Killdeer called and swooped around Frank La Giglia and me as we set Canada geese silhouettes in the predawn Sunday. Frank Lagodny had camouflage netting strung in the first row of sweet corn when we finished. As we sat, a flock of wood ducks whistled over our heads.
‘‘That makes the morning,’’ Lagodny said.
It did.
So did the Canada geese on the first day of early Canada goose season.
Despite the bluebird skies, geese flew. The first six flew straight into the decoys, and we bagged the four we shot at.
Dozens more wood ducks wheeled around the decoys. One group of 14 wheeled past six times before alighting at the end of our ‘‘V’’ spread.
‘‘They’re like 20-year-olds afraid of commitment,’’ Lagodny said.
‘‘Wish I had a camera set up out there,’’ La Giglia said. ‘‘It is cool.’’
An hour after the first geese came into the decoys, another group came straight in, and the Franks added two more geese.
When flying slowed, conversation turned to recipes. I save goose hearts (mine and others), then slice them and saute them in bacon grease with homegrown vegetables and serve them over egg noodles or rice.
Lagodny gave a rough recipe for making gumbo with goose legs, something not many hunters use. He cooks the legs with the seasonings from Jambalaya Girl Gumbo Base with Roux in a slow cooker for five or six hours until the meat comes off the bone. He then adds his own seasonings, along with the reserved flour mix to finish.
‘‘Legs make a really, really rich broth,’’ he said.
Geese stopped flying around 8:30 a.m. We gave it until 9.
It was time.
‘‘I won’t say it was a blast-off to the season, but very satisfying,’’ Lagodny said.
Stray cast
I hope the Cubs aren’t like too many muskies I’ve figure-eighted.