# The first rule of goose hunting is...



## quackiller (Jan 27, 2012)

Lets hear it guys what do you think is the most important part of a successful goose hunt?


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

Geese........


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## quackiller (Jan 27, 2012)

Besides geese


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

Well I would say weather, but this year we had some of the best waterfowl weather conditions and didn't see a bird.


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## Logan (Aug 7, 2009)

*1 st rule*

don't shoot your foot off


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## quackiller (Jan 27, 2012)

Weather, scouting, location in the field (away from edges) has been key for me. For snows the amount of juvies in the flock. Next would be distance from the roost. Not laying in fire ant beds. Calling and hide.


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## quackiller (Jan 27, 2012)

Logan said:


> don't shoot your foot off


Know that one all too well


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## oOslikOo (Jul 13, 2010)

wind


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## Chuckwagon (Aug 30, 2006)

quackiller said:


> Lets hear it guys what do you think is the most important part of a successful goose hunt?


Setting up downwind of your spread...


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## FINNFOWLER (Sep 2, 2004)

The bigger the spread the better. When you think you have enough deks/rags out....add another 100-200 more!


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## Whitecrow (May 26, 2004)

Location.


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

Location is #1...being totally hidden is #2.


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## Jacinto (Sep 14, 2013)

No skyblasting.


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## AlanKulcak (Aug 24, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> Location is #1...being totally hidden is #2.


x2

Putting your time in scouting and learning how the birds are using a field. Dedicate a half hour of time in making yourelf hidden.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

Location, location, location. And a good hedgerow or ditch to jump out of.:rotfl: Having geese would help too. Had them this year.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

Location is overrated........you can do all the scouting in the world and they will still land in the next field over. But I do love them ditches.


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## jenks13 (Mar 21, 2013)

quackiller said:


> Besides geese


Your argument is not valid....


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## aTm08 (Dec 30, 2011)

Logan said:


> don't shoot your foot off


Depends if it's "just the tip".....


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## gulfcoast200 (Jun 26, 2004)

Experience. The longer you've been around it and hunted them the easier the successful hunts are to come by. I know a few old guys that are rarely on X and can't scout that put up some pretty good numbers and it's not because they're lucky.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

Well location would be the best thing. You can't kill them if they ain't there.

Mother Nature would be second. You might be in the best spot, but if conditions aren't conducive your gonna be staring at the sky.

Concealment is very critical. I hunt from pit blinds and I keep my blind invisible! People whine about the amount of brush that's covering the blind, but its the difference between shooting them at sub 20 yds or reaching past 35 yds. Geese don't like seeing pie faces glaring up at them, nor do they like seeing a big black void in the levee.

It's a toss up on calling and decoy placement! Having your decoys set properly and knowing when/when not to call will put birds on the ground when the first two variables are against you. Anybody can kill them if the birds are going to the field already. It takes a little experience to kill them when they aren't in the field.

My $0.02!


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## oOslikOo (Jul 13, 2010)

99% of places on the prairie are gonna have geese so to me that's a non issue. Like was said location isn't the biggest issue because geese can flip a switch from day to day. Now don't get me wrong I'd rather be in a feedin field than runnin traffic but it's not a slam dunk. I do love runnin traffic on specks and havin to work for em. With a group wind is #1 to me because it's hard enough to hide 2 much less a handful and then a group.


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## Brandon Zahn (Jan 12, 2012)

Location! Be invisible! Shoot well... Should be ok then lol.


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## quackiller (Jan 27, 2012)

I found it interesting nobody has said anything about hunting pressure. It must be a given they will be hammered if they're in a popular area. 20 yr old birds remember quickly as well I suppose


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

Gun barrel direction.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

> quackiller
> Registered Users-pm+
> 
> Join Date: Jan 26 2012
> ...


Yeah. That's a good one, but I figured it was understood (speaking of my area in general) we had the most pressured birds in the flyway! Seems like every rice field in SW Louisiana has some sort of blind in it nowadays! Neverless, good point.

Good luck.


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

#1 Relaxed birds on a feeding field that is very close to their roost. That way you don't have some jack wagon getting under their path. When they get up, they see your spread.

#2 HIDE YOU AND YOUR GEAR. I don't like layout blinds. I use a low profile backboard, a camo net with rafia grass tied to it and I use shell decoys placed right next to me on both sides of me. The decoys would be positioned where half of the decoy itself hangs over my legs, midsection and head. It gets crowded with docoys but it brakes up my rather large figure. I think it breaks up the pattern enough to where they can't lock onto a lump in the middle of a flat field. 

To argue this point I will say, I have tried to hisde from them for a long time. I get busted just like everyone else. What I can't understand is this. I have been up, talking and adjusting decoys ect and had geese land in the spread right in front of me at 20 yards. These are the total ***????? moments.

#3 Be willing to change as the events change. Try and set up whare you can hunt in the event of a wind change. All too often I have seen a wind change and the group is too lazy to move gear and decoys to adjust with the wind change. Huge mistake!


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## Whitecrow (May 26, 2004)

wal1809 said:


> What I can't understand is this. I have been up, talking and adjusting decoys ect and had geese land in the spread right in front of me at 20 yards. These are the total ***????? moments.


It doesn't seem like this happens as much as it did in the past.....since the conservation season started. I've had geese decoy in the past with half the spread picked up and the atv parked in the spread. I think those geese get whacked way before they get down here nowadays.


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## goatchze (Aug 1, 2006)

Bring a gun?


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## BIGDADDY22 (Mar 30, 2010)

How about shells, I like #4 buck shot myself!


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## Category6 (Nov 21, 2007)

Seriously? Location doesn't matter? Everyone who knows anything at least knows this...the spot is everything. If you're on the right spot it might still go to *****, but it probably won't; if you're on the wrong spot it was ***** from the start and that will never change.


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## ATE_UP_FISHERMAN (Jun 25, 2004)

scoping the roost and learning the flight path. The day before.


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## awally (Mar 12, 2007)

location location location, and like others have said concealment is key also, u can be on the X wether its ducks or geese but if they see u it aint gonna happen period, and if you dont think location is key you havent hunted enough lmao


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## artys_only (Mar 29, 2005)

Be on the x not next to the x or close to the x ! 

Did I say be on the xðŸ˜€


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## quackiller (Jan 27, 2012)

One of the major screw ups I did all year was not stay till dark and make sure I was in the part of the field they last sat in. Had birds land on the other side of the field more times than i would like to admit. Hiding was never an issue this year and ecaller juvies are really able to get away with a lot more than earlier in the year.


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## oOslikOo (Jul 13, 2010)

quackiller said:


> One of the major screw ups I did all year was not stay till dark and make sure I was in the part of the field they last sat in. Had birds land on the other side of the field more times than i would like to admit. Hiding was never an issue this year and ecaller juvies are really able to get away with a lot more than earlier in the year.


Location isnt everything. Ya it helps but the birds may change their plans any given day. I out killed a buddy by 20 this year runnin traffic and he went in on birds that had been using the field for 2 days. just cause you watch birds till dark one evening doesnt mean that they are gonna hit that field first the next day. weather can have huge influences on what the birds do. e caller season can complicate things further given there are less birds. another guy went in on a hot field and the birds simply went the other way off the roost and didnt fire a shot. next day goes out and kills 40 in a seemingly sub par situation than the above mentioned hunt.


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

Stay hidden, don't move, AND NO BREAKING DOGS!!!


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Not a goose hunter anymore but wanted to add this. I had to fly up to Lubbock once a month over the last few months and then drive a lot around the area all the way up to Ok. That is where your birds are. Farm feilds up there are covered in birds and not a lot of hunting pressure. I was working on a ranch Northwest of Lubbock and the birds where landing within 100 yards of us just standing there in the wide open. HUGE FLOCKS!!!!


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

So what is Rule #1?


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## ccbluewater (May 21, 2004)

daddyeaux said:


> So what is Rule #1?


Rule #1 of Goose hunting, is don't talk about Goose hunting.


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

Rule #1 is being able to anticipate where the birds want to be. Much easier said than done. Weather change plays a big role on when/where the birds are moving to and from. Geese tend to want to go to certain spots consistently on some days and not so much on others. If a person can learn to anticipate that it makes a huge difference in the hunting. 

Rule #1A is that the number of decoys is way, way, way overrated. You don't need more than 100 decoys to hunt snow geese. It is the location that counts.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

Well my birds moved out so I will be sleeping in so now none of the rules apply. The plowing and hard Southeast wind may have moved them out.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

News flash!!!! There is no rule #1


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## Duckchasr (Apr 27, 2011)

Rule #1 Don't forget your gun. The Geese have moved out of the area I had access to years ago. Needville/Damon area.


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

I'd just have to say getting all the decoys put out and back up without having a coronary or blowing some other gasket.


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## Miles2Fish (Dec 2, 2008)

I hunted today February 21st and there were still good numbers of birds in Eagle Lake. We had 6 and these birds were spotting us and flaring off just outside of gun range. Concealment is #1 rule for me! Hunted a wheat field with about 400 rags wearing whites on leaning boards Mostly adult geese. Only killed one juvie.....we still had BIG groups flying right at the rags as we were pulling them up at 11:00. Could have stayed later with birds flying...


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## Jamie (Aug 2, 2011)

Big ranch (5,000+ acres), three 300 acres fields of 2 crop rice scattered across the the ranch seeded with fertilized rye grass after harvest, 1,000 acres of plowed ground, abandoned gravel well pad in the middle, the rest pasture with one roost on the coastal marsh ringing a bay and another roost near a county road to force the birds to exit over the ranch

Oh, and a noisy ranch truck to drive around about 10am


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

Rule 1A is that you don't need hundreds and hundred of decoys. 100 plus or minus is enough. 

It is wrongly accepted as fact that large numbers of decoys are needed to hunt snow geese.


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## Estanton15 (Feb 15, 2015)

daddyeaux said:


> Geese........


Aint that the truth!


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## oOslikOo (Jul 13, 2010)

There still huntable numbers in certain areas. Heard of a 40+ bird hunt this weekend.


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

Goose Lover said:


> Rule 1A is that you don't need hundreds and hundred of decoys. 100 plus or minus is enough.
> 
> It is wrongly accepted as fact that large numbers of decoys are needed to hunt snow geese.


Twice you have stated the less than 100 decoy plan. I am listening, state your case please.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

I can see where having less than 100 high quality snow goose decoys would do well (in my blind setup). I don't particularly target snow geese, but have had some decent hunts with several dozen high quality decoys. Keep in mind that I'm hunting from a pit blind and not trying to hide lay out blinds.

I hunt speckled bellies alot and rarely use more than a dozen flocked decoys. In some instances I may use as little 2 or 3 decoys.


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

LA Wader said:


> I can see where having less than 100 high quality snow goose decoys would do well (in my blind setup). I don't particularly target snow geese, but have had some decent hunts with several dozen high quality decoys. Keep in mind that I'm hunting from a pit blind and not trying to hide lay out blinds.
> 
> I hunt speckled bellies alot and rarely use more than a dozen flocked decoys. In some instances I may use as little 2 or 3 decoys.


Its not the same.

What's the biggest group of specs you've worked? How about snows?

Saturday we had about 500-1000 snows come into our WW field at one time. They didn't give a **** about our 700 SS.

I would like to have tried some good full bodies, but I'd of wanted to try over 200.


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## TatterTot (Jan 6, 2006)

wal1809 said:


> Twice you have stated the less than 100 decoy plan. I am listening, state your case please.


Inquiring minds DO want to know. Do tell. Do tell.:work::work::work:


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## Mr. Saltwater (Oct 5, 2012)

In my experience, rule #1 is LOCATION and the key to a successful hunt. Everything else...decoys, calling, weather, camouflage, etc, are just more pieces to the puzzle. The more pieces you can put together properly the better, but being where the geese want to be is the biggest piece of the puzzle. If you are laying in so much goose poop and feathers that you feel dirty, there is a good chance you may be "on the X".

As far as the number of decoys, I have found that a small number of quality full bodies "on the X" can produce amazing results, especially on pressured birds that have been educated to the average sized decoy spread they have been seeing all season. 
Some of my best late season hunts have been over 2 dozen or less REALISTIC decoys with flocks of thousands landing around me. Once the first few land you have the best possible "decoys" and the rest will follow them in. Unfortunately, 99% of goose hunters don't have the patience to let the scenario play out as they open up on the first geese within range.

Rule 1A is to have the patience to allow a good hunt to become a GREAT hunt.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

> What's the biggest group of specs you've worked? How about snows?
> 
> Saturday we had about 500-1000 snows come into our WW field at one time. They didn't give a **** about our 700 SS.
> 
> ...


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## Swampstomper (Apr 19, 2010)

For me location is #1. I,d take 250 Texas rags in a hot feeding field over 1000 silosocks 3 miles out of the flyway any day.

I,ve also shot plenty of geese over 100 realistic decoys or less. Granted if your hunting heavily pressured birds 100 silosocks may not be a good bet. My buddies and I are working our way up to a good sized full body spread. I think by late season our snows in SE TX have seen and been shot at over so many 600- 1000 piece silosock spreads that they,re getting wise to them. Don,t get me wrong, silosocks are great decoys and my favorites but we had a couple of good tornados this season over windtamer windsocks.


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## castnblast4life (Jun 12, 2007)

Make sure everyone in the spread is living right.


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

ccbluewater said:


> Rule #1 of Goose hunting, is don't talk about Goose hunting.


I thought it was convincing your wife that the setup starts right after Happy Hour and with any luck you will be home around noon...


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## BigTim (Dec 3, 2006)

*#1 rule*

Everyone who walks into the spread, walks out of the spread.
Big guns, big ammo, tight quartersâ€¦ check your safeties!!


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## 3rdcst (Jun 16, 2009)

Location number 1 , location number 2 , location number 3, . A ratio of 3 to 4 young birds for ten adults. Then all the other things come in to play. 

A snow goose is sitting on the roost thinking about where it is gonna eat . You need to be there.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

Yep, but it is a 50/50 **** shoot that you choose the right location. Location is rule #1 only if you made the right choice, and it is 50/50 chance at best.


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

My experience is that a 100 give or take high quality decoys works is plenty. 

Most believe you need big numbers of decoys to hunt snow geese so that is what most everyone puts out. 

But the hunting doesn't reflect any consistency with that approach. Otherwise people that out out big spreads would be wearing them out day after day. Many of the big hunts that I have seen posted on the hunting sites were on days of heavy fog so their success was more weather driven.
We went to smaller spreads years ago and our success is as good or better than when we put out 500-1,000 windsocks, texas rags or whatever. 

I hunt with a friend that has a lease in Matagorda County. The three best days were when the spread size was 50 or less decoys. These were hunts of 80, 33 and 26 light geese with 4 hunters.

If I am going to have a good hunt I would rather put out 100 decoys than 1,000.

And if I am going to have a really bad hunt I would rather put 100 decoys than 1,000.


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## gulfcoast200 (Jun 26, 2004)

Goose Lover said:


> My experience is that a 100 give or take high quality decoys works is plenty.
> 
> Most believe you need big numbers of decoys to hunt snow geese so that is what most everyone puts out.
> 
> ...


Here's my experience...Your hunting marsh geese in an area with very little pressure where your at. Take your 100 fullbodies to Garwood or Eagle Lake and see how far that gets you. I'm not knocking small fullbody spreads they have a time and a place. I own 60 and I've had some decent hedgerow hunts in the same area along the coast yall hunt but day in day out 400 plus decoys socks or fullbodies are going to be the ticket. I'll take 33 and 26 all season long with 4 shooters but those aren't high enough to convince me to sell off the big spread. Yalls 80 came in the fog so in your own words that number is "weather driven".


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

It has worked just as well around El Campo and Wharton. 

They are not hunting "marsh geese" in Matagorda County. Their hunting has been in plowed fields and rye grass.


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## 4thbreak (May 20, 2005)

Goose Lover said:


> I hunt with a friend that has a lease in Matagorda County. The three best days were when the spread size was 50 or less decoys. These were hunts of 80, 33 and 26 light geese with 4 hunters.


Sorry, but I would need to see a lot better hunts than that to switch to a smaller spread.


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## Whitecrow (May 26, 2004)

I'd be game for a smaller spread, but transporting even 100 full bodies would be somewhat cumbersome. How are you hiding?? Are you running traffic, or going in on birds? 
I'd like to see those numbers put up running traffic, which is what the majority of hobbyist, season-lease guys are doing. I can tell you the difference between 400 sillos and 700 sillos is noticeable in harvest numbers.


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## Capt. Marcus Canales (Aug 25, 2005)

Rule number 1, never talk about goose hunting....as previously stated.....rule number 2.....have fun and don't over think it.


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

Back in February of 2004,if my memory is accurate, there was a spread of 10,000 snow decoys that was put out in the panhandle of Texas

They shot 4 geese (again if my memory is accurate and I think it is) That's a lot of decoys for 4 geese.

It is all in the spot and what the geese expect to see.

And if you have 100 very realistic decoys in that spot it will work great. 

Geese, like most waterfowl, have a reflexive reaction to weather change. If it rains they will move to new areas to exploit that food. And they will move on other weather events as well. 

In my opinion if you can take anticipate these events it can benefit your hunting greatly.


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## TatterTot (Jan 6, 2006)

Rule #1 don't call ditch crawling or sneaks or jump shooting hunting. 



Next!


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