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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Jun 11, 2013 21:21:38 GMT -5
Hello, I'm an old guy new to hunting. I would love to waterfowl hunt this next season. I saw Goose Pond on the DNR site. I would love some advice, especially on Goose Pond. Unfortunately, I do not have a boat or dog, and will probably be hunting alone; however, I do have a good pair of waders. Are there areas there that will be suitable for me? Any help will be appreciated and I'd love to hear your experiences there.
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Post by joeyb on Jun 12, 2013 7:24:28 GMT -5
There is a lot of deep water, but I know people that go in just waders. You'll be walking a lot to get around those deep spots in most of the better pools. The DNR will tell you during the draw where you can hunt without a boat. I personally take a little 11' flatbottom to haul all of my gear, and of course to get me over the deep spots. You can usually hook up with another single hunter down there too. Best thing I did was just go and try it, but first time I hunted there in 2006 I said I'd never return without a boat. To this day I haven't. There are also a lot of good public hunting areas around IN that don't require a boat. A lot of people like to go to Goose Pond, so sometimes it's tough to even get drawn to hunt. I wish they'd do an online draw system like some of the other states. Good luck!
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Jun 12, 2013 11:09:58 GMT -5
Thank you so much joeyb! Do they have open hunts or are they all draw? I live about 2 hours north of there,
and will probably not drive that far without a good chance to hunt. Meanwhile, I'll work on getting a cheap boat.
Thanks again!
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Post by goosepondmonster on Jun 12, 2013 13:03:53 GMT -5
I believe they are all draw hunts. I think your chances are better during the week than they are during the weekends.
Another area not far from the Goose Pond is Minnehaha FWA. I am quite certain there are waterfowl areas there as well.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Jun 12, 2013 15:35:23 GMT -5
I believe they are all draw hunts. I think your chances are better during the week than they are during the weekends. Another area not far from the Goose Pond is Minnehaha FWA. I am quite certain there are waterfowl areas there as well. Thank you sir! I'll know tomorrow for sure. I called but the site manager was gone for the day. They will call me back tomorrow. I noticed on an old schedule, Tuesdays and Sundays were blank, but mentioned in the start and end times for the hunts. All other days of the week were daily draws or reserved hunts, and hunting stopped at sunset. Tuesdays and Sundays ...maybe Thursdays too, ended at noon. I'll post it when I find out. However, it sounds like I'll need a small boat. I'm two hours north of Goose Pond, so it will be impractical to drive for a chance draw. |
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Jun 13, 2013 10:01:57 GMT -5
I talked with the Goose Pond folks today. I was told that there are no open hunts; however, the registrations
will be on-line. She was thinking it started some time in Sept. She also mentioned that because not always
do people show up, there will be a daily draw for people who show up to fill in the open spots.
Thank you gentlemen!
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Jun 13, 2013 11:21:06 GMT -5
I guess I have a question. We got cut off and didn't get all the information that I wanted. Is a draw good for a pair or single?
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Post by goosepondmonster on Jun 13, 2013 17:26:57 GMT -5
I believe it is up to three people in a group.
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Post by duff on Jun 13, 2013 20:22:16 GMT -5
Up to 3. groups get drawn before singles. It can be a great hunt or it can be a good place to count muskrats. I enjoy it but take it for what it is worth at times. If you can find good private land close to home you are better than spending 4 hours in a truck to draw in that place IMO, but you will get a hunt or two a year there that are just flat incredible!
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Jun 13, 2013 20:27:34 GMT -5
Up to 3. groups get drawn before singles. It can be a great hunt or it can be a good place to count muskrats. I enjoy it but take it for what it is worth at times. If you can find good private land close to home you are better than spending 4 hours in a truck to draw in that place IMO, but you will get a hunt or two a year there that are just flat incredible! Thank you Sir! Do you hunt duck there too, or just geese? I'll look around, but I've not had any luck getting permission to goose hunt. Yes, I'll spend at least $50 in gas. It's something to think about. I don't have a jon boat either. |
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Post by duff on Jun 14, 2013 16:15:25 GMT -5
Mainly ducks but there are geese at times.
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Post by joeyb on Jun 19, 2013 7:52:12 GMT -5
Later in the season geese can be killer, but you're mostly going to harvest ducks. Go do some farmer bothering for cornfield geese hunting.
I drive from Avon (15 mins west of Indy,) which is about and hour and half. I go even on a chance, and have never been turned down. There are other open areas to hunt within half hour of GP that you can go to if you don't get drawn. You have to remember Goose Pond is HUGE, and it's a resting area for birds. It's also kind of between two rivers, so those other FWA and public hunting areas around Green / Sullivan County can be really good. That part of the state in general is good.
Parties of 2 and 3 draw first. If you're a single you draw last. Usually a guy can pick up with a party of 2 or another single though. The online registration is only for reserve hunts. You'll see on your schedule that some hunts are listed as "Reserve". You'll apply for reserves in August / September. That means that they reserve 10 spots. Usually only 4-5 reserve parties show up. I've found a lot of the reserve guys are there on a whim, and have no clue where to go. Therefore it really makes no difference..... just my experience.
Yes, get a small boat. If you don't have a boat, then start walking 5000 miles a day now in preparation.
Just like Duff said.... You may be counting muskrats. I've never been there and not seen birds, but seeing them fly by 100 miles high, and shooting are two different things. Come December it's 75% stale ducks until we get the good migration. Last year we didn't get a good push of new birds until January. So I was bringing home one or two birds each time I hunted. It can be tough with the stale birds. There are other draw hunts around too that can be really good. Call around before you hunt, see who has birds, see who has new birds, and go there. Have a creek, pond, or river spot close to home to hit when time is a factor. Good luck!
You have read the book of GP. Congrats.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Jun 19, 2013 8:27:20 GMT -5
Thank you joeyb for the detailed information! I really appreciate it. On the reserve dates, do they have a
daily draw to fill the open spots? Well, I'm sure that I'll be like the whim guys and not have a clue where
to go. I guess that I should change my site name to clueless.
Late last season, I asked some farmers if I could hunt their fields, but they didn't want to risk the liability.
My wife's family has some farm land, but her family hunts. They know that I want to hunt, but they won't invite
me, and I'm not pushy. They're not very friendly. I think that they may hold a grudge, because my wife divorced an
IU basketball player. They're big IU fans. They may come around someday, but I've been with her for 5 years.
I think I'll take my daughter fishing at GP and look it over.
Thanks again!
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Post by goosepondmonster on Jun 19, 2013 10:16:41 GMT -5
Personally I wouldn't mess with fishing at the Goose Pond. Drive a little farther west and you'll be in the Greene-Sullivan State Forest. It has over 120 lakes, actually old strip pits, and many of them offer bank fishing opportunities. You can kill two birds, no pun intended, with one stone. You can get an idea of what the Goose Pond is like and enjoy a day of fishing at, in my opinion, the best state forest Indiana has to offer.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Jun 19, 2013 12:28:06 GMT -5
Thank you GPM; this sounds like good advice.
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Post by joeyb on Jul 9, 2013 10:27:27 GMT -5
Yes they do draw for the open spots on reserve days.
And no problem. Glad to help when I can. Only way to know where to pick is by going and learning. The first year at a place like GP can be very clueless, but we've all done it.
Another thing you may try with the farmers is to take a release of liability form with you. That way that excuse gets tossed out immediately. They have a form like that in the IDNR Hunting & Trapping Handbook, at least they used to. As far as your in-laws go... get better land than they have, then play the same game when they all the sudden want to hunt with you.
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