Is anyone else noticing the geese acting strange? Sometimes they’re flying out to feed at sunset, or not at all, circling the decoys high and taking off, feeding late in the morning?
Never had this happen to me. Talked to other hunters and they’re seeing the same thing.

Isn’t there some saying about acting like a goose?

What's the temps there?

Cooler last week but highs of +15c this week. Little warmer than usual

Temps are still warm for them and they're lazy. If they're flaring from dekes, checks them and your hide :-)

Hmmm. Others are having the same thing in se Manitoba, and it ain’t their 1st rodeo.

Can't say without more info. I don't know the area. Generally, in warm weather, at least here, grass and wheat are 1st. Cooler weather is usually corn and radishes. Cold weather is corn and soybeans. A lot also depends on the moon phase. They're just starting to migrate south here. :-)

Usually by mid October we’re really crushing them, gotta work hard now. The ones that just circle baffles me. Must be something they don’t like in the set up. But these other guys are seeing the same thing.

Then that indicates there's a common denominator with all the other guys too. I'd again say check dekes and hides. Maybe the geese have been shot at too much and are wary.

The geese have wised up here. They won't hardly decoy anymore. They tend to land as individual family groups in fields but not together. A field may have 8 or 10 families spread out across it. They seem to have changed their feeding patterns too. Coming off the lakes much later in the day and sometimes feeding into the afternoon then going back to the roost and skipping supper.

They're not skipping supper, they're already full :-)

The big number aren’t here yet either. I know one of the ponds is pretty low, some of it a mud flat in the bush. I’ll bet they’re getting enough feed there. Muzzle deer huntings right around the corner and we’re usually almost done with geese by now.

Back in the 60's and 70's and 80's Goose season closed at 1pm everyday in N.D. Then when time change came it went to 2pm. Them geese got so smart that they wouldn't leave the refuge till season was closed. The whole waterfowl hunting has changed thru out the years. If you don't have 30 dz full body decoys your doing something wrong. For many yrs when I guided for Waterfowl in Sask all I used were wind socks and would put out anywhere from 500 to 900 and we averaged 69 geese a day for 14 yrs. I would guide up there for 5 weeks or sometimes longer if the weather held out. We didn't need the big full body decoys. Could you imagine how big of trailer you would need for 500 full body decoys.

I know that some guys in big goose hunting areas have quit using layout blinds and moved to A-frames. More than one guy (guys who shoot 100+ per season) has told me they are convinced that the geese recognize the shadow cast by the layout whereas a properly brushed in A-frame just looks like a patch of weeds.

This September, geese would not investigate the decoys until they had circled high and looked into the boat.

This could be a multitude of things:

1) Moon Phase. Geese and ducks will feed in fields after shooting light in the evenings on a bright moon phase
2) Pressure. If their feeds are being hunted in frequency they will resort to altering their patterns so they don't get shot. They are smarter than we give them credit for
3) Silhouettes. If you are running these leave them in the truck one day and run a small full body spread broken up in family groups.
4) Your hide. Get away from the "obvious" places you would typically hide. Get away from hard edges, ditches, fencelines, etc. Get out in the decoys in layout blinds or strategically place A frames. Brush them until you are satisfied and then brush them again

have not seen any here yet

Geese here seem to be getting up around 10:00 am and moving around this year and moving right at dark.
We have had a rough year as well with geese and ducks
Usually we have shot a whole pile by now but this year we really gotta work hard to get them.
In Southern Ontario out towards the great lakes where I go for work I have seen thousands of geese all day long though heading south
It has also been unusually warm, we haven't even had a frost yet.

most of the northern birds just moved through since the crops were plowed under after harvest
bigger geese move after 10am as their digestive tracks are longer to digest grains
city geese are grass grazers= decoys for migrants