Mid/Late March Snow Goose?

[Jack321]

Got some time off in mid/late march from work, looking at snow geese.

Am I better going to Missouri or S. Dakota?

I hunt Canadian geese and ducks hard in the fall and completely understand its all weather related, and based on the "snow line" and "its hunting, its never a sure thing."

But trying to decide which state to look at. (And if anyone recommends an outfitter in that state , always open for a DM on a specific guide--pro or con.)

Don't care so much about high quality lodge or meals. Id rather stay in a Motel 8, eat McDonalds and have a good hunt than stare at blank skies and have luxury lodge and food.

 

[LongWayAround]

Late March is probably a better bet to be in South Dakota.

The better guides are probably pretty well booked up. You could try Neu Outdoors, they have been around a long time and hunt both states. I don't have personal experience with them.

 

[KurtR]

Unless we get some snow I think it’s going to be a fast season in Sodak they will blow over us in a week or two. Nothing stopping them from heading north

 

[Jack321]

Any recommendations on SD snow goose outfits?

 

[KurtR]

Any recommendations on SD snow goose outfits?

I dont really have any me and my friends do our own thing. Seems there are alot of fly by nighters so make sure to do some reasearch. If the weather keeps holding like it has been i think they will be here early this year

 

[bullmtn]

Not Snow Geese, but we headed to Texas from Washington to go after Specklebellies with a big name with a big podcast, and it was aggressively mediocre, low-quality accommodations and low-quality decoys all while running traffic (with Silos no less). So, if you can find someone you trust with firsthand knowledge of an outfitter that's worth its weight in gold. This particular operation had wonderful media presentations, but they were all hat and no cattle.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Any recommendations on SD snow goose outfits?

Spring Snow Goose Hunting Guide SD MO AR ND SK

Spring snow goose hunting guides you'll never forget! Book your spring premium snow goose hunting guide in SD, MO, AR, ND & SK.

www.northernskiesoutfitters.com

 

[SuperDUECE22]

As others have said, it is extremely weather dependent, and it also comes down to what kind of hunt you're looking for. If you want to chase the main migration, you are mostly dealing with adults, and that can be very challenging. But if you hit the right weather window with birds pushing north, and you're on good sheet water spot in a corn field or have a weather system moving through, you can have one of those once in a lifetime hunts. One off my most memorable snow goose hunts was during a march snowstorm and we killed over 400 (predominantly adults) in a morning. The other option is waiting until the main push is past and targeting the smaller pockets of juvies. That usually means burning a lot of fuel to find them, but once you do, your odds of stacking birds go way up. If you're planning to DIY, I would say SD without question. Getting permission is much easier. Missouri can be almost impossible for access unless you are paying, and anything within 30 miles of Squaw Creek is going to be locked up by outfitters or landowners ask serious $$$ per gun per day.

 

[Laramie]

As others have said, it is extremely weather dependent, and it also comes down to what kind of hunt you're looking for. If you want to chase the main migration, you are mostly dealing with adults, and that can be very challenging. But if you hit the right weather window with birds pushing north, and you're on good sheet water spot in a corn field or have a weather system moving through, you can have one of those once in a lifetime hunts. One off my most memorable snow goose hunts was during a march snowstorm and we killed over 400 (predominantly adults) in a morning. The other option is waiting until the main push is past and targeting the smaller pockets of juvies. That usually means burning a lot of fuel to find them, but once you do, your odds of stacking birds go way up. If you're planning to DIY, I would say SD without question. Getting permission is much easier. Missouri can be almost impossible for access unless you are paying, and anything within 30 miles of Squaw Creek is going to be locked up by outfitters or landowners ask serious $$$ per gun per day.

Nebraska isn't bad when there is water for the diy guys. It has been very dry in the rain water basin the last few years so most of those marshes are dry.

 

[LongWayAround]

@SuperDUECE22 400+ in a morning over decoys is crazy! I know there were some big shoots in North Central SD one year when we were up there, probably around 2013 or so.

It seems like the fall season has been the big number time in SD lately, but I haven't hunted snows much for several years.

 

[Wheels]

Nebraska isn't bad when there is water for the diy guys. It has been very dry in the rain water basin the last few years so most of those marshes are dry.

Nebraska is expensive compared to other states for NR conservation season license.

 

[Laramie]

Nebraska is expensive compared to other states for NR conservation season license.

But it's generally easy to get permission for snow geese and it has a decent amount of public that is more focused on waterfowl and upland hunters. For the DIY guys, it isn't a bad option when there is water. Conditions right now stink.

 

[KurtR]

@SuperDUECE22 400+ in a morning over decoys is crazy! I know there were some big shoots in North Central SD one year when we were up there, probably around 2013 or so.

It seems like the fall season has been the big number time in SD lately, but I haven't hunted snows much for several years.

The last couple falls have been great on them even setting small spreads in snow goose terms. I always go into the spring thinking its going to be bang up year and excited then the white devils seem to win most all the time

 

[SuperDUECE22]

@SuperDUECE22 400+ in a morning over decoys is crazy! I know there were some big shoots in North Central SD one year when we were up there, probably around 2013 or so.

It seems like the fall season has been the big number time in SD lately, but I haven't hunted snows much for several years.

yeah that was about the timeframe of it, that week was pretty wild leading up to, during & after that snow storm. I'd have to go back and find pictures but i know we killed over a thousand in a little less than a week. Every hunt was triple digits and we shot like 3 bands as well.