass shoot geese because they were going from their feeding area to their roost. They were about 40 yds. high. My BPS 10. gauge , with a Pattern Master choke loaded with T shot, worked to perfection. Nothing like seeing a high flying goose crumple and bounce after hitting the ground. It's nice to get geese to set wings, but sometime a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
 
#4 ·
It's a legitimate way to harvest geese, just different than some others like to do it. If pass shooting is done the way he says it was, he's not skyblasting at everything that comes past. Pass shooting and jump shooting, done at ethical distances, i'm very ok with it. Becomes a problem when people are pass shooting birds at 50-80 yards up.

Plus, there was group close to me that used to do it to the birds as they were coming off the roost, up on a hill. It doesn't take long for the birds to wise up to it, so unless your just shooting at small bunches, most of the birds will change their route pretty quickly.
 
#5 ·
I don't think pass shooting in transit makes them tougher to decoy. It just makkes them fly 100 yards high into the roost or land further out in the river or the lake. Pass shooting geese isn't my game, but I'm not going to talk down on it. Our state sponsors it at the blinds at Pymatuning, how can I disagree? It only takes once or twice and that game is over and they're wise to the game.

As far as it goes, I don't see what's fun about target shooting during hunting season.
 
#7 ·
Almost all locals in Saskatewan where I hunted, all pass shoot ducks and geese. They call it "shooting the line". We did it a couple times with them, it was really cool, and harvested a lot of birds.

I guess nowdays, not many of us are waterfowling, becasue we NEED the meat, but if I was, I would be doing it whatever way was the most effective.
 
#10 ·
Pass shooting is a skill and a sporting way to take geese. Much more challenging than shooting geese that have landed and walking on the gound. That's why it's called wingshooting.
 
#19 ·
Please don't assert pass shooting as a "challenge."

The real challenge surrounds the hours spent scouting, learning to call, patterning your gun, learning to set decoys, play the wind, play the sun, etc, etc, the list goes on A LOT longer than getting in a flight line and firing away. Getting to the point where you have geese fooled at 10 yards is the real challenge.
 
#20 ·
I have done both - and they are both a challenge. Some don't have the proficency to do both. I have shot alot of shotgun. I've been doing it since the early 60's. I have competed in trap, skeet and sporting clays. I have patterened my shotguns. have had a special choke make by Mark Banser. reload my own shell so I can do what needs to be done , allow for wind direction and alter lead depending on certain conditions. etc. etc and etc.I killed 2 geese at about 40 yds with 2 shots. 2 for 2. The challenge isn't in blowing holes in the air. The challenge is hitting the target at that distance. I can do that repeatedly. Excitement is seeing a goose fold up when hit at 40 yds. in the air and bounce a foot high after hitting the ground.I have seen many a goose not killed when flushed from decoys or with their wings set coming into decoys. Getting them there to decoy is what it's all about. I just enjoy shooting at moving targets. Maybe that's because of my shotgun competiton background. I won't critize if you want to shoot them after they have landed. Please don't critize me if I choose to shoot them while they are on the move.
 
#21 ·
Pass shooting presents no challenges or skills related to waterfowl hunting, other than accuracy. I would call you a liar, straight to your face, if you tell me every bird at that distance will fall to your one shot. We've all had thoes birds, eat your entire pattern, and still somehow make it out of the spread. Go tower hunt pheasants for long range excitement. These birds are getting weary enough already.
 
#22 ·
Well RAM- this may surprise you but - I really don't value your opinion. Your location tell me enough about you. I come here for relaxation and information. So I'm outa here and I'll leave it at that.
 
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