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spring snow goose hunts


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  • Bryce

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North wind is gonna howl tomorrow boys. Up to 50+ mph. If they're in the air at all, they'll be hugging the ground. Really rap em' a good one!

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Just got back from our 4 day trip to from SD about 2 hours west of Brookings. IT was a very tough trip. lots of adult birds. we only shot about 20 over the weekend lots of high flying migrators. Our group is debating heading back in a week or two to hopefully get in on some juvies!

Should add we had 720 silo socks out and spent a lot of time scouting and knocking on doors...

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About 2 hours south of here. full-283-43813-2014_03_2612.26.58.jpg Ther's a whole state between

here and Iowa. Two options. Full bodies or drills. The ground is rather firm.

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Well at least it appears dry and snow free. Spread looks good Bryce. Did they show up as planned?

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The language I would need to use to properly describe hunting refuged up adults would offend anyone who ever even contemplated using this forum. #selfmedicating

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Heres a couple from our trip last weekend. Debating whether to head back next weekend for some juvie action!

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Bryce don't you usually head out for a long trip in the spring?

I am assuming you're not out there yet.

Heading out Saturday for a week...can't wait. It's looking like 212 corridor-the border will be our scouting starting area

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Weather brutal here. Going to stick it out to see what Saturday brings. Monday forecast back to horrible. Hope to get back out for a few days of juvie action but hard to tell when that could be looking at my schedule and the forecast. Goofy spring.

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Just curious. I've noticed in some of the pics posted in this thread that many folks really spread out their dekes to give the impression of a larger group of birds in the field. However, when I look at this configuration of decoys, to me at least, they don't look realistic at all.

I'm just wondering if this has, or is actually working for everyone? I'm not being critical, because I know how much work this is. I just tend to spread out my dekes in small bunches, pairs, family groups, over a larger area, rather then individual flags spaced evenly between each other.

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We were limited with the hard ground. Stick em in anywhere you can. Generally pack them in tighter. Family grouping sounds like a good canadian plan. Whitey thinks a little differently. Especially in the spring breeding push.

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My traveling report. Just drove from Williston to Minot (hwy 2) down to Jamestown (hwy 52) to Fargo (94) & saw 1 single flock of snows. +/- 500 birds, traveling east flying high about 100 miles north of Jamestown. This was my last trip through NoDak, since I'm moving to Texas in 8 days. What a bummer, I completely missed the northern NoDak migration this year. frown

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Tough trip. Tucked tail and ran from the incoming blizzard. Enough wounds to lick without battling nature too. Hope to sneak back out for a few days after the storm mess is gone. Fields probably going to be a muddy quagmire for awhile. full-283-44031-2014_03_3107.26.11.jpg

Leaning towards the theory that the decoy mfgs and outfitters are photoshopping in pile pics taken by ditch piggers and cowboarders to convince me these birds will actually decoy in order to sell me on their products and services wink

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Quote:
Leaning towards the theory that the decoy mfgs and outfitters are photoshopping in pile pics taken by ditch piggers and cowboarders to convince me these birds will actually decoy in order to sell me on their products and services wink

You got that right, all the stars have to allign for it to work and it doesn't happen very often at least for me.. I have way more horror stories from the spring than I do hero stories, like the time it started raining about half way through putting out the spread, by the time we were done we almost didn't get the truck off the field and then it rained for 3 straight days it was a terrible muddy mess that took 5 of us 6 hours to pick up and pack out. Or the time it was 50deg. on friday afternoon when we were setting up, we were using mostly Northwinds with the wood peg, that night it went from 50 deg. to 0 deg never got warmer than 15 for the next 3 days most of the decoys had to be broke off at dirt level they were so froze in.. Or the time we had to hammer drill 500 decoys in and never shot a bird, or the time.... I could go on and on...

I love to waterfowl hunt but Iv'e given it up in the spring, if I'm laying in a blind in the spring now it's with a camera on a nice sunny day shooting pretty ducks cool

Dumbest thing I did was paint a dozen perfectly good Canada floaters WHITE..

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The group i go with was in SD last weekend with similar results only shot about 20 for 5 guys in 4 days. I'm debating whether to head out this weekend or not the weather is making me think twice!

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Tough trip. Tucked tail and ran from the incoming blizzard. Enough wounds to lick without battling nature too. Hope to sneak back out for a few days after the storm mess is gone. Fields probably going to be a muddy quagmire for awhile. full-283-44031-2014_03_3107.26.11.jpg

Leaning towards the theory that the decoy mfgs and outfitters are photoshopping in pile pics taken by ditch piggers and cowboarders to convince me these birds will actually decoy in order to sell me on their products and services wink

Put a clean skirt on and get back after 'em Sally!

I'm working on some theories that need to be tested!

LOL

grin

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Next time you're in camp and I have all these wounds to lick, I will direct you on which end you can start on to best help out wink

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The pain is just weakness leaving the body Bryce. I'm born again hard, got some new sounds, some ideas, ...and a traumatic brain injury that leads me to believe it'll work this time......LMAO!

Aint gonna quit til everythings muddy, broken or destroyed. My spirit was wavering, but after a couple good nights of sleep, a couple warm showers...I'm ready to go!

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We call those elbow wing clipped snows and are typically taken at max gun range at the edge of the spread.

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Just spent the week working in Washburn, 40 min north of Bismarck. Holy f@#$ never seen so many birds in all my life. Canadian and snow. Insane.

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Our guides could not have been worse but we had a fun trip. We harvested 14 birds for 7 guys over three days. The guides never moved the spread or scouted and the last day they didn't even get out of bed before legal shooting time. I am hooked but will be going on my own from now on.

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Our guides could not have been worse but we had a fun trip. We harvested 14 birds for 7 guys over three days. The guides never moved the spread or scouted and the last day they didn't even get out of bed before legal shooting time. I am hooked but will be going on my own from now on.

Who were they ?

If you do not want to say, were they a known outfitter, local boys, or "C" list special ?

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