Migration reports for Snows

[mr wizard]

Let's post up the reports! Good or bad it doesn't matter. Where you saw them or where you didn't. I'll be the first: My buddy's a truck driver and he just called with a report of 3000-5000 from Watertown to Soiux Falls. No sheet water and ice on the ponds and lakes. I'm gonna give it one more week.

[lawdog]

I haven't seen or heard a single group yet.

[Rost]

I was out and about last night. I would say literally thousands of geese around! One massive flock after another.

[ChuckN]

Wow, it seems mighty early for SD already!!

[eyehead]

How much snow cover you guys got over there???

[Rost]

The snow has been gone for several weeks now.

[IceHawk]

They are starting to filter into SD and pileing into Nebraska. The rainwater basin and squaw creek are starting to fill up. With ND holding snow I would imagine they will stage in SD for a few weeks. The weather can change alot of the migration so keep a eye on it. Warm weather and S winds push birds up so and Cold weather and snow can push them back real fast. I would assume alot of the birds are scout flocks that are pushing up looking for open sheet water etc. In my opinion central and Northern Sd should be hot around March18-31st. Time will tell!

[gaddy getter]

Quote:

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Wow, it seems mighty early for SD already!!

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Actually it's a bit LATE this year.....

We're headin out to SoDak this weekend!!!

[poutpro]

What do you do with all the geese if you shoot 100 of them? Or don't you shoot that many?

[WalleyeWeasel]

Feed em to da pigs !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lawdog]

I just saw a few groups of Canadians while driving back from Wgtn. First numbers of waterfowl I've seen here.

[jblabsnduck]

Rain water basin(Neb.) is holding a million plus.

Info from SD hotline.

[lawdog]

I was outside here at the house a couple hours ago and heard a few groups of snows flying and squawking like crazy.

THEY ARE COMING BOYS!!!!

[IceHawk]

If we start getting some Southern winds they will definately start moveing heavier into SD. As of right now they are starting to filter into the Southern part of SD. Nebraska is holding the bulk of the birds but SD will see it's share real soon. With the lack of sheet water and frozen ponds it will be interesting to see how things play out in SD.

[gaddy getter]

We hunted Southern South Dakota this weekend......there are definalty huntable numbers of geese there NOW.....not in the huge flocks, but we had no problem finding small to medium sized clouds when we were driving around. (small-medium being relative to snow goose terms ).

The ponds were only 5% open on Saturday, but by the time we left Sunday night most were closer to 50% open, with many of the small waters completely ice free.

I'd expect MIND BOGGLING numbers to be in the Southern half of the state by next weekend.....with huntable numbers probably streching all the way up toward the North Dakota border.

A TON of hunters out there this last weekend already....way more than expected......the next two weekends will be absoloutly crawling with guys in SoDak .

[poutpro]

Anyone spotting any in ND yet?

[IceHawk]

North Dakota still has a fair amount of snow. The geeese will only go as far as the snowline. It will be a couple of weeks before there are huntable numbers in ND.

[ChuckN]

This could be a fantastic hunt in South Dakota from the reports I've read, and the birds should hold out of ND for awhile yet.

My friend is trying to talk me into a SD trip for old times sake. I've missed the spring hunt for the last few years.

If you haven't experienced snow goose hunting...you need to at least once.

[IceHawk]

From the SD waterfowl information line: March 10th 2006

Snow geese are being seen from the Nebraska border into northeast SD. Small flocks are still reported scattered in the SE part of the state. Concentrations in Lake county and along the I-90 corridor. Kingsbury county reports good numbers of birds around Lake Thompson,Whitwood,and Henry.Large numbers near Cottonwood and Twin lakes in Spink county and Lake Byron in Beadle county. The Scatterwood lake area is holding 100,000 white geese. Sand lake refuge is reporting 60,000 geese. A severe winter storm is predicted for eastern Sd this weekend. Should this storm materialize it will slow the migration and move the birds around.

I will be hunting Fri-Sunday March 17-19th and March 23-26th I will post my results.