Refuge Hunting & Greated Canada Geese Refuge hunting. It's where I cut my teeth on waterfowling and met some hunters that I still hunt with today, even though I never hunt the local refuge any more. It's also where I've seen some of the most inconsiderate hunters I've ever come across. You know who you are. The sad part is that maybe you don't know. Five or six years ago, I was hunting one of the less-than-coveted zones at the Todd Farm Unit of the Allegan State Game Area near Fennville, Michigan with two other hunters I'd known from hunting there over the years. We had picked the zone on purpose because we had all scouted and had noticed that the birds were feeding in that field and those nearby due to the recent harvesting of the corn. Our stand was along the edge of a cornfield bordering a creek. About mid-morning, a flock of geese was making its way to our area when it flew over the next blind over, which was about 300 - 400 yards away on the other side of the creek. The birds were probably 50 or 60 yards up when the hunters in that blind opened fire on them. They killed no birds and none even appeared to be affected by the shooting. As we watched, the geese swung toward us and flew directly over our heads at maybe 40 yards. I shot and winged one that sailed about 200 yards to our left and landed on the wrong side of the creek. My experiences at the refuge were good ones, for the most part. The vast majority of hunters that I hunted along side were sportsmen and very considerate. In spite of the many horror stories I'd heard about other hunters trying to claim birds they didn't shoot, it had been my good fortune to run across hunters that would pick up a bird I'd shot that landed in their zone and walk it up to me. I followed that simple rule of courtesy myself as it only made for more enjoyable hunts all around. The goose I shot was lying dead in the field across the creek. It wasn't flopping, flapping or doing any moving of any kind. The hunters in the other blind were making their way to it. I walked calmly down the creek bank knowing that they were going to toss my bird across the ditch to me. They got to the bird and one of them picked it up by the neck and headed back to their blind. This quite naturally raised a protest from me to which they replied that they had shot that bird when it passed their blind. At this point, I questioned not only his accuracy, but his IQ and family history as well. I was becoming disturbed. I tend to get a bit riled by inconsiderate activities. To make a long story not quite as long, he finally said (paraphrasing), "Then come and get your fat-and-happy goose!!" (You can use your imagination for what he really said.) With that pleasant phrase (remember, he was holding the dead goose by the neck), he swung the bird up over his head and slammed it to the ground as hard as he could. In all my years of hunting, I've seen some pretty bizarre things. I've seen birds in the decoys at 15 yards and escape four hunters and 12 shots completely unscathed. I've seen birds get hit with no less than three shots, feathers exploding like a pillow in a blender and the almost denuded bird would fly away no worse for wear but looking something like a rotisserie chicken on the wing. I've seen geese laying dead in the blind get up and walk away, never to be found. But I had never seen, and have never since seen, what I saw this day. The impolite hunter body-slammed the obviously dead goose. It bounced off the ground, it's wings shot out from its side and it flew merrily back to the refuge. All I can figure is that the body slam must have restarted the goose's heart. Having my gun with me, I alertly took a shot at the escaping miracle goose and missed. Looking back on it, I had no chance in the world of hitting that bird. No doubt it wasn't meant to be a feast for humans. Of course, my jaw being on the ground may have effected my aim. As I watched the goose making its way to safety, I told my antagonist that I'd be a nice guy and if he needed the goose that bad, he could go get it. May God strike me dead if this isn't the truth. Ask Dave Carmody or Monte Moncrief next time you see them.

Posted: 1998-06-28 0:00