Hey guys.  I have never done waterfowl hunting.
I think I want to get into goose hunting.
The place I go turkey hunting always has geese in the field. Same for deer hunting spots.  

I don’t have a boat (and it isn’t in the chips) but I think a layout blind and a few decoys would probably get the job done.

Any tips for a new guy?   Any good YouTube pages to look at while I’m bored at work?  
Thanks.

I don't know where you live , but here in Delaware they dropped the limit to 1 . One f'en bird a day . Who is going to get up early go to where you hunt(usually paying a bunch to lease) set up dozens of decoys , wait in the cold to shoot one damn bird . I watch a bunch of hunting shows where 5-6 guys shoot 30 geese so I hope that's your area . Around here on any market place forum you can find guys selling all their goose hunting stuff . I even have a brand new layout blind I never got to use . Resident goose season in September you can shoot a lot more because the geese don't migrate South and stay local tearing up Golf courses and Parks .

Michigan. Our bag limit is 5. Possession limit is 15

Learn to call correctly . There are a bunch of videos out there youtube etc... Bad calling is worse than no calling .

Yea.  I have no clue how that works.  I figure I can spend some time on YouTube with that in mind

Number 1 thing is scouting, be where the birds want to be, they are in that field for a reason and 99% of the time it is food, if you are set up where they want to be it sure makes life alot easier.

Number 2 is your hide, be it an A-frame, layout, natural fence line or "other", blend in well and don't move when they are close.  When in doubt, add more natural camo material.

Number 3 is decoys, just starting out grab 5 dozen silhouettes, Big Als, dive bomb, real geese that should do fine for starting out.  Remember, if you are on the X you are just trying to get them feet down in front of you.  If you like the sport, then you can go in the poor house buying decoys.

Number 4 is calls, no need to get the newest custom acrylic $200 call, plenty of cheap poly carb call that can get you started.  Like said above, poor calling is worse than no calling, so practice alot.

Number 5 is everything else, I always have a flag with me in a field, some days I would give up my calls for the flag.  Guns and ammo, any 12 ga with either 1, 2 or BB steel shot in a mod choke will kill any goose on the planet inside of 40 yards.  You don't need a 3.5" gun or TSS shot, know your range, they are alot bigger than you think and can look close at 60 or 70 yards.

If you like the sport, which you will, then you can start playing around with all the guns/shells/chokes/calls/decoys/blinds, but above will get you started just fine.  Send me a message if you have other questions.

Would a 30” full choke barrel work?   I have one of them.  Got it for $10 and repainted it nicely.  I use it for turkey.

Probably not,  sounds like a lead shot barrel unless it has screw in chokes.

Most of my steel shot chokes measure in-between modified and improved modified for lead.

Only real way is to pattern it at 40 yards.

Ahh.  Yea.  Gotta check that out.  It’s an older barrel. Might not be good for steel shot.  

It’s a monster on the turkey.  

Yeah, older full choke and steel, not the best combo.  Would it work, probably for smaller shot, but that is not what you need for geese.

That said I shoot just about everything with a .675 Terror choke in my Benellis  

Learn to call
Don’t wait to learn to call the week before season
Buy a good call
Buy decoys

Don’t call if you suck at calling because you’ll do more harm than good.
Learn how to brush in a blind
When you think it’s good.. it’s not.
Scout
Scout some more
Then scout again.

Best bet would be to find a group willing to take on a new guy.

But let me tell you… those are few and far between because often times some new to goose / duck hunting guy has screwed someone over out of a spot they lease, or shown up uninvited without the person who has permission and gotten everyone kicked off

Lots of nuances

Thanks man.  I really appreciate it.  Yea. Good luck getting into a group without knowing them good

Full choke barrel - you'd likely want to shoot bismuth for waterfowl.  I have a 30" FC wingmaster that I love shooting bismuth out of for ducks and geese.  Patterns tight though.

Most of the key items have been hit on.  Take this off season to watch a lot of videos on youtube.
For hunting instruction, Divebomb, Moltgear, Avery/Banded, Avian-X, and various other waterfowl channels produce quality content.
For calling instruction, Moltgear along with their partner The Roost, Tim Grounds Calls (Hunter Grounds), Forrest Carpenter, Shawn Stahl, Kile Jones, Sean Mann, Corey Loeffler/DRC Calls all have videos up on youtube.
Molt Gear, Stahl, Mann, Grounds have complete instructionals on CD or DVD, as do many other call manufacturers.

Best advice - You can 100% get started solo, and maybe scratch a few birds out right away, but it would be better to network with a few people to trade hunting access and learn from their experience.
Another option before you hunt the land you have access to would be to spend a few dollars and do a guided hunt with a small group.  Take the time to explain that you've never waterfowl hunted before, and don't be afraid to ask questions before, during, and after a hunt.

Also, don't burn out your field and educate the birds by hunting too much.  That's why many mention scouting - the birds will change their feeding patterns based on crops, time of year, and hunting pressure.  Set up in a field too many times or shoot at the same birds on multiple hunts and they will become decoy shy and change their flightline.

Great post.  Thanks