Early Season Goose Hunt - Floating The River

[@fakegucci2244]

Awesome video, God Bless everyone reading this and everyone you know.

[@ADKMtnTracker]

I think you did a great job communicating amongst your buddies. When you are coordinating something like that having someone who is a strong communicator is crucial for safety. Good job, really enjoyed the video!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks man, awesome to hear you enjoyed it! I definitely try to be pretty clear and strong with my communication in those situations. As you said it can make a big difference when it comes to safety.

[@BLASTER-vb5wu]

Awesome video Thomas. Love to see where y’all hunt. Beautiful country and it’s nice to see a video where people comment on the beautiful area!! Keep grinding...can’t wait for the next one!!👍🏼🦆

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Blaster, I'm going to try and incorporate more video of the scenery of what I hunt this season!

[@kramu1692]

Great video. The only recommendation I have is tether your guns to the canoe and wear a lifevest. I float the rivers also. There are vests out there that you can still shoulder your gun with.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you. I typically have a tether on my gun when floating just happened to leave it in my car this day. As for a life vest this is one of the few times I really don't think it was needed. 80+ degree water temps and the river very rarely gets over 6 feet deep in the sections we were floating. Cold weather or deep water I'm definitely wearing one, on a day like this it stays in the front of my kayak

[@DuckGunChronicles]

Good stuff! Great way to start the season with a bang 🤙

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Jordan! Hopefully September will be full of geese, teal, and doves for all of us

[@HighPrairieSportsmen]

That's the way to kick off the season! Nice work!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Matt!

[@slyflyby]

Good video Thomas. Crazy situation but you guys made it work. I know the feeling of not being able to sleep before an opener. When I don't feel too excited any more it's time to hang it up!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Sly! It was a little weird and foreign to us to hunt like that but it's something I would try again. That's exactly right about the excitement, when I start to feel like I'm just going through the motions it's time to take a break

[@shawn5141]

Was heading home from work today and was thinking it was time for a video. Thanks Thomas. Enjoy them all. Geese just filtered in to the farm last night at dark and had a ton this morning while I was at work.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Shawn! First time editing a hunt in a while so I was a little slow. Hope y’all get on those geese!

[@theflywayscollective9238]

That looks like a ton of fun.

[@HokeOutdoors]

It definitely was, not the same as having them come into decoys but fun none the less

[@jasonfulcher204]

Great hunt man, saw the pic on facebook and couldnt wait to see the video, glad to see someone in VA has some geese.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Jason! Wish we had some to kill in a field but we’ll take what we can get

[@kraigkaatz6858]

I have never done that sort of jump shooting.... nice job

[@schaindolan8086]

Up here in New York we have unplugged guns in early season what is it down there?

[@HokeOutdoors]

We have to use plugged shotguns in our early goose season

[@peterlederer7674]

That looks like fun wow never seen hunting like that. Do u ever worry about losing ur shotgun in the river? It didn't look like u have it attached to anything when paddling. What size and brand loads did use this time?

[@HokeOutdoors]

It is a lot of fun, definitely very different than my normal style of hunting however. I typically have a tether/leash that I attach my gun to my kayak with, just happened to leave it in the car this day. I was trying out some BOSS bismuth, 3 inch #5s. I think #4s or #3s would be a better option for geese, I'm sure the #5s are great for ducks though

[@nickytikkitavithesavage9208]

Long time no see!! Duck season right around the corner🤙🏻

[@HokeOutdoors]

Yes it is, about a month till our October split here in VA

[@FreelanceDuckHunting]

I really enjoyed this video Tommy. I've never seen anything quit like it. I bet that was a lot of fun! Did you guys ever break for food? How long did it take you to float that far?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Elliot! It was a blast, but was definitely something pretty foreign to all of us. We took a break around 11 for a snack but none of us had the foresight to bring much food. If we do this again I will bring my portable grill and we’ll do a bigger lunch. We got on the water around 6am and took out around 2pm

[@shawn5141]

Hey Thomas. What shells are you shooting now? Have you been anymore this season yet? Keep having the local geese follow the creek a 1/4 mile away and well.... That's that

[@HokeOutdoors]

I was trying out some BOSS bismuth on this hunt, gonna be shooting a variety of shells this season though since I bought a bunch of brands to pattern

[@arfikhan7201]

Easy journy buddy but i like it 👏👏👏

[@nasserkuzbari2205]

Lucky you :) I was at the Potomac River (MD side) a few weeks ago and we got few birds that day. Best of luck to you and your friends.

[@HokeOutdoors]

We are pretty blessed on the early season geese down here for sure. Glad to hear y'all were able to get a few as well up there! Good luck to you as well this season!

[@nasserkuzbari2205]

@@HokeOutdoors Thank you

[@coopernickerson370]

Good job boys. I know weather was warm but still wear the life jacket bud. Never know. Tmw is goose opener up Ontario. Happy hunting.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Cooper. Good luck to y'all with the geese tomorrow! What's y'alls goose limit up in Ontario?

[@coopernickerson370]

Virginia Outdoors Unlimited 5 geese with additional 5 per hunter during early opener for two weeks. Then 5 during regular season which starts September 28 (6 ducks daily)

[@scottdrolet2172]

Great video keep up the good work 🤙🏼

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Scott!

[@finalflightoutdoors9892]

Awesome opener man, gotta love jumpshooting too, just being out there is fun! But one thing I noticed is that you were rushing your shots a lot. I do it too and it seems like there's not enough time, but I'd recommend taking your time and regain composure after the first shot. There were a lot of rapid fire backup shots, otherwise great video!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank man, hope your opener went well. I was definitely rushing a little bit. Typically as the season goes on my shooting slows down considerably

[@finalflightoutdoors9892]

@@HokeOutdoors I agree with that, and it went okay only two. Early season bids are always confusing

[@paulprowse7627]

Good job Thomas, our early season begins tomorrow, and like you I’m sure pumped, curious, you use 3’s or 3.5’s?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Paul! Good luck tomorrow! I shoot 3 inch 99% of the time

[@bradyhull4489]

Great video!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Brady!

[@MadDawgMorales]

Liking the vids man. I'm subscribing for sure👍 how manageable are the 3 inch shells in the Affinity?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks man, I really appreciate it! The Affinity 3 has handled everything I've run through it super well so far!

[@MadDawgMorales]

@@HokeOutdoors Good to know man. I'll probably end up picking one up hopefully before duck season starts up here in NM.

[@wingsandwateroutdoors9042]

hey man great vid all i have to say is make sure to be extra careful when you have people shooting upriver and your downriver just so you don’t get shot

[@nasserkuzbari2205]

Is that at the Potomac River VA side?

[@HokeOutdoors]

It isn't. This river is in western Virginia

[@cw1865s]

What river do y’all float? I’m in in Northern Virginia and love to link up and share some knowledge!!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Shoot me a private message on Instagram or Facebook and I’d be happy to discuss specifics. Not tryna make that information super public though

[@DeeplyDrivenOutdoors]

That was a fun video. I'm usually kinda meh on jump shooting but it was cool to see your coordination on that. And TEN geese a person limit?! In Iowa we get 2 until Nov 1, then 3. We have to have the stingiest limits in the US haha

[@HokeOutdoors]

I’ve kinda of lost the passion I had for jump shooting this past year but I definitely still enjoyed myself this day. The 10 bird limit is definitely nice, makes it tough to be able to put “limits” in the title though 😂. After September we go to 3 in the part of the state this was filmed in

[@zeroedinwithzeke4059]

Great hunt! I just got myself a new shotgun a few days ago. Got to try it out on some geese!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks man! Good luck on the geese!

[@MikeClarkOutdoors]

Dang Thomas you almost got knocked with the 2nd flock!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Haha yep. Luckily he landed a little short

[@coltoncrooks4001]

Do you like your stoeger or your franchi better

[@HokeOutdoors]

So far the Franchi. I like how it swings a lot more than I did with my Stoeger

[@1911CockedandLocked]

What kayak are you running?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Old Town Discovery 119

[@nathanglen2507]

U should prolly switch to a pump bc I think u r rushing your 2nd and 3rd shot and that is a very easy thing to do. The pump would fix that. Once u got use to the slower shooting u could go back to the semi. And it will save money on shells!!! Just my opinion!!!!

[@HokeOutdoors]

The issue is I can shoot my pump just as fast as my semi if I'm rushing. It's a mental thing, I've got to just work through it

[@cole5038]

what river

[@roosterboy1122]

Looks like you try and take all the good shooting

[@HokeOutdoors]

Just how it worked out this day, wasn’t on purpose. This was our first time hunting in this style and we were figuring it out as we went

[@derekgee4745]

I take it you guys have to have plugs??? We do the same thing in ny but no plugs are required in the September nuisance season.. no plug and 15 a day/person!! Come on up!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Yeah we have to have plugs here in VA. If we could shoot 6 shells we'd tear them up even better around here

[@kevinmcguire9516]

What ammo were you using

[@HokeOutdoors]

I was trying out some BOSS 3 inch #5s. If I shoot their bismuth at geese again it'll probably be the #4s

[@english_pointer]

What GoPro do you use?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Hero 5 mainly

[@ryanjohnson5471]

Sweet water swat

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks!

[@nickkettinger676]

Cool video

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Nick

[@huntingtheexperience]

Fun to watch. Maybe tone down the bossy-ness with your Bros. Anyways, gj

[@HokeOutdoors]

I appreciate it. I definitely heard the bossiness in my voice a couple times while editing. Just wanted to make sure I was being clear on where everyone needed to be. I'll definitely try to tone it back in the future.

[@Boobashoob]

I’m in Charlottesville. Let me know if you need another man on your hunt. I’ll be happy to join.

[@HokeOutdoors]

I post on IG from time to time when I have spots open, keep an eye out on there

[@nvzn]

this was honestly one of the most dangerous things i've ever seen. you were taking shots at geese with your friends straight ahead of you. what are you thinking?

[@chase7106]

First ;o)

[@HokeOutdoors]

Shouldn't you be working..

[@enverkrbyk5291]

hey excellent man can i join your team ? I'm living in va

[@mudduck6182]

Where are the dove hunting videos?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Coming tomorrow! Just a little behind since I've got college stuff going on too

[@mudduck6182]

@@HokeOutdoors ok that's cool👍

[@jaymorris859]

id love to make the trip up and do some hunting with ya this year! shoot me a message and let’s talk hunting!

[@mattwalczak3164]

slow your shooting. quicker isnt always better.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Yeah I have an issue with rushing my shots, something I’m trying to work on

[@theduckboy3521]

Go squirrel hunting

[@HokeOutdoors]

I will after the first frost. Before then they tend to have a ton of ticks and other nasty stuff on them

[@mnpluckedoutdoors9069]

Smh

[@chase7106]

??