Snow geese anyone???

pointingdogsrule · Feb 27, 2018

So many years ago I did a snow goose hunt in the "rainwater basin" in Nebraska. We had a blast with a group of young kids. I am not sure why I haven't made a trip back since (i'm maybe just plain stupid).

Anyway I'm on a farm call this morning and I hear that familiar sound..... look up and it's a flock of snows. Many more flocks followed as they headed north to Minnesota. This is an unusual sight here in northeast Iowa. We usually do not see them here. The closest is southern Illinois or western Iowa.

Anyone on this board hunt them in the spring?? Do you use calls and decoys or ambush ponds. I hear about guys using "cow decoys" and saying it's a blast. Oh, how I miss that trip.

Some photos from long ago:

good luck to all
the dog

Gellar · Feb 27, 2018

We saw them in Lansing yesterday. Flying really high. There are Sandhills cranes by the Wisconsin river. spring may be her sooner then that groundhog predicted.

406LIFE · Feb 27, 2018

I tried to get a trip from MT together. Couldn't make it work. I'd love to do this every spring.

Doublecluck · Feb 27, 2018

Looking at freelance in North Dakota this year if I can convince enough of my buddies to go. They seem to think that 150 dozen decoys and 3 rotaries is not enough.. probably not but I like being the underdog.. at least go check it out and see what it’s all about..

mtmuley · Feb 27, 2018

Quackillr said:
Looking at freelance in North Dakota this year if I can convince enough of my buddies to go. They seem to think that 150 dozen decoys and 3 rotaries is not enough.. probably not but I like being the underdog.. at least go check it out and see what it’s all about..

You guys have 1800 decoys and it ain't enough? mtmuley

Sask hunter · Feb 27, 2018

I have started snow goose hunting a bit the past couple years and got the bug last fall. Just starting to build a spread. Up to 9 dozen socks now. I have hunted snows a bit in the spring but always just pass shot. Snow goose hunting is usually at the same time I am trapping beavers. Beaver trapping takes priority

Idahoarcheryhunter · Feb 27, 2018

Quackillr said:
Looking at freelance in North Dakota this year if I can convince enough of my buddies to go. They seem to think that 150 dozen decoys and 3 rotaries is not enough.. probably not but I like being the underdog.. at least go check it out and see what it’s all about..

1800 isnt enough? I could not imagine the set up and take down of that big of a spread.

Doublecluck · Feb 27, 2018

mtmuley said:
You guys have 1800 decoys and it ain't enough? mtmuley

2 of the guys I hunt with went to Nebraska a few years ago and got screwed several days in a row by local guides running 2-4 thousand.. most of the decoys are silo socks.. I don’t chase white geese much but the guys I hunt with are hard core white goose shooters from California.

Doublecluck · Feb 27, 2018

Idahoarcheryhunter said:
1800 isnt enough? I could not imagine the set up and take down of that big of a spread.

6 guys can put out 130 dozen silo socks in less than 2 hours easy..

Doublecluck · Feb 27, 2018

By the way pointingdogsrule, awesome getting those kids out, that’s the future of hunting right there. Waterfowl hunting shaped my life in a large way, when I look at where I am today compared to people I grew up with, I am extremly thankful for a couple people who took the time to take me duck hunting when I was a kid. Great work my friend.

1_pointer · Feb 28, 2018

I have not hunted spring snow geese, but it's on my very short list. Plenty of guides/outfitters to the west of me in IL, but not too many interested in one guy going and I don't have many friends here that'd go.

JDH · Feb 28, 2018

Right now I just jump shoot them.

1_pointer said:
I have not hunted spring snow geese, but it's on my very short list. Plenty of guides/outfitters to the west of me in IL, but not too many interested in one guy going and I don't have many friends here that'd go.

You may not need to go that far. I haven't seen any but I can't imagine it will be too long before outfitters move into IN. My in-laws just bought some property that snow geese use regularly a little over an hour away so I may have to invest in a small spread.

1_pointer · Feb 28, 2018

I haven't seen large groups of them in IN, but then again I live in the Indy mess...

If you need a dog to chase the dead/wounded birds, let me know!

LukeDuke · Mar 3, 2018

This was from a fall trip. Can’t wait to get back after it in a few weeks.

fulldraw · Mar 3, 2018

I was out to my cabin in central Iowa this morning and there were snow geese everywhere you looked. I have not seen snows in these numbers in years.

glass eye · Mar 3, 2018

Did a spring S Dakota hunt with an outfitter a few years ago. A friend wants to go do it and I'll go along but I'm not interested in hunting alongside a dozen other shooters. Sure it's fun but nobody knows who shot what. I plan on doing a jump shoot while he does the guided hunt.

Snow geese anyone???

pointingdogsrule

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Gellar

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406LIFE

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Doublecluck

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mtmuley

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Sask hunter

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Idahoarcheryhunter

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Doublecluck

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Doublecluck

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Doublecluck

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1_pointer

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JDH

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1_pointer

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LukeDuke

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fulldraw

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