Weather and Snow Geese
Will Poston for SPLIT REED
Presented by Flatland Flyways
Snow geese are flat out the strangest and most high-energy bird that waterfowl hunters chase. They’re always screeching, flying, and feeding. Unlike other species of waterfowl, they don’t usually hunker down and wait for brutal weather conditions to pass; more often than not, hunters can kill snow geese in the nastiest weather out there--if they’re on their A-game. In order to complete their incredible migrations, snow geese have to always be moving and, for the most part, always be feeding. These generalizations can always be contradicted because, well, snow geese are weird. But they usually hold true and guide how hunters use weather patterns to plan snow goose hunts. To learn more about how weather impacts spring snow goose hunting, we talked with Alex Russo, owner and head operator of Flatland Flyways. Alex and his team are fortunate to hunt directly under a very active migration corridor in northeast South Dakota, where they can take advantage of heated pits and large permanent spreads. But because Flatland mostly relies on steady migrations and high-traffic areas, weather patterns play an outsized role in their spring snow goose hunt planning.
Follow along for some tips and insight from Alex on how weather can influence spring snow geese hunting!
Snow
Snow dictates waterfowl behavior like no other form of weather, and this is one of the primary forms of weather Alex keeps an eye on. It’s pretty self-explanatory: the migration will follow the snowline. For instance, as the snowline recedes south of Flatland Flyway, Alex can reasonably prepare for those first waves of snows--generally adults and calendar birds--to begin arriving. Then as the migration ramps up, the juvies that we all love will start showing up. On the other end of the spectrum, a spring snowstorm in North Dakota, for example, will blow birds back towards Flatland Flyways. In both scenarios, high traffic areas will produce good hunting opportunities, and Flatland Flyways is located on a great traffic line.
Additionally, anytime he’s hunting snow geese with snow on the ground, Alex is sure to increase the number of blue geese in the spread. The decoys of choice at Flatland Flyways are Dave Smith Decoys. “Out of any type of decoy I’ve ever run--windsocks, full bodies, silos, you name it--nothing comes close to looking as good or sticking out in a snowstorm as the DSD snow goose decoys.” Alex finds the natural color scheme of the DSD snow goose decoy substantially increases the visibility of his spreads in snowstorms.
Flatland Flyways is fortunate to hunt a high-traffic area. So, early in the spring, they’re able to get out of the elements and hunt heated pits and still enjoy good hunting opportunities. But, the weather will always impact hunting. So, if there aren’t many birds up north to blow back down south from a big snowstorm, Alex may push a hunt back. But if there are a bunch of birds north and a big storm starts pushing birds back, he’ll get out and clean up the spreads and hunt the pits or look to set up between feeds. Both of which can lead to productive hunts.
Ice and Freezing Rain
It’s no secret--snow geese are incredibly high-energy and will always fly. It’s one of the reasons why Alex loves snow geese hunting so much. “When it’s super cold and clear, ducks and Canada geese just won’t move until the afternoon. Snow geese will always fly, except sometimes on days with extreme wind or freezing rain.” On those exceptionally crappy days, birds usually won’t migrate. So, that’s when Alex prioritizes hunting an active feed or at least as close to where the birds are as possible. Further, Alex finds that on those days, snow geese prefer eating and loafing on bean fields rather than sitting on the reservoir. So, on an icy day, look to hunt a bean field.
Moon Phase
Everyone that hunts enough waterfowl knows that birds will feed and move under a full moon. Couple a full moon with warm temperatures, and you’ve got some of the hardest hunting conditions out there. Because snow geese are so active and are driven by their several-thousand-mile migrations, they will take advantage of unseasonably warm temperatures with a full moon and fly right through an area. While it doesn’t happen too often, Alex highlighted just how quickly they can move.
“I remember like three-four years ago, we were in Nebraska on like a million and a half snow geese. The next morning there were like 16,000, and the biologist said they left. Well, I started getting calls from friends in Aberdeen, SD [roughly 30 miles from Flatland Flyways] that there were geese everywhere.”
Snow geese migrate several thousand miles just to reach the breeding grounds. If the weather permits, they can push through areas very quickly, especially under a full moon.
Ideal Snow Goose Weather
So, by now you’re probably wondering, “what is the best snow goose hunting weather?” When asked about his favorite weather conditions for hunting snow geese, Alex answered without hesitation: “If you’re on a good migration line or a good feed and it’s a sunny, 50-55 degree day with a 15 mph wind, you’re going to have a good hunt.” Sun and wind are generally most effective for the middle of the migration when the juvies start trickling in. Obviously, in the spring a southerly wind will push migrators. But don’t discount northerly winds. Alex has had countless days with north winds and great strings of migrators. Calendar birds, particularly, will push through a headwind to reach the breeding grounds around the same time each year.
Early during the migration, however, Alex looks for weather that allows him to efficiently target adults. “For adults, we want weather--those foggy mornings in the spring, maybe snow, maybe high winds so they have to crawl up to the decoys. But as far as the middle of the migration goes, when it’s rolling every day and you get into the juvies, sun and wind win the gold medal every time.” Every snow goose hunter knows that hunting adults can be incredibly frustrating. And that holds especially true when there’s no wind or clouds. During those conditions, Alex said, “I don’t care who you are, you’re not going to shoot a bunch of adults.”
In the end, hunting isn’t synonymous with killing, but providing guests with memorable experiences is Alex’s number one priority. So, weather and how it impacts the birds will always play a great role in his planning. Additionally, anyone that has hunted long enough has seen birds do something completely out of character. But that same person has hunted long enough to understand what they normally do and how to most efficiently hunt them over a wide range of conditions. When it comes to snow goose hunting, outfits like Flatland Flyways take the gamble out of the equation. Alex is stoked for this spring, which he said is supposed to be a banner migration.
Interested in hunting snow geese with Flatland Flyways this spring? Click HERE for contact info and HERE for hunt info!
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