As the west wind roared across the cornfield, I pulled my collar up higher in a vain attempt to stop the chill. The rain that pelted my ears and neck seemed to be coming in sideways. I huddled down lower in hopes that the spruce boughs of the blind would cut the wind, but they did not.

Slowly, I began to hear a faint cry in the distance. The cry became louder until it sounded like a chorus of trumpeters. Our guide answered back with his song. I crouched down lower to avoid detection. All at once, the guide cried out, “Take ’em boys,” and I sprang up. In front of me were five Canada geese, wings cupped above the decoys. They appeared to be suspended from the sky as they fought the wind to land. Upon seeing the commotion in the hedge row, they reeled back in an attempt to gain altitude. Their attempts were too late as we each brought down one of these magnificent birds, considered to be the big-game of waterfowl. This scenario would repeat itself numerous times over my two-day hunt, and the memory is as vivid now as it was on those days in the blind on Prince Edward Island (PEI).

Nothing could prepare me for the beauty of that province. The deep red soil of the numerous farm fields was interrupted only by strips of thick forest and bright green layers of grass. This is potato country, and the farms we saw were immaculately kept – a tribute to the pride that islanders have in their homes.

The first morning of the hunt came quickly, and I was up at 4 a.m. After a hearty breakfast, my party met with our guide. A storm was rolling in from the west, and this was good news for us, as he explained the geese would be moving off the water to feed.

After a short drive, we were in one of the cornfields that our outfitter leases for exclusive hunting rights. Not only does this practice provide the farmer with financial support, it ensures the hunters of exclusive rights to prime areas.

We quickly got settled into one of the 15 to 20 blinds they maintain. This particular blind was built into a hedge row between two fields. Our guide, Danny, explained that if the weather got too brutal, we would move to a heated blind.

As dawn broke, I looked over the massive spread of decoys Danny had set out. I quickly noted that some of the decoys were full-body style, and some were silhouette dekes. Danny explained that he often used silhouettes to add realism to the flock as the geese pass overhead. These silhouettes definitely looked real.

Other guides on the island I have hunted with use even more realistic decoys called stuffers. These are actual geese that have been mounted by a taxidermist. Special care goes into the storage and upkeep of these expensive dekes, but the results are amazing.

Our party of four had fantastic shooting during our two-day hunt and encountered no problems bringing home our limit of five birds each per day, thanks to our guide, his calling and decoys. Although the goose season in PEI typically runs from early October through early December, prime time is the beginning of October to early November. We hunted Oct. 30 and 31 and hit it just right.

The island also offers ruffed grouse, gray partridge (Hungarian partridge) and duck hunting. If conditions and time permit, most outfitters will guide hunters for those birds as well. We were kept busy on geese, but one of their assistant guides took several green-winged teal while we were there.

The cost of the hunt was quite reasonable, especially considering the Canadian exchange rate. A two-day hunt costs about $275 per day when staying in housekeeping cottages and cooking your own meals, and all-inclusive packages cost slightly more. License and Federal Migratory Permits cost approximately $90. And all licenses are available through the outfitter.

For $8 per bird, our guide took our geese to a commercial processor and had them dressed, plucked, packaged and labeled per U.S. Customs specifications.

Our gracious host and guide summed it up by stating, “Five geese per day, great waterfowl and upland hunting and the ability to see geese from your cabin window is what appeals to American hunters.”

For more information on visiting this goose hunting Mecca, contact Prince Edward Island Tourism at 1-800-463-4734.

I will be re-visiting PEI in November and plan on reporting back my success this time around.