Spring snow goose hunt

[arrow]

I have always wanted to do a spring snow goose hunt but don't have the budget or the space to store 500 decoys, purchase layout blinds, electronic callers, etc so I would need to use an outfitter. Does anyone have any experiences both good and bad with outfitters for spring snows. What state would you recommend. I realize timing is critical and varies year to year and that can't be predicted. Thanks

[RumRiverRat]

SoDak

Goosebusters and/or Lonedrake

[GooBack]

Do they use confadence decoys

[Maxxed Out]

Northern Skies or Goose Hog Outdoors

[life=outdoors92]

top gun gun service. if you have a facebook page (or know someone that would let you look off theirs) they have some pretty sweedt videos and pictures from the past few years. my best friend use to go with them and always did great. they go form missouri up to saskatchawan i believe, so you have plenty of time to work with

[Bryce]

Missouri or Nodak if you can. Way more hats in Sodak. Missouri has most of the land leased up and guides can't follow birds into Nodak unless licensed. Wasn't out there myself but all reports were that Sodak last year was the ultimate cluster circus.

[Finlander]

Last year in South Dakota was one big wet sloppy mess! Most of the fields were flooded and un-accessable. Though timing is everthing, so pick your dates when you hear the migration reports.

[Finlander]

No snow line for the geese to follow so far. At least we won't have to deal with flooding this spring!

[uwleagle]

No snow line for the geese to follow so far. At least we won't have to deal with flooding this spring!

Yeah it will be nice being able to drive into the fields this year. Also with no snow line the birds should be alot more spread out through the flyway. That should make it easier to decoy birds because they wont all be bunched up at the snow line and their wont be large concetrations of live birds everywhere to compete with. It makes it pretty tough to decoy any birds when their are huge flocks of live birds everywhere around your decoy spread.

[waterat]

No snow line for the geese to follow so far. At least we won't have to deal with flooding this spring!

With this odd winter,we might be In for a not so pleasant spring..I keep thinking we're going to pay for the mild winter yet!!

[Bryce]

Sounds like So. Ill. is doing pretty well also. No vids but a couple still shots. Snow goose specific sites are lighting up with activity.

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[Bryce]

Not sure on details. Over 2 years old and I would guess out east with the proximity to developement. The boys really make em rain on a couple of the volleys.

[Todd Caswell]

I personally despise outfitters and guides, they are and will be the demise of the freelance hunter, leasing land, ect. My advise save your money for a couple years slowly buy a spread, all the gear and put the time and efort in your self, much more rewarding and you won't be contributing to the decline and demise of the freelance hunter..... Iv'e personally Never paid for hunt and never will. I'll hang it up and burn my gear if it were to come to that. Budget= save and save some more, Space and storage, 500 silosocks, e caller, lay out blind,= very little space a 4X10 space in ther corner of the garage covers it. Using an outfitter is easy, and takes up no space in the garage, show up lay down and hopefully pull the trigger, but what it does do is it takes access away from the average, do it yourself hunter, doesn't matter if it's in the spring or the fall.

[brittman]

Agree with Todd.

[Maxxed Out]

Guides have been around for as long as hunting has and there's more places for guys to freelance now than ever before. In fact you could say this is probably the best time to be a free lance hunter with total license sales being down significantly over the last 10 years. Fewer licenses means fewer freelance hunters to compete with for spots.

[TylerS]

Guides have been around for as long as hunting has and there's more places for guys to freelance now than ever before. In fact you could say this is probably the best time to be a free lance hunter with total license sales being down significantly over the last 10 years. Fewer licenses means fewer freelance hunters to compete with for spots.

Not to nit pick, but even though the numbers may validate your statement, personal experience says otherwise. If, in fact, we had just as much land to hunt as we've had in the past, your theory would be accurate. However, as CRP and other lands get plowed up, thus reducing hunting areas, the resulting hunters, although fewer than years past, are condensed into more and more concentrated area. So while hunter numbers may, in fact, be down, we're bumping into each other more often. That, and it seems as if leased hunting property, especially around popular destinations (i.e. Mott, Devils Lake, etc.) has increased exponentially to the point where the common man can't find adequate open hunting ground within an hour of some of these places.

Just my perspective, anyways...

[arrow]

I just can't see investing thousands into decoys and other equipment for something I might do once every couple of years. Their are so many people reaching into my wallet these days between the government, bankers, colleges, and trying to be charitable the numbers don't work for me and for most people to invest in their own snow goose spread. I respect those who choose to freelance and its their right to do so. Its a free market society we live in and guides serve a purpose. I compare it to a person who might want to visit the BWCA but does not want to buy all the equipment, hence, canoe outfitters. Or perhaps the guy who wants to do a horseback hunt but does not want to buy a horse, trailer, canvas outfitter tent, etc. I also agree their are less places to hunt waterfowl but that is more a function of our current farm policy and commodity prices.

[ChuckN]

arrow,

There is nothing wrong with hiring a guide, especially for hunting snow geese. Chasing these birds is exhausting; physically, mentally and financially.

I have no recommendations for guides, I don't know any. However, I would recommend locating a guide that is licensed in North Dakota.

I only hunt these birds once a year with a group of friends in ND. We all contribute goods as a group to get the missions accomplised. We have even made hundreds of our own decoys, along with purchasing hundreds of them. It is very expensive to do it yourself! The hunts are addicting though. The spring hunt is something every waterfowler should experience. Not to mention, we've never been denied permission to hunt snows, only been denied use of vehicles in fields. Good luck.

[uwleagle]

I can understand why some of you might be upset with guides leasing up land but to tell someone that has never been snow goose hunting before that they should buy their own snow goose spread its pretty crazy. Their is alot to learn about decoying snow goose and it takes alot of time and money invested to do it right. Not only is it going to be be hard for them to learn everything on their own but what if someone wants to only go once, or even once a year. I would not expect anyone to buy their own gear for that. Also alot people might not have alot of time off from work or vacation to use. If they come out for the weekend that makes it pretty tough for them to have enouhg time to scout and get a hunt or two in. I have my own snow goose spread, but completely understand why people from out of state come here and use a guide.

[Gordie]

I just can't see investing thousands into decoys and other equipment for something I might do once every couple of years.

I understand this thought but sometimes the best decoys are no decoys and that shouldnt stop anyone from trying to hunt snows. if you do the home work you can find places to hunt.

I have a few friends that hunt with out them and they always seem to get birds and I think last year was a banner year for them as they hit it just right. they asre lucky to know people that can give them reports on the flight however this can be done by paying close attention to the web now a days.

IMO guides are a good thing but they are also a bad thing so to speak.

They are there to do a job and put their clients on birds and they do this by securing the best spots. It makes it diffecult for the free-lance hunter to secure good spots but its not to be said that it can't be free-lanced because it can be its just a little more work.

[Maxxed Out]

Not to nit pick, but even though the numbers may validate your statement, personal experience says otherwise. If, in fact, we had just as much land to hunt as we've had in the past, your theory would be accurate. However, as CRP and other lands get plowed up, thus reducing hunting areas, the resulting hunters, although fewer than years past, are condensed into more and more concentrated area. So while hunter numbers may, in fact, be down, we're bumping into each other more often. That, and it seems as if leased hunting property, especially around popular destinations (i.e. Mott, Devils Lake, etc.) has increased exponentially to the point where the common man can't find adequate open hunting ground within an hour of some of these places.

Just my perspective, anyways...

[creepworm]

This would be an accurate statement if we were talking about pheasant hunting. However for a freelance waterfowler CRP getting plowed up only leads to more huntable acres for snows, honkers and ducks.

ND is the hardest state to guide in because it is very tough to get an outfitters license there. It is however probably the easiest state to freelance in because of your ability to hunt, with out having to receive landowner permission, any agricultural land that is not posted.

Not a biologist, but I believe nesting success in plowed fields is extremely low. Thus lowering success rates for hunting.

I realize that is not what you meant, but to even try to say that loss of crp is a positive for hunters in any way is an absolutely bewildering statement that makes absolutely no sense in any possible way.

[Maxxed Out]

I'm not a biologist either but because I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night I do know they don't nest in CRP either. I'm not saying it's a positive but it's a fact that the loss of CRP acres to ag ground does create more huntable acres for waterfowlers looking to decoy birds.

A bewildering statement that makes no sense would be "it's a good thing all these wetlands are being tiled and drained so they can be farmed so we can set our layout blinds and decoys in them next fall."

Guides are no different than any other business there are good ones and bad ones and some that are in between. At the end of the day the money invested in a guide in the spring is worth the field set up a lone. Putting out a thousand decoys and 5 layouts in the middle of a mud soaked field that can't be driven in isn't something that most hunters want to deal with.

[TylerS]

Holy Moses Maxxed...CRP is absolutely beneficial to waterfowl, especially that in close proximity to bodies of water. Ever watched a spring nest survey video by Delta or DU? They're not dragging ropes across a plowed field or cattails. They're doing it in grass (read: CRP).

Quote:

However for a freelance waterfowler CRP getting plowed up only leads to more huntable acres for snows, honkers and ducks.

It may create huntable acres for waterfowl hunters looking to hunt fields, but it does nothing for waterfowl hunters wishing to hunt ponds. Not to mention it's been proven time and time again that native prairie and CRP benefit all sorts of fauna, ranging from waterfowl to upland game to large land mammals. A tilled field might give you a spot to hunt migrating birds, but it is an ecological wasteland when it comes to creating and sustaining native wildlife. All one needs to do is look at the Red River Valley. Tracts upon tracts of plowed fields. Are there animals around? Sure, but only directly correlating to the area rivers and tributaries. It's at least a 30-40 mile drive west before you kind find sustainable and huntable numbers of game. This is the area where more CRP and ponds/sloughs are prevalent, and haven't been ditched, tilled, or drained for farming land, like the valley.

[brittman]

Tyler is pretty accurate on his summary of ND.

While total hunter numbers are down, those that remain are hunting more days in the field and spending more resources to hunt. In ND visiting nonresidents hunt every day and this pressures birds differently than local weekend warriors. Then you have the guides that lease an areaand tend to hunt the same birds in the same way, day after day after day. Once those birds are educated they search out additional leases or wait for the next wave to migrate in. Waiting results in stale hunts and unhappy shooters.

Putting out a thousand decoys and 5 layouts in the middle of a mud soaked field that can't be driven in isn't something that most hunters want to deal with.

I would call them shooters or clients and not necessarily hunters.