Palouse Goose

After spending an embarrassing number of mornings in a blind in the back of our pasture, I finally shot a goose. In years past they have flown regularly over this part of the Palouse, but I had always hunted on or former landlady's farm. We are about five miles from there. I don't know that the different location made all the difference though. I think that the cold front a few weeks ago, the one that froze our pipes, pushed a lot of the geese further South for the winter.

There were good numbers of geese this morning though and after striking out on a couple of flocks called a group into my decoys. It was perfect. It was everything I love about waterfowl hunting. They came into my calling as nice as nice. They bowed up and floated in as slow as slow. I got a perfect shot at about 20 feet and dropped the goose on the spot. A quick, humane, ethical kill.

Later, when we cleaned the goose, we marveled at the heavy layer of fat on it. We breasted and skinned this one as the wounds were to significant to make a pretty roast out of it. I do the breasts, and Colleen does the legs. She's just better at disjointing them. It's her wildlife biology background I think. She directs all the cutting when we butcher deer too. I gut and field dress, she is head butcher.

Unfortunately goose season ends in a week. We'll both go in the morning and then I'll go as many times as I can before the season closes. I think at least one of these goose breasts is destined for a pot pie. Can't wait.