Drake / Field Expert - Hunting Canada Geese in Grain Fields

Daryl Hodge and Blake Hodge after a Father / Son hunt

Daryl Hodge is a seasoned waterfowl hunter based in the Upstate of South Carolina who teams up with his son Blake for outdoor adventure, known as the Wrecking Crew. These two are into a little bit of everything from duck calling contests, guiding hunts and always relentlessly scouting out the next field to hunt Canada geese in. Daryl Hodge is the South Atlantic Flyway Field Expert Manager for Drake Waterfowl Systems, and he will travel to hunt geese in different states from Arkansas to Virginia.

Canada goose season opens up in S.C. on November 21 – 28, and then comes back in from December 12 – 31. “The latter part of November is when the lower flyway in South Carolina will see Canada geese beginning to trickle in,” said Hodge. “These groups will be different from early season geese because they fly a lot higher, are in larger groups, and they stay tighter. We scout likely locations such as cut corn fields, winter wheat fields and even some pastures. Any of those places that also have a pond nearby are likely to attract migratory Canada geese.”

“Remember, the easiest flying conditions for migratory waterfowl like Canada geese is directly ahead of a front,” said Hodge. “Also, they frequently will choose to migrate in the night during a full moon phase since the extra light aids their visual navigation. When we have harvested Canada geese with federal leg bands in the past, most of the Atlantic Flyway birds come down from Ontario, New York and Maryland, so watching for hunt reports out of those areas can also give clues about peak migration times.”

To read the entire article in the newspaper click on Colletonian. 

To view past blog entries about Drake Field Experts click on February 2013 - September 2013 

To view past blog entries about hunting Canada geese click on 2014 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010