Operation Snow Goose Devastation

Left the house at 11am, headed to Missouri for 17 days of goose guiding.

10 minutes out and it's 5 degrees lol

Only two fuel stops and a 15 minute stop at a large preserve where I witnessed 3-400,000 fowl dump into a flooded standing corn field. AWESOME to see and hear

Smack'm good.

Go get em

Woke up to a crisp -9 this morning

How is the bird situation up there?

We got moved up to March 1-3 about 10 days ago and just a couple days ago they moved us back to our original dates, March 10-12, due to the snow they are supposed to get this weekend up there.

ouch

We are headed up March 6-8. We tried to change our trip further south, but couldn't get it to work for the whole group.
Come on warm weather!

Negative anything not good. Should be fun putting putting out decoys.....

Been putting full bodies out all day, warned up to 15. Ground so hard we are having to drill stake holes lol

Some of my best goose hunts have been in severe winter weather with cold, ice, wind and snow. Have faith!

Good to see some folks still that mad at em. My day has passed. Stack the carp deep, Cody.

X2
X3
X4

Birds hungry

Where are you? You got any openings. My bidness partner and I are stuck in KC due to flight cancellations. May be here till Sunday.

I'm near mound city, Mo

I'll have to check my calendar tomorrow afternoon as it's in my truck which is in the field,

That's not too far from our place just east of Bethany, Mo. The cold up there can be bitter but it's beautiful country.

My two sons and I will be in Mound City for a hunt the 6th, 7th, and 8th of March. Weather is supposed to be much better next weekend (high in upper 40s and low 50s). That should get the birds moving some. That is the usual time we go each year. Most years are 30-40 bird average per day (worst was 19). Have hit the jackpot occasionally. Had an 88 bird day as the best, The three day total was 183 that year. Hopefully I will have enough to make several batches of jerky.

I guess you're not killing anything?

Haven't hunted yet been scouting and getting everything ready

First clients hunt Monday

Found a roost today with a few thousand honkers, pulled out the DLSR and snapped a few hundred pictures. Just reviewed them and found a double bander and two singles!!!

Very cool. Good luck

Now go shoot em

I've never seen any snows up there. Just lots of Greater Canada geese. However I don't usually go there this time of year. Deer season and then a spring trip.

There's only about 5-600,000 in my area now but started seeing migrators around lunch.

Tired migrating Juvies are the best for hitting the centry club. I'm headed to scout another location after setting 2,000 more decoys in a new field after scouting all morning

One more spread left if we need to get on a new feed but we are about ready to start killin!

Id like to also note these aren't park/golf course geese, 100% wild

Damn there is already that many birds up there?!

Who are you guiding for?

Yes sir, Im guiding for Cupwing Outfitters

Sat in a blind for an hour and saw 75,000 over the blind

If has started boys & girls!!!!! Just finished a wad of 1800

How do you count that fast?

It's obviously an approximation but after awhile you can get pretty accurate

Either that or he was talking about the tequila...

awesome! good luck!

put that camera up and start killing!

Then post aftermath pictures.

We killed 10 just hunting an hour or so, could have finished a big group but 3 cane in to easy to pass bc we had front on the decoys and 90% cloud cover

finished 1800 in the first group but only killed 10 so far? maybe you should stick to deer hunting Malone

Keep these reports coming. I want to know if bird numbers change up there leading into this weekend.

Cody, if you hit a couple 100+ bird days, Kyle and I are gonna come knocking on your door for some goose killin goodness!!

It was only two of us this am and we didn't shoot that volley just filmed em

We have gone from some geese to a lot in 24 hours. Migrators and quite a few Juvies!!

I have killed 70s but no 100s, it's gunna change this trip!

Easy there fellow.

Malone knows best!

Garret's busting mall balls but he named his dog after me

Maybe so he can cuss at me and say he was yelling at the dog...

I kick that dog everyday first thing when I get home, and I say "[censored] you Cody you no goose hunting son of a bitch"

Wow lol

Let's see the carnage.

2 person am hunt


Solo pm hunt


Lots of adult birds still but we are getting a big push right now with the cold temps, snow and ice down south, strong south winds and bright moon! I had three tornados this eving but couldn't quite get em finished or I could have killed 25+ solo while experimenting with the new Ecaller, flared two bc if that lol but that's why I hunted this evening on my evening off

Common core math man, come on now.

When are you gonna guide a big group?

Wednesday on we are booked full, 8 ppl a day in two Feilds

Nice little flock

[img]http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/...tidgg.mp4[/img]

Get to go visit the local vet today... My lab isn't eating or drinking the last two days so we are going in at 9:30. Lucky mound city has a vet. I'm guessing he has a blockage and is dehydrated.

that sucks...good luck

Cody, sorry to hear about your dog, he'll be in my prayers.

I'll give you a shout offline.

Might wanne leave the dog at the vet for 2-3 days under fluids. Dont overdo him/her
That would ruin your trip and then some

I'm leaving him overnight for fluids, he's not very dehydrated

X-ray was clear

Going to give him a round of penicillin to

Pack a can of wet food while hunting

That's the plan

I'm already missing that I can't make the trip this year. Hope ya'll do well.

We start it in the morning!!! Just got in Fromm scouting and getting everything set up in our main spread

Video

Video

Two banded snows I got a picture of today

Double banded honker

Single banded honker

Single banded honker

You pulling a jeff foiles on us?


Meanwhile, hows puppy doing?

Those are awesome pics, I felt like I was playing where's Waldo again

so far the title of this thread is misleading

it's more like operation snow goose slight annoyance

Gotta scout to make happy & sucessfull hunters boys

Snowing this am so we have frost on the decoys making finishing difficult

We have 10 with the clients so far

I'm just joshin ya Cody. You've come along ways in four years of waterfowling! Keep after em.

Looks like two banded Ross.

This cold weather killing the hunting?

Brutal! It was zero this morning? Clients couldn't handle it

If you can't handle zero, you have no business goose hunting.

Some folks can handle it some cant.

yall get out and hunt at all?

I went out at 5 and got everything set up and brushed, went and got then and we hunted for maybe am hour

0 degrees isn't cold when you are devastating geese. How'd y'all do?

9 pages of nothing to see here....

Pretty lame thread so far.................. can't handle zero?! Geez, that's t-shirt weather up here.

Seriously though, wish we could get more bird hunters out in the field these days. The spring white goose seasons are virtually dead.............. fields covered with birds and not a shotgun to be heard. Even in the fall it ain't like it use to be. Lots of morning when I am out early feeding the bovines I don't even hear a shot.

I try to get some of our bear hunters interested in birds, but overall they could care less.

Use to be when bird season was open and you went to the gas station in a local farm town there would be lots of pickups with US plates in getting fuel, coffee and snacks. Lone Star plates were quite common. Not any more.

From the stats I read a couple of months ago, even though the US and Canadian migratory bird people are pushing hard to get hunters out killing the snowies, hunters do not seem to be having much of an impact. Very liberal bag and possession limits don't seem to be making much of a difference either. Just not enough bird hunters out there to do the job. I fear we are going to just see the population crash one year as the problem reaches a climax.

I can't. Well not for long in the wind. In a blind with a good supply of hand warmers . . .

Feet and hands no longer can do it. Freeze up, hurt and frostbite to easy.

Just for the record you have to really like goose meat to hunt them this time of year.

I don't care for the meat at all any time of the year so going on a guided hunt for them would be like going on a ram hunt. Not happening. As for the Canada hunt thing I know some guys who used to go up there for different hunts fairly regular. They got sick of the hassle at the border over guns and ammo so most of them have quit going.

Is there still 600,000 geese up there? Looks like squaw reported 90,000 yesterday.

I find that funny. It is a lot bigger hassle for Canadians getting firearms into the US to go hunting than the other way around. The only hassle my bear hunters complain about is going back through US customs on the way home.

Most of the US bird hunters we see are not going on guided hunts. They bring their own equipment and do their own thing. Getting permission to hunt on farms is usually quite easy. Five minutes on the phone and I can usually get guys permission on thousands of acres. About the only thing pisses the farmers off is if guys leave their hulls lying around in the field, otherwise they are pretty easy to get along with.

I saw the report yesterday and called bs, then I went and looked today when I picked up Sboper at the vet, it wouldn't break 90,000.. This front pushed em and it's EASY to tell

My clients are important to me and I'm not going to firce them to stay out if they are uncomfortable, just like I'm up at 4 and get to bed at 11 everyday changing things, scouting and setting new spread

As far as the guys saying the tread is lame, get LOST, there's 10 band pictures and I don't care if they are alive or dead that's Fn cool!

Alot of you don't get the way things to up here and never will bc your internet hunters. Snows are hard to kill since a lot are 8-10 years old and have seen and heard it all and birds come and go frequently with these late season fronts. I posted this thread for guys who can't get up here to see some awesome photos; alive birds, dead birds, bands, huge spreads and some happy hunters when we get this push of Juvies heading this way, it could be tonight, it could be Tuesday, only time will tell.

My numbers are oh 10-15 per day but we aren't trying to shoot at pairs and tripes coming off with the customers we have had bc they want a tornado and make it rain 20-40 per group. We will start getting higher anyday

I'm headed that way tonight. What's your outlook for the next 3 days?

It's honestly a crap shoot, I have 5 of the best locations leased and spreads set but we lost ALOT of birds with this front! Just waiting on a new push!

I've killed hundreds of ducks and don't have a band yet. I would take a banded goose.

The guys I know don't hunt waterfowl up there. It's bear and caribou. My brother got turned back because he had a DWI over twenty years before their trip and they consider him a felon and he can't hunt with a gun up there.

That is unusual, after 10 years they usually deem people as rehabilitated at the border. I don't know........ I have a couple of regular bear hunters with previous DWI from years ago and they never have trouble entering or bringing rifles. One of them is in and out of Canada on several hunting trips every year and never a problem. In any event it matters not whether it is a shotgun for ducks or a rifle for caribou.......... it is the same rules.

Can't wait to hunt with you next week Cody! The whole group is doing prep right now at my house, after dinner. I'm not into the boring planning of the hunt. I just set it up, and hunt!

Glad to see the thread.

Concern though: warmer weather? Good or bad? It's supposed to be 40-60 degrees when we're out there.....

U want 40-60
Perfect, mo birds

This was probably ten years ago. He's mid fifties and it happened in his early twenties.

Just finished setting a new spread at a current feed. This warm weather is going to be perfect.

Go get em Cody, looking forward to the report. I'm Jealous

Making a good like this morning in our fresh field

12 so far, got em coming in closeee too, guys are having a ball

Well... 6 hours with no update, must be melting those barrels

How did it go yesterday Cody. Hope your wacking and stacking.

We killed 15, customers had a ball!

High of 55 yesterday and 57 today, all the water should unfreeze so we should get that much needed push soon!!

I am waiting on the 62 plus bird kill photo

So are we beaver

Cody,
In your limited time waterfowling, it looks like your finding out why I think the white devils are the hardest of the waterfowl to hunt.
Fun trying but it seems everything has to line to up perfect to kill more than a handful of birds.

[censored] beating!

We have had high field everyday but one. Averaging 12 a day but haven't busted 20 yet

The migration flight started this morning, have seen 250,000, 300 within 100 yards but can't get em within 50 to save my life

Shoot them at 50 then

We just started to.. Lol

I want em at 10 damn it

Birds are extremely call shy today to

Snow goose hunters have a different definition of "sky blast". Tough birds to hunt

Well boys, doesn't look like they are gonna get any closer....
If we wanna chsnce, we better start shooting at em...

They teach that as a core value statement at goose guide school.

JK- but I heard that on every guided hunt I took customers on.

I got em to lock up at 10-20 after I made two hours of adjustments and we had geese landing on the blinds!

Had 19 today and should of had 30 with just 3 shooters

I will kill 30-50 tomorrow of it's like today bc I got em figured out.

We got birds last night this an to, MIGRATORS!

Squaw is back to holding 1+ million

We have killed more than this on the beginning week end of conservation season here in Eagle Lake.So whats
the fun in traveling that ...LOL..Waiting your pictures...!!!!

Who counted 1 million?

The contact I have a squaw creek who is in charge if the survey, it's also 100% unfrozen

Congrats on the good start.

Birds are late getting up here this year, we normally average 40-50 a day. Those days and some are coming, soon too

Desperate times calls for desperate measures: Time to drop some large bills and screw the long goose patternmaster in combined with 3 1/2 inch heavyshot nr 2.
Drop em like rain at 70 yards.

Yep...15% of the time it works every time

No updates because he is cleaning so many birds?

No, drove back home real quick to load up on cases of turkey and dead coyote load

I wish! Toughest conservation season since it was created for everyone in Missouri

Close, headed home tomorrow morning to guide bass on fork then back up here for a week of eastern turkey guiding.

Yep we are hunting over just east of grand pass and we were high field by a long shot yesterday and we had 20 birds. Everyone here said it has been the worst season ever.

Vandemore even posted on Facebook that he struggled makin piles of white this conservation season in Missouri...and we all know he has every link you need in the book to slay, but he's earned it.

So don't feel to bad. Snows played games on us all year, bud.

Dang pro eastern guide after being guided 1 time last year, well I guess it is Missouri

I wasn't guided by anyone, my buddy wanted to handover his buisness so I was chosen as I'm great with customers, communication & teaching which are the three most important things

When you take 4 guys and kill 8 mature toms including a double id say I can make some happy customers

When your clients are giving $100 tips and only shooting 8/12 birds a day it's bc the still had a dam good time and I bust my butt doing everything I can to make their hunt a sucess

Whoa

At $700 per day?

Ouch.

What's $700 per day?

We charge $185 per gun and we are telling folks before they come it's tuff and giving them the option to re book at a later date

OR they are drinking heavy and you have a hot blonde with you with a low neck line and short shorts?

Just kidding. Those are some good rates though.

I could be wrong, but I imagine the $700 was referring to hunting with habitat flats.

Sounds like a tough season, but I'm sure a lot was learned and folks had a great time. Good luck, and keep living the dream

Heard the last snows flying over my house last nite, headin north i hope

I'm geaded home, canceled my last two groups.

I hope for the owner season turns around he keeps a lot of money ties up in each season between field leases, 8000 full body's (3 Feilds), trailers, house rental and everything else.

We all know snows can be finicky and a PITA at times but damn.. They kicked our asses this year.. Went from harvesting 1800-2400 to 145.. < that sucks

We shot 30 yesterday evening in the last 45 minutes of daylight. Lots of migrators moving yesterday afternoon.

I was not a fan of our three fields..

There's plenty of birds still there and there are lots of adult birds but we were off the daiky fly way other than a few migrating flocks and sparatic feeders. 5-8 miles west would have made a huge difference in bird numbers. Lots of things came into play on this learning trip including a light paycheck on my end this morning. All in all it was a good experience and I had fun and made some new friends and had a lot of happy clients even with the circumstances . When I kill high field everyday but 1 apparently I was on my Agame

Its gonna be a long ride home
Sucks

Im expecting this week to be a lot better though

Na, the band photos I took made the whole trip worth it to me. Arkansas is still loaded with Juvies and the are smashing em. Mo is just running way behind this year. Squaw is now holding 600,000 plus so as long as they don't push west again they will start killing em good. If I didn't have the rest of the month booked i would have stayed to find out

Record 83 degrees predicted in south dakota on sunday.

Geese will be going canucks fo sure

There's still geese down here. Glad you had a fun and safe trip Cody. Beats sitting on the couch!

Oh it was fun regardless, just edited and printed the double snow geese band pic on the ice.

Got a frame and am ready to get it hung. Next year I'm taking a buddies camera body and lense and will get some stunning photos. My equipmentis just recreational and only good to a certain distance.

Just spent a week and a half in SD the 9th - 19th. Would agree that it was a harder year than the past. We still averaged 28 birds a day but man were the birds spread out. Had our best luck off the corn and in pastures. Varied our decoys from 800 to 2600. Was a long but fun trip. I have hunted Sd for 7 years now with just family and friends (no outfitters) and we seem to always do well. Most migrates seem to just stay high and headed the canada. Just the last two days did the juries show and we pounded them. Everything seemed to be late this year tho. Think it was due to the storm and warm temps. Even shot a goose in socks and boxers! I am stationed now in tx and have heard they are shot down here, if someone wouldn't mind, where about do the geese migrate through in texas. Was thinking of having the boys come down here for a week before our annual hunt in SD for a change of pace. Or if so done would like another gun in the spread next year I would love the opportunity.