Snow Geese populations are still registering high on the ‘awesome’ scale, and more and more Midwestern hunters are realizing they can hunt white geese well past the New Year. Although hunting them with success is not too difficult, it will require a few assets and some special knowledge. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Keep it fresh. If you have done your homework and scouted the year before, you will know what fields the new migrants will prefer when they first arrive to the area. Migrating birds like to find friends and there isn’t any reason those friends can’t be your decoy spread.
Don’t stick out. When setting up your blind, try to find a low spot instead of setting up on a rise or ridge. No good hunter skylines themselves. It is easier to not be noticed when you are sporting a low profile. Concealment 101.
Get set up early. There is nothing more risky than trying to hurry and get set up as birds hit the air. Why chance it? Get set up early and have the peace of mind knowing you did everything you could to be ready. Being there early will also eliminate an excuse for failure.
Hunt the wind. This might sound obvious, but if you can set up a scenario where birds can come straight from the roost to your set up without having to work the wind, they will be less likely to notice any flaws in your spread.
Snow Geese have good memories and they will not return to a hot field where they were shot at before. Make sure you have done your scouting so you are not stuck setting up for an hour just to lure in singles and doubles.
Don’t park too close to your hunting location. This might sound like another obvious rule, but humans are repetitive. We also like routines, and just because one hunt may have gone well with a vehicle in sight, every hunter knows it’s a possible warning sign to geese. Be diligent and don’t cheat yourself because you did not feel like walking another quarter mile.
Finally, don’t fall for the magazine photos and think you need thousands of top-dollar decoys. Buy some good high-profile show decoys and supplement those with white rags and less expensive decoys. It never hurts to save a buck especially when it is still as effective to go cheap.
