I 2nd and 3rd this! I've had the same situation happen many times. I've missed strikes because I'm giving more attention to the goose behind me than the fishing. The same thing happens when I go running. A flock never fails to form around the trail I run and it's like running the gaunlet through them. They don't waddle off or make room for you or anything...just hiss and charge. I'd love to kick one for a field goal!

Never really trout fished, but it has happened while bass fishing around area lakes. Usually my dog is with me and she lets me know, or rather lets the geese know. She's only ~40 lbs, but she sees a bird and she's ready to go get it. She nearly retrieved an injured snow goose a couple of weeks ago while shed hunting. I called her off because I didn't have the proper permit and the area was closed to hunting them anyway. I figure the coyotes got it.

i hate geese year round...its a good thing they are DELICIOUS because i really enjoy shooting them.

I am not sure what you guys are doing out in the field but if you have the right demeanor and approach the right way, waterfowl should have no problem letting you walk by.

I have owned waterfowl my whole life. They recognize fear and will attack if they sense it. They also recognize someone with an attitude and will attack them also. Just be cool, calm and collected and you shouldn't have a problem.

I bass fish in the spring in a marsh that has nesting birds of all kinds. One year, I had to walk past a swan nest. I approached calmly and slowly and walked by. after a couple times, I was literally one of the family and was able to get within 3 feet of mom, dad and the kids the whole spring. Same thing with Geese. In fact, someone let a big white domestic goose go in the marsh. This thing was the terror of every fisherman who got within a 200 yards. It ran up to me and I turned and faced it. It stopped dead in its tracks and I was able to eventually feed it by hand. Waterfowl are very similar to a dog.

An added bonus of owning waterfowl. I can make all duck calls with my throat and mouth and they sound dead on.

The resident Canada geese are a pain in the butt around our lakes but it is the ducks in a local stream that can be irritating at times. Definitely steer clear of mute swans - an older man got dragged off his boat and drowned by one a few years back.

I've had a goose charge me and after successfully fending off the charge and thinking i was in the clear the same goose came flying straight at me. I found myself yelling and waiving my fishing rod in the air while the goose was all but ontop of me. One of my buddies had a front row seat to the comedy show and was laughing histarically. Geese can be quite annoying but we did have a good laugh about the whole situation.

To: Garyfisherman,

I agree but getting the geese to agree, that is another matter completely.