Geese are attracted to spreads with landing zones.

After hearing one too many times about what I missed out on, I've invested in good quality insulated wind and waterproof jackets, pants, gloves and hats. In addition, my blind bag always has a spare pair of gloves, a skullcap and several chemical hand warmers in it. With good quality versatile hunting clothes and a few extra accessories, I'm ready to hunt in any conditions Mother Nature throws at me.

As an added precaution, before heading out hunting, I take the time to catch the weather forecast for the day. If there's even a remote chance of bad weather, I pack a few extra clothing items and put a survival kit in my truck.

10. Snooze You Loose
Being late for a hunt is inexcusable. I always make sure I give myself ample time to travel to my hunting spot, set up decoys and move my vehicle from the area. If legal shooting time starts a half an hour before sunrise, I plan to be completely ready at least 15 minutes before that.

I do so, because experience has taught me that if I don't and birds start working the area, my final stages of preparation usually spook the birds, change their flight path and ruin my hunt. Being late also put unnecessary pressure on me and spoiled what should have been an enjoyable time.

11. The Wrong Loads
Trust me when I tell you geese are hard to kill with duck loads and ducks are hard to eat when they come down with goose loads. Where I hunt, ducks and geese often stage and feed in the same places. In many cases, what was supposed to be a duck shoot can quickly turn into a goose hunt or vice versa, even though scouting indicated it was going to be a one species hunt!

Thus, I now always make sure I have the proper loads and choke tubes with me to effectively and ethically harvest both species of birds. In addition, I always carry lots of ammunition so that I never again have to watch incoming birds while holding an empty shotgun.

12. Not Knowing When To Shoot
When I first started hunting, countless birds escaped unscathed each fall because I had trouble deciding when to pull the trigger. The most common mistake I made was to shoot when birds were too far away and not within range. After that issue was figured out, I then had problems deciding when to shoot as the birds worked closer. During those days, I passed on many shots hoping that the birds would make just one more approach for the perfect shooting opportunity.

Like most hunters, I prefer to shoot my birds in the 20- to 25-yard range. However, based on various experiences, I will now call the shot if the birds are within such ranges, even if they are coasting over as opposed to having set wings.

There are times when ducks and geese will not always "finish" or get that close. Thus, I've come to realize that there are times when I have to take them at longer ranges such as those out to 40 yards.