As clients who have hunted with us in previous years can attest, guiding for geese in Colorado is what we do best. Our guides have learned from years of experience in the field and will be ready to get you onto the birds at a moments notice. We also have properties in multiple flyways so we can take advantage of almost every roost on the front range.
What it takes for guiding geese in Colorado
You may ask yourself. “What are does it take for guiding geese in Colorado?” We are approached by many hunters over the course of the year who are interested in guiding. There is a in-depth screening process we put them through to determine if they have what it takes. We’re looking for ability, enthusiasm, dependability, and the desire to relate with clients. Many often times, excellent hunters will approach us and not be guiding material. They have the ability to put piles of birds on the ground, however, don’t seem to care much about making clients happy. If they seem to encompass the entire package, we will let them act as an “apprentice” for a minimum of ten hunts. After that training period, we consider letting them take a trip on their own.
Through the course of time, we’ve had a number of full time and part-time guides. Many have come and gone but most have stayed with us over the course of years. There’s an addiction to waterfowl hunting that most pick up.
Joe Addy was an experienced duck hunter from Mississippi who could blow a duck call like nobody we had ever seen. He picked up goose calling like a champ and killed more birds than we thought existed in North America. Duck hunting was second nature to him and Joe had a knack for getting birds to bomb in. He had never shot ducks in a corn field and was amazed at the number Colorado held in the years he guided. Unfortunately for us, the call of his home state took Joe away and he’s now raising a family down south.
While Joe was still with us, James Kelley began training and eventually took over the lead guide position. James was originally from Texas and came too Colorado to enjoy a better life. He was married with one baseball and football loving son who regularly accompanied him. James picked up guiding very quick and took his first trip to an alfalfa field near Wiggins during a snow storm. What began as a 4-gun hunt, quickly turned into 2 as the step father of one of the hunters had a brain aneurism just before leaving the convenience store for the field. He was rushed to the hospital in Fort Morgan and came hunting with us a few times in the years to come.
James first two seasons were incredibly tough but he stuck it out. “Embrace the suck” became the keyphrase for almost every outfitter on the front range and only a few days saw limits of birds. The idea of guided memberships came in 21-22 and hunting took off like it never had before. These memberships gave James his own hunting club and hunting was incredible. 22-23 was even better and many hunters decided to renew their guided memberships specifically to hunt with James. Even when hunting was tough, hunters that spent a day with James left with smiles and looked forward to their next day in a blind.
Accompanying James was military veteran Justin Uno. Justin was a late season club member who had quite a passion for waterfowl hunting. He was #2 to James but became an integral part of the success of the business. Other military veterans came to hunt with Justin and our partnership with American Heroes in Action was successful because of his influence. Many groups still request Justin as their guide and we certainly hope he is with us for many years to come.
While these guides were personable, dependable, and in-tune with their clients needs, they also had one other thing that defined a great guide: toughness. Getting up at the crack of dawn at 5-6 days in a row and running clients all day takes its toll. When limits are shot, they get to go home early and rest. What about when hunting is tough? All day can take the life out of you and these guys never wavered.
What about decoys for guiding geese in Colorado?
A common question we receive is, “How many, and what type, of decoys will we be hunting over?” Birds & Bucks is sponsored by Dakota decoys and you’ll be hunting over 5-40 dozen decoys at a time. Dakota has the finest decoys on the market and it can be difficult to see the difference between decoys and real birds that land in our spreads. Hit the link below to take a look!
Our guides also have a large spread of silhouette decoys to compliment their full bodies. Most run divebomb but other brands also work just as well. Silhouettes add numbers to any spread without breaking the bank. Sometimes our guides run almost 75 dozen silhouettes in addition to 30-40 dozen full bodies. 100 dozen decoys in a field can have an incredible effect.
Click HERE to view Divebomb decoys website
What about Duck Hunting?
If it’s duck hunting you’re looking for, we can certainly accommodate. Early and late season field mallard hunting can be exceptional and many of our return clients have booked their hunts for this season. If you’ve never been under a group of hundreds of bombing mallards, it needs to be on your “to do” list. Once you experience the rush that comes along with this spectacle, you’ll keep coming back for more!
Pricing
Out pricing varies, so please visit https://birdsandbucksoutdoors.com/colorado-goose-hunting/ for further details.