Snow Goose 2013

[chub]

Took the edge off, set small spread, turned on caller and shot a few. Best part was the 2.50 price of the license and the minimal amount of fuel burned.

[Shane Z]

Headed to SoDak the next two weekends in a row. getting a little worried about the second weekend, but hopefully it'll lead to a nice juvie hunt. Otherwise we'll be heading across the state to NoDak second weekend!

[BrianLucky13]

Few snows have ventured into ND!!!

[Matt Breuer]

Headed out tomorrow afternoon, Watertown area. Cannot WAIT!

[Shane Z]

Good luck Matt! We'll be heading there Thursday night!

[Bryce]

Scout flocks big into nodak today. If we decoy even a hundreth of a percent of what I saw by Groton on my way to camp, I didn't bring near enough shells.

[TylerS]

I've heard reports of snow geese north of Bismarck already, but I have to think those are the exception, not the norm. Made a trip east of Fargo yesterday and was pleased to see black dirt steaming through the feet of snow left on the fields. Only a matter of time now. 44 degrees today for a high, plus a strong wind. Gonna get cold again by this weekend, but not enough to stop the thaw. We might actually have a decent migration this year if this slow and steady melt continues. I'd love to see the birds stick around for longer than 24 hours for once.

[BrianLucky13]

Birds are being shot in ND

[Bryce]

Utterly defeated. Saw more geese than I have ever seen in a day but could not get any to commit. Amazing sights today that can't be described. Can't imagine what the number would be on total waterfowl seen. Finish my drink and back at it in 6 hours. Windshift will help is my motto tomorrow.

[Shane Z]

Utterly defeated. Saw more geese than I have ever seen in a day but could not get any to commit. Amazing sights today that can't be described. Can't imagine what the number would be on total waterfowl seen. Finish my drink and back at it in 6 hours. Windshift will help is my motto tomorrow.

Leaving this evening and hunting Sodak for the weekend. Expect a slight stall in the migration and some greasy fields in the future! This might be THE week for South Dakota snows ladies and gentleman. Heard lots of reports that the juvies have been mixed in with the adults.

[TylerS]

Enjoy the slop Shane! Post pics when you're through.

[Bryce]

Very brief flight right at legal. Two giant feeds set up a mile either side of us and we didn't stand a chance. Non stop flight north overhead right now. Moving spread away from feeds to a corn/sheet water set to hopefully draw roosting birds. Many flocks spent the night on the ice here.

[Tubitz]

Heard lots of reports that the juvies have been mixed in with the adults.

You're spot on with that one shane, Hunted last week thursday thru saturday due to easter. Thurs and friday were good migration days and flocks were really mixed with juvies and adults. Shot 70 on thurs with majority being migrators, big bunches would go over and we'd break a few out of each wave. Didnt get into any really big spins cuz the adults would pull the juvies out a majority of the time but oh well never gets old breaking birds down from the stratosphere down to 15 yrds. If for no gun issues and better shooting should of been a 100+ day, out of the 70 killed thurs id say no more than 15 adults but have also heard of some good juvie feeds in NE still so SD should be good for a few weeks yet IMO

[Shane Z]

Tubitz- Thanks for the reply! I bought a Sean Mann Whiteout this year and can't wait to use it. Although e-callers help, i think personally answering back to a calling goose may help convince other's that there is a REAL goose down there.

Last we we averaged 35 birds each day, which were all adults. I really regret not saving a few blues and snows for mounts Some nice iron coloring as well as warts! oh yeah... and one adult was double banded to boot!

By the way, I'd take a 70 bird-day ANYDAY!! Knowing you had the chance to hit 100+ mark is an awesome accomplishment man. CONGRATS!

[Gordie]

Good luck guys hope you can get a bunch of them. I would really like to make a trip out.

[Todd Caswell]

Tubitz- Thanks for the reply! I bought a Sean Mann Whiteout this year and can't wait to use it. Although e-callers help, i think personally answering back to a calling goose may help convince other's that there is a REAL goose down there.

Last we we averaged 35 birds each day, which were all adults. I really regret not saving a few blues and snows for mounts Some nice iron coloring as well as warts! oh yeah... and one adult was double banded to boot!

By the way, I'd take a 70 bird-day ANYDAY!! Knowing you had the chance to hit 100+ mark is an awesome accomplishment man. CONGRATS!

During the spring season I don't believe a single mouth blown call will have any effect on a flock of birds, singles maybe but you will be washed out with all the noise of a large flock, E-caller and 5 to 10 speakers will be much more effective.

[Todd Caswell]

Utterly defeated. Saw more geese than I have ever seen in a day but could not get any to commit. Amazing sights today that can't be described. Can't imagine what the number would be on total waterfowl seen. Finish my drink and back at it in 6 hours. Windshift will help is my motto tomorrow.

Been through that so many times when trying to hunt the leading edge birds, I agree it's fun to see that kind of a migration, but if I go this time of the year it's with my camera rather than a gun, if I want to kill birds I'll wait until the last week in April, most of the yah hoos are done and the birds acually decoy.. Have fun and hopefully you'll get some weather. Only time we really smoked them early in the migration was a wet, nasty, foggy day.

[Tubitz]

During the spring season I don't believe a single mouth blown call will have any effect on a flock of birds, singles maybe but you will be washed out with all the noise of a large flock, E-caller and 5 to 10 speakers will be much more effective.

Believe it or not this will actually help in conjunction with the e-caller. On small bunches say 10 birds or less it can make a huge difference centering birds up in the hole. When we had singles or pairs and they would start to slide off one guy would simply yelp with his mouth and the birds would get back on track. Its crazy how much these birds work to sound wether it be the speakers or a mouth call. We tend to run our e-caller on the quieter side than the norm so a mouth call is easily heard by the birds if it is few enough birds to not wash each other out like you said.

[WallyGader]

ALOT of birds still south of 212 between redfield and watertown, birds decoyed like champs in the mornings then would slowly start filtering north. We had 5 guys and Shot 62 on tue., 84 on wed., and failed to lock down a field for this morning, so made it home early for some much needed rest. Shot a 40/60 mix of juvies to adults. Good luck to the rest who make it out.

[Matt Breuer]

Best. Trip. Ever.

[Bryce]

Still tough going here. Always feeds setting up within sight and pulling everything away after a brief look. Few more Rossies in the flocks today. Going to hang tough for at least a couple more days. Hope this is my last shot at chasing leading edge birds. Tough on the attitude and liquor bill. About ready to sell decoys and invest in a cowboard.

[lifterpuller]

That is one sweet mask

Are you guys perma spreading?

[Scott M]

Cowboard

First trip out, lots of big flocks that were heckbent on getting north but managed to pull a few out. 26 and 30 respectively. Redfield area. Tired and weary but happy to have worked for em. There's worse ways to spend those days. Best part was dry fields, no mess! Didn't get the rain until yesterday when we were packing up.

[Shane Z]

Not the best two day trip. only shot 30(one was banded). The first evening, we were VERY close to having a great great hunt. A Buddies friend 40 miles south of us, killed 150 by 9 AM and then shot another 130 that night. Lots of juvies and lots and lots of birds around the northern parts of Sodak, but they are smart. The birds we were shooting were nearly adults, and once they started hovering right over us, we knew it was game over. Judging by the weather, I can see birds piling up around the boarder for a least a week now. The last evening we hunting, birds were going every which direction, but no real migration to speak of.

[Bryce]

Juvies filtering in today. Cancelled cowboard order.