Ontario Out of Doors

Quebec goose hunt

By : Steve Galea
Ontario Out of Doors
September 1999

Sitting in a stubble field, with backs to a cold early November wind, we witnessed one of nature’s finest shows. As the rising sun signaled a new dawn, waves of snow geese lifted off the St.Lawrence River and flew in loose garrulous flocks to surrounding fields in search of food and the security of larger groups. Soon, the deceptive charm of our decoys became apparent. The voices of snows and Canadas filled the skies. As the specks on the horizon greew, the action began.
On that last morning of three in the Lake Champlain region of Quebec, we were hunting snows over a spread of 500 silhouettes from Philippe Dupuis’ North-East Decoy line. Five hundred decoys seems like a lot, until you see what’s coming. It’s a waterfowler’s dream, watching majectic white birds setting back-tipped wings against a blue automn sky. We hunted near a “build-up”, a great roost of undisturbed geese that locals allow to increase in numbers. When enough have settled (last year Philippe and club members hunted around an estimated 130,000 birds), decoys are placed within 300 yards (274 m). Stragglers and family groups are decoyed as they trade back and forth. Limits are taken routinely, but the sights and sounds of thousands of birds are what make the trip meomrable.
Our hunt that morning was not only exciting, but successful. “Small” 100-bird flocks came in one after another, dropping from up high like huge snowflakes. Individuals often flipped upside down as they descended. Between shots, we had to smile. And, of course, collect birds.
During the previous two days, we had hunted the same area for Canadas. They were also abundant, and on both days we easily limited out. Then, 48 Canada decoys did their jobs admirably. The use of a black flag and competent calling completed the deception. The birds came in directly and hung over the decoys.
Hunting south of the St.Lawrence requires special knowledge of the area and regulations. Goose seasons and limits are different from Ontario’s. Although seeing 10,000 snows if a field is common, they’re often on private property, requiring permission to hunt. For these reasons, I recommend using outfitter, such as Dupuis. They have decoys, the know-how, and connections to ensure success. It was a great hunt and I’d go back in a white wing-beat.