Here is an article I wrote for another web site, concerning my approach to flagging. Again this is my opinion, not gospel.
The first time we saw the geese in the distance, they were a little more than a mile away. I know this because they had just crossed on the other side of a water tower that is one mile from the corn field we were hunting that day. The calling was not helping us at all as the geese continued on their course. Only when we stood up and began flagging with everything we had did the geese finally wing in our direction. All the planets must have lined up for us as we ended up cutting into that flock pretty hard. After the guns went silent and the dog went to work we stood there dumb founded that we actually got those birds to change course from such a long distance. What was the difference? The all mighty flag was the difference.
Flagging is still one of goose hunting’s most effective tools for turning geese from long distances, finishing birds, or getting them to return, and yet it is one of the least instructed topics you’ll hear professionals talk about. I have spoken to several folks about how they flag geese and why. Some flag geese like they are trying to land an airplane. Some flag geese all the way to the ground, some even run around the decoys with 12’ flagging poles for those long distance birds. Ultimately what ever works for you is the way to go. Here are some of the things we have learned along the road.
I can’t begin to remember all the times I have sat and observed geese feeding in corn fields. I have studied their behavior for countless hours while scouting, hoping to get an education as to how I can sell my set up more effectively. One day I had a revelation. I began to notice that geese would randomly stand up and flap their wings, to stretch I presume. I began to notice there was a rhythm to their flapping. I sat counting the number of beats they would flap. I never counted more than six wing beats. I immediately employed this new information to my hunting and had immediate success. When I raise my flag it is never for more than six wing beats and the first few beats stronger than the last few. As with calling or setting decoys my main objective is to recreate a flock of feeding geese. I need to look, sound, and act like they do. Not only is the rhythm important but also the action itself.
I remember my first flag. I cut a piece of conduit and hot glued a huge piece of black fabric to it. I think the thing was 3’x5’. I can only imagine what passing vehicles must have thought of us standing in the field waving that huge black flag. I had completley misinterpretted the term "Flagging". I can only imagine what the geese must have thought of us since it never seemed to help. If you have ever heard Jeff Foiles in a seminar he says this about flag wavers. “Hey geese, come over here, I’m a human and I want to shoot you.” Geese stand up and flap front to back not side to side, and so should you with deep powerful beats from your flag. Once I had what I felt was the right rhythm and cadence of wing beats I began to experiment with it in other situations.
I found flagging useful in keeping birds from landing short and bringing them back if they flared. Sometimes no mater how well you have set out your decoys you get a bunch of geese that are just afraid of their own shadows and will always try to land short wanting to avoid a fight when they land. I have found that a few wing beats at the right time along with some calming murmurs from your goose call often times brings the birds in a few more yards for more ethical shots. Normally I subscribe to clucking at in-coming geese; however when geese look like they want to land short I stop clucking and go into murmurs. Murmurs seem to be less threatening than sharp clucks and may convince the geese that landing is relatively safe. Doing a little flagging at the same time helps focus the geese on a landing spot as close to you as possible. Remember, if you had been flagging the whole time, more flagging will not keep them from landing short. I have also found that in the case of flaring geese, appropriate flagging can bring back a few birds from the end of the flock if not the whole flock. The guys I hunt with all know if they are flagging they are to keep an eye out for birds that look back at our spread when a group tries to leave. The callers will go into a big come back sequence and inevitably a few birds will look back. When they do, they need to see a flag. The number of times this has worked for us is staggering.
Remember this only works if you use the flag sparingly. If you over use the flag they suffer from sensory deprivation and more flagging in my opinion is virtually useless. Whether the topic is calling, decoys, or flagging I am always a fan of doing just enough to get the job done. You can always call more, set out more decoys, or do some more flagging. You cannot however, go back. If you over call, overwhelm your birds with too many decoys, or flag too much there is little you can do to bring them back. Flagging is a very effective tool in completing the illusion and it will mean more tailgate photos of broad smiles and bending game straps.
The first time we saw the geese in the distance, they were a little more than a mile away. I know this because they had just crossed on the other side of a water tower that is one mile from the corn field we were hunting that day. The calling was not helping us at all as the geese continued on their course. Only when we stood up and began flagging with everything we had did the geese finally wing in our direction. All the planets must have lined up for us as we ended up cutting into that flock pretty hard. After the guns went silent and the dog went to work we stood there dumb founded that we actually got those birds to change course from such a long distance. What was the difference? The all mighty flag was the difference.
Flagging is still one of goose hunting’s most effective tools for turning geese from long distances, finishing birds, or getting them to return, and yet it is one of the least instructed topics you’ll hear professionals talk about. I have spoken to several folks about how they flag geese and why. Some flag geese like they are trying to land an airplane. Some flag geese all the way to the ground, some even run around the decoys with 12’ flagging poles for those long distance birds. Ultimately what ever works for you is the way to go. Here are some of the things we have learned along the road.
I can’t begin to remember all the times I have sat and observed geese feeding in corn fields. I have studied their behavior for countless hours while scouting, hoping to get an education as to how I can sell my set up more effectively. One day I had a revelation. I began to notice that geese would randomly stand up and flap their wings, to stretch I presume. I began to notice there was a rhythm to their flapping. I sat counting the number of beats they would flap. I never counted more than six wing beats. I immediately employed this new information to my hunting and had immediate success. When I raise my flag it is never for more than six wing beats and the first few beats stronger than the last few. As with calling or setting decoys my main objective is to recreate a flock of feeding geese. I need to look, sound, and act like they do. Not only is the rhythm important but also the action itself.
I remember my first flag. I cut a piece of conduit and hot glued a huge piece of black fabric to it. I think the thing was 3’x5’. I can only imagine what passing vehicles must have thought of us standing in the field waving that huge black flag. I had completley misinterpretted the term "Flagging". I can only imagine what the geese must have thought of us since it never seemed to help. If you have ever heard Jeff Foiles in a seminar he says this about flag wavers. “Hey geese, come over here, I’m a human and I want to shoot you.” Geese stand up and flap front to back not side to side, and so should you with deep powerful beats from your flag. Once I had what I felt was the right rhythm and cadence of wing beats I began to experiment with it in other situations.
I found flagging useful in keeping birds from landing short and bringing them back if they flared. Sometimes no mater how well you have set out your decoys you get a bunch of geese that are just afraid of their own shadows and will always try to land short wanting to avoid a fight when they land. I have found that a few wing beats at the right time along with some calming murmurs from your goose call often times brings the birds in a few more yards for more ethical shots. Normally I subscribe to clucking at in-coming geese; however when geese look like they want to land short I stop clucking and go into murmurs. Murmurs seem to be less threatening than sharp clucks and may convince the geese that landing is relatively safe. Doing a little flagging at the same time helps focus the geese on a landing spot as close to you as possible. Remember, if you had been flagging the whole time, more flagging will not keep them from landing short. I have also found that in the case of flaring geese, appropriate flagging can bring back a few birds from the end of the flock if not the whole flock. The guys I hunt with all know if they are flagging they are to keep an eye out for birds that look back at our spread when a group tries to leave. The callers will go into a big come back sequence and inevitably a few birds will look back. When they do, they need to see a flag. The number of times this has worked for us is staggering.
Remember this only works if you use the flag sparingly. If you over use the flag they suffer from sensory deprivation and more flagging in my opinion is virtually useless. Whether the topic is calling, decoys, or flagging I am always a fan of doing just enough to get the job done. You can always call more, set out more decoys, or do some more flagging. You cannot however, go back. If you over call, overwhelm your birds with too many decoys, or flag too much there is little you can do to bring them back. Flagging is a very effective tool in completing the illusion and it will mean more tailgate photos of broad smiles and bending game straps.
