Spring snow goose hunt

[Musky Buck]

Just a ? does the lack of a snow line, you get the drift will it affect positively or negatively the spring snow goose hunt ? I think there's adequate amounts of field to hunt, so let's keep that crp, my only crp experience in a way was near Oakes, ND, driving the 4 wheeler through it and flushed dozens of ducks nested, many were quite a distance from water but not too far to make it after hatching, unfortunately why I was there was to measure for putting in irrigation and I'm sure none of that crp exists today this was in 1994.

[Maxxed Out]

I'm very aware of what birds nest in. CRP is classified into upland and wetland (we have both classifications on our farm). The VAST majority of CRP that is being plowed up is upland CRP not wetland (at least in western MN).

The main reason for this is that the rates being offered by the government to keep it in CRP are not competitive and even if they were there aren't funds available for them unless it meets very strict specifications. There are some funds available for wetland CRP but we were told it's a first come first serve and when it runs out its gone.

We have 70 (50 upland 20 wetland) acres of CRP and the contract for it expires this September. Our wetland acres were going to be a restoration project that unfortunately stalled when we broke the tile and the water backed up onto our neighbors tillable acres and we were forced to restore the tile. We will likely be farming everything because we have been advised by the FSA office locally it would be very tough to enroll any of it.

So the statements I'm making are based on my experience in western MN. If that's not the case in ND then I can understand where you're coming from.

[Maxxed Out]

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

[strait-meat]

Just curious, why are you guys so against farmers from tiling? So because you can have more ducks to hunt the farmers should sacrifice for your benefit? Aren't the farmers in the business to make a profit and what about their private property rights? On a side note, I don't think the farmers (or any other parties) should be getting any kinds of subsides from the gov't of any kind, including CRP and ethanol incentives to name a few.

[Maxxed Out]

If you're a hunter and haven't been faced with the decision it's probably a little easier to be critical of the farmers or landowners and I understand that and I think that's reasonable. However when you can drain a wetland on your property and send your kids through college with the money it's a pretty easy decision for the farmers. You can't fault anyone for doing what they can to support their family. It's not ideal for waterfowlers but it's fact.

[Todd Caswell]

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.

I agree but it doesn't make it right, I love it when I knock on a door and the landowner say's " Are you a guide? Nope can't stand em, good go ahead and hunt but if I find out you are you'll never be allowed back here again." Some land owners got it going on and some prefer to sell out to the land leasers....

It has nothing to do with you personally, I'm sure your a stand up guy it's just what you do that I don't agree with.

[Maxxed Out]

I completely understand. There are good guides and bad guides just like any profession. There are also good freelance hunters and bad freelance hunters. I've had experiences where farmers were frustrated with hunters they had let hunt their property but then left trash in their field and let us hunt because they knew as "professionals" they wouldn't have to worry about that. So it really does go both ways.

[lifterpuller]

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.

wut

[brittman]

I completely understand. There are good guides and bad guides just like any profession. There are also good freelance hunters and bad freelance hunters. I've had experiences where farmers were frustrated with hunters they had let hunt their property but then left trash in their field and let us hunt because they knew as "professionals" they wouldn't have to worry about that. So it really does go both ways.

Your family ties in the area don't probably don't hurt either.

[brittman]

Just curious, why are you guys so against farmers from tiling?

Drain tile allows the water to drain much faster, thus forcing the water downstream faster. Bigger and more frequent flooding.

Drain tile allows wetlands to be destroyed. The wetlands create a natural buffer for our larger MN prairie region lakes.

Drain tile allows nutrient rich water to reach our lakes creating problems.

[Finlander]

Spring snow goose hunt? C'mon guy's, lets concentrate on the snow goose hunting not farmfields and guides! Please!

[mrfish1991]

Hopefull this spring I will be able to get out for my first waterfowl hunt ever. The CA on my dorm floor says they fly though here like crazy...

[Muskie456]

Having a large set doesn't take up an entire garage or brake the bank. We crushed over 500 softshells this fall and they don't take up that much space. You don't need an enclosed trailor to haul them either, a pick up will do just fine. You can sit in whites with a back board and that doesn't take up that much space either. Throw an e-caller in there and you are really cooking. Don't be intimadated by the guys that are sitting over 1000 full bodies and feel you need to follow suit. Scout the right feild and you will kill plenty of geese.

The down fall of having the big sets of full bodies is if you can't drive in the feild you are sunk. If you go with softshells or silosocks you can haul gear out and still salvage your hunt.