Snow Goose Hunting in the Fall

[cstemig]

Anyone do it....I mean specifically target the Sky Carp in the fall?

[h2ofwlr]

Yup, for years.

You hunt the feed fields near their roosts and hope for cloudy windy days. No wind and sun + a slow morning. I often set for Honkers and ducks too to get mixed action.

The biggest problem is that the Snows are migrating later than say 20 years ago. Their main migration is during ND and SD deer seasons. And that my friend is a dicey when the hordes of idiots are running around with HP rifles. Also getting permission is a LOT tougher as many in ND hunt deer. I have seen the amount of fields posted double the weekend before deer season comprared 2 weeks prior. And even after deer season the signs remain. Also many more fields are tilled by mid Nov compared to 2-3 weeks prior, so harder to find a stubble field to hunt in that they are using.

So frankly a serious Snow hunter is better off going to Canada to hunt than deal with ND and SD.

I wish SD had a Snow only 1 week lic. VS using the reg waterfowl lottery to get a lic. Very few NRs hunt Snows in the fall in SD compared to ND

[tornadochaser]

[quote="h2ofwlr"

I wish SD had a Snow only 1 week lic. VS using the reg waterfowl lottery to get a lic. Very few NRs hunt Snows in the fall in SD compared to ND[/quote]

So now you are an expert on SD pressure?

[dwendt]

[quote="h2ofwlr"

I wish SD had a Snow only 1 week lic. VS using the reg waterfowl lottery to get a lic. Very few NRs hunt Snows in the fall in SD compared to ND

So now you are an expert on SD pressure?[/quote]

Everything.

[h2ofwlr]

When I've hunted SD in the late fall(mid Nov)--I did not encounter other Snow hunters where I was hunting.

Instead of offering help, you criticize those that do. Get over yourselves.

As a reminder: NOTICE! These forums are intended for CIVIL discussion around waterfowl hunting. If you've got an axe to grind or rant to make, do it in the MNFOWL's Misguided Children forum.

[tornadochaser]

When I've hunted SD in the late fall(mid Nov)--I did not encounter other Snow hunters where I was hunting.

Instead of offering help, you criticize those that do. Get over yourselves.

It's not 1992.
There are more guys than ever chasing them in the fall, including outfitters. There are outfitters who spam Facebook all spring/summer advertising fall snow goose hunting.
I counted 11 snow spreads with trucks from 4 or 5 different states while scouting one day last fall and they were all pretty much hunting the same snows and mallards coming off one lake.

[dwendt]

When I've hunted SD in the late fall(mid Nov)--I did not encounter other Snow hunters where I was hunting.

Instead of offering help, you criticize those that do. Get over yourselves.

As a reminder: NOTICE! These forums are intended for CIVIL discussion around waterfowl hunting. If you've got an axe to grind or rant to make, do it in the MNFOWL's Misguided Children forum.

How is it that any of what either of us said less than civil?

[h2ofwlr]

Was it polite? Or were you grinding an axe?

Definition of civil from the dictionary: courteous and polite.


You remind me of a 8 YO caught with chocolate on your fingers and around your mouth and when Mom asks - "did you eat those chocolate chip cookies I was saving for company tonight?" "No Ma I didn't eat them".

[h2ofwlr]

It's not 1992.
There are more guys than ever chasing them in the fall, including outfitters. There are outfitters who spam Facebook all spring/summer advertising fall snow goose hunting.
I counted 11 snow spreads with trucks from 4 or 5 different states while scouting one day last fall and they were all pretty much hunting the same snows and mallards coming off one lake.

I did not hunt SD fall Snows in the 90s.
But then again I did not hunt where every one else hunts either as I try to get away from the crowds. Kind of reminds me of ND and every newcomer goes to DL in the fall because that is what they hear about. And they are shocked at how many hunters that there are. Kind of like Spring Lake and Swan in MN

[Nershi]

I have never specifically targeted them in the fall. We did got lucky late October one year in ND and caught them when they just moved in. We shot a nice pile of them and it would have been a blood bath with a good spread. Our spread was pathetic at that time but when there was 200K+ snows in the area so we were able to scratch out some juvies. We have been out there other years when the masses are in but there are so many guys pushing them around the birds just group up in massive flocks and hop fields everyday so targeting them is tough.

I know some guys who target them in the fall every year and they go to SK and do well. If I were to target them in the states I would go to SD in November.

Fowler have you actually been to ND during deer season or do you just regurgitate what you hear? I always heard the same thing and last year we did a trip in deer season and the only fresh signs where on tree rows and old abandoned farms because that is where the deer are. Farmers could care less about the middle of a field where the birds are. We found that gaining access was actually easier because no one is hunting birds anymore so the farmers aren't getting their doors knocked on three times a day. We also did not see much tiled corn although that could have been due to the late harvest.