Spring snow geese

[MarvB]

So fellow waterfowl hunters. A buddy of mine and I are looking to do a spring hunt conservation hunt for snows next year. Kinda of a bucket list deal; you know like an unlimited 4# dove hunt of sorts. I know that the “hot spot” changes year-by-year, hell even day-by-day but we are looking to lock something up and want to get suggestions for at least state and month.

If you have recommendations on a guide service even better. I’ve never hired a guide for waterfowl but for this type of hunt, would have NO problem in doing do.

Hell if you want to go with, that’s probably doable as well!
Thanks in advance- Marv

 

[Doublecluck]

Nebraska and South Dakota are great for migration hunts, I hunt North Dakota but only cause I’m next to it being in Montana and it’s convenient. ND is a little harder to time. We are currently running 2-4000 decoys, and our group has been as small as 4 and as large as 15. I’m not a guide, just a guy with some decoys who chases em in the spring every year. Some days it’s great and some days I want to sell everything. Arkansas and Missouri are good for staging/stopping birds and a lot more predictable hunts. Either way I would plan on 3-5 days minimum to get the best chance at a “good” day. Pick a reputable guide and go with realistic expectations. Know what’s included and not and understand what to expect. As a group we kill over 1000 honkers and just as many or more mallards in Montana every year, and I can tell you under no circumstance would I ever want to be a snow goose guide, F that!, the guys who do it for a living, I have a lot of respect for the ones that make it happen for people consistently. By far has to be the hardest game to guide. Tip em well either way if they are a reputable service and provide what they say. whether you kill 20 or 200 or 2000. If you find yourself in ND in April, drink good beer, don’t mind setting decoys and maybe getting skunked or maybe killing 200, and don’t mind cleaning the birds you kill, look me up.

I know several people who have used dirty bird outfitters, haven’t myself but the reviews I’ve heard are good.

Good luck

 

[MarvB]

Thanks @Doublecluck, that is just the kind of info we are looking for. I know that on the spring season we “aren’t” gonna be targeting juveniles and that both the timing AND the decoying can be tough, that being said, when you “hit it” like a few friends of mine have, it’s almost beyond imagination!

I mean a TRUE depredation type hunt; stack em till your just tired of shooting! These friends provided me with literally POUNDS of goose pepperoni sticks that were crazy good! I just think it would be a total kick in the arse to do!

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Whomever Tony Vandemere guides for is pretty good!, I see him killing the crap outta snows quite often. You can search YouTube also for some guys that really get after the snows! My dad and I when I was younger would call the refuges every week in northern ND to see when the snows would show up, we than road tripped and pass shot them coming out of the refuge, we also “jump” shot them outta fields and off ponds that were not posted also. Good luck, let us know what you decide, it’s on my bucket list as well, wanna take my son like my dad took me.
Matt

 

[MarvB]

Thanks Matt, I’ll take a look. Seems like it would be a kick if you hit it right and I could go for turning a few batches of goose pep sticks as well (snows aren’t on my top ten “eating list”). Your boy’s had a good intro already this year

 

[Nick87]

Whomever Tony Vandemere guides for is pretty good!, I see him killing the crap outta snows quite often. You can search YouTube also for some guys that really get after the snows! My dad and I when I was younger would call the refuges every week in northern ND to see when the snows would show up, we than road tripped and pass shot them coming out of the refuge, we also “jump” shot them outta fields and off ponds that were not posted also. Good luck, let us know what you decide, it’s on my bucket list as well, wanna take my son like my dad took me.
Matt

Habitat flats. Vandermore is the owner

 

[Nick87]

Been a couple times, with two different smaller operstions on the Illinois side, we don't get as many here but it was more of a convenience thing. I'd go for a couple extra days if it time/budget allows. It'll either be hit or miss and if I was going to spend some money on it and travel I'd want to give myself a little more time. Looking forward to the recap!

 

[sneakypete]

I’ve done it twice in SD. I is a hit and miss hunt with the migration. I do say when the birds are there it is a blast. My advice is be willing to move and chase the birds.

 

[MarvB]

Been a couple times, with two different smaller operstions on the Illinois side, we don't get as many here but it was more of a convenience thing. I'd go for a couple extra days if it time/budget allows. It'll either be hit or miss and if I was going to spend some money on it and travel I'd want to give myself a little more time. Looking forward to the recap!

Good point, I'm thinking a min of 3-4 days actual hunting which would turn it into a 5-6 day trip all in. I've tried with some friends to take advantage of Cali's spring season in Feb but its a typical California thing where they go liberal on the bag limit (20 white geese/day) but then make it a 5 day season so the timing on it just sucked.

Kind of like some of the deer hunting there...ample season length if you want to hunt in July at 105 degrees

 

[MarvB]

I’ve done it twice in SD. I is a hit and miss hunt with the migration. I do say when the birds are there it is a blast. My advice is be willing to move and chase the birds.

Thank SPete...I'm looking at one outfitter that is licensed for both N & S Dakota and has ample properties in each. He said to just stay flexible on time and location and that he's always been able to be "in them". Course he's an outfitter and they always say that lol

 

[sneakypete]

Thank SPete...I'm looking at one outfitter that is licensed for both N & S Dakota and has ample properties in each. He said to just stay flexible on time and location and that he's always been able to be "in them". Course he's an outfitter and they always say that lol

In SD you can hunt with a magazine extension tube or at least a few years ago you could. You might ask the outfitter you’re talking to about it. I think my tube held 10-11 3” shells. They are a blast when 500-1000 birds come in! Pick out the blue geese also. Buy a good pair of insulated bib overalls also. Nothing worse then laying there most of the day and being cold!

 

[MarvB]

In SD you can hunt with a magazine extension tube or at least a few years ago you could. You might ask the outfitter you’re talking to about it. I think my tube held 10-11 3” shells. They are a blast when 500-1000 birds come in! Pick out the blue geese also. Buy a good pair of insulated bib overalls also. Nothing worse then laying there most of the day and being cold!View attachment 208438

Nice! Im good on warm gear, did you go with knee boots or hip waders on your hunt? A blue would def be a bonus, have never shot one!

 

[sneakypete]

I think. We used muck boots! We hunted out of Mitchell SD, and stayed across the street from Cabelas. most of our hunting was east around Alexandria.

 

[duck wrangler]

I have been a few times with Steve Lee in Arkansas, but he has given up guiding there now.
We have booked with Eaglehead Outdoors who has really good reviews.
We will be there Feb 18-20

Snow Addictions in Arkansas is another one that has a good reputation for snows.

Pretty sure both of these outfits move with the migration; not permanent spreads like some outfitters in the area. I prefer an outfit that moves each day as the birds find new feeds.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

We are currently running 2-4000 decoys, and our group has been as small as 4 and as large as 15. I’m not a guide, just a guy with some decoys who chases em in the spring every year.

"Some decoys", understatement of the year right there!!!

 

[406LIFE]

I went last year for first time, shot relatively few birds, but did manage my white, blue, and Ross. So I was happy about that. The outfit I used was not good, and we'll known. They never dressed decoys, recallers never worked longer than 5 mins, and blinds were frozen to the ground. But it is incredible to literally watch waves of birds all day. I'll be going back this spring to SD, but using a different outfit.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

My two cents, never hunted them with a guide.

See them in SD all the time in the spring. Seems like it is more about being where the birds are currently, which varies geographically year to year. As does when they show up.


To me it seems like something you have to be very flexible about. You might want to go in March to SD, but if the birds show up in February you either need to come early or plan on not coming at all.


Sure seems like a blast though, its on my list to do at some point here as well.

 

[Wild Bill]

Not wanting to call anyone out specifically, but maybe do a little research on your guide if you use one. There are a few I know of in SD that have had some pretty egregious wildlife violations. Not really upstanding guys.

 

[Irrelevant]

We are currently running 2-4000 decoys,

 

[MarvB]

I have been a few times with Steve Lee in Arkansas, but he has given up guiding there now.
We have booked with Eaglehead Outdoors who has really good reviews.
We will be there Feb 18-20

Snow Addictions in Arkansas is another one that has a good reputation for snows.

Pretty sure both of these outfits move with the migration; not permanent spreads like some outfitters in the area. I prefer an outfit that moves each day as the birds find new feeds.

Would much appreciate a post-hunt review!! Best of luck to you guys