Rob Kinney for SPLIT REED
Photos via SPLIT REED
The Snow Goose goes by many names. Whether you prefer to call them a light goose or white goose, sky chicken, or even the white devil, stated simply, a conservation season snow goose hunt is a rowdy affair.
The Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO) season started in the late ’90s as snow geese numbers were rising to untenable amounts. The snow goose has a voracious appetite and the proliferation of these geese have caused problems for farmers along all of the major flyways. The LGCO was designed to control the booming populations of snow geese and provides a unique, challenging, and exciting experience that few hunting experiences can provide. There’s no bag limit, no limit on the number of shells in your gun, and no requirement to have a hunting license/migratory bird permit in the state you’re hunting (only that you must hold such a permit in at least one state.)
A departure from what is generally a highly regulated resource (or commodity for the cynics out there) the spring conservation season feels like a no-holds-barred, smoke ‘em if you got ’em, free-for-all. For those unfamiliar, with exception of the ubiquitous prohibition of lead shot and a few other, specifically mentioned, methods which are forbidden (i.e. snaring, trapping, shooting from a moving vehicle, baiting, fishing hooks, “machine guns,” “battery guns,” and “stupefying substances”) hunters are allowed to use nearly any means necessary to entice and dispatch whitey. (Side note: I think it’s fantastic that order 50 CFR 21.60 Conservation Order for Light Geese specifically mentions machine guns and battery guns as prohibited weapons.)
The use of e-callers and an unlimited extended magazine, both of which are verboten during the standard waterfowl season, is permissible and considered necessary during the conservation season. Using somewhat standard means of modification, most hunters can now have approximately 10 rounds at their disposal. Some companies even make a drum magazine that will hold up 25 rounds; 26 including the round in the chamber. For those of you keeping score at home, yes, that is an entire box of shells. With the odds stacked, seemingly, decidedly in our favor, snow goose hunting is easy.
Just kidding…it’s pretty dang rough… the moniker of “white devil” isn’t earned for being an easy mark.
We are still talking about a migratory bird, here, and one that is exceedingly wary. A social creature, snow geese migrate, feed, socialize, and loaf with thousands of other equally-wary birds. Unlike ducks in the late season, rather than pair-bonding and splitting off into smaller groups, snow geese are accumulating in numbers. So, pulling one or two off and shooting singles and doubles isn’t really a strategy. Yes, of course, there are the occasional stragglers, singles, and small groups where opportunities may present themselves. However, you didn’t load a drum magazine to shoot into a group of 5 geese.
If you’re new to snow goose hunting or if you are looking to break out on your own, hunting over your own spread, it can be tough to know where to start. Despite the massive piles of birds you see on social media, many snow goose hunts yield few or no birds at all. That’s part of what makes lighting up a huge wad of snow geese in your face so rewarding and exciting. Snow goose hunting is not transactional. You could have the biggest spread within three counties, have the top-of-the-line e-caller and a drum mag full, and the birds might still light not 300 yards away from you. They are fast, finicky, and, frankly, kinda jerks…. it’s a different game.
After some discussion with some of the folks here at Split Reed, we wanted to write an article that would lay some of the groundwork for those looking to get into snow goose hunting and, hopefully, provide some useful information for you that, while it may not give you the secret 10-Step guide to success, perhaps will serve to save you a little bit of trouble in the future and answer some of those questions you might have but have not yet asked. I caught up with a few individuals who are immensely passionate about snow goose hunting and who I feel could offer those looking to break into snow goose hunting a few points about tangling with the white devil.
One of the individuals with whom I had the pleasure of speaking was Mike Kendall, of Flipping Birds Apparel Co. Mike is a dyed-in-the-wool hunter from southeast Michigan. A hunter all his life, Mike was introduced to waterfowl when he was sixteen years old. Mike was content hunting Canadas, ducks, and deer until a sudden illness changed everything. In 2010 he and a buddy of his took a wild hare trip and went on a snow goose hunt with an outfitter in Missouri.
As Mike was in his layout, he watched a show unlike anything else he’d ever seen before. Thousands of snow geese were overhead and then, out of nowhere, the group began to swirl into a massive tornado of geese. Strange contortions (called whiffling) accelerated their descent into the spread. Through our conversation, it wasn’t readily determinable whether this or the called shot moments later is what caused his sickness. Irrespective of this, Mike caught the bug and he’s got it bad. Since that day, there’s no greater thrill, in hunting, for him than to have a huge wad of snows giving it up and committing to the spread. The man is clearly eaten up by these birds.
In 2016, he and a buddy of his set off on their own. Using a spread that they cobbled together and a homemade e-caller, they were able to get on birds and put them on the ground. He hasn’t looked back, since then.
Our conversation took place over the course of a few hours and I could fill pages and pages with our conversation. In light of this, I have distilled our conversation into a few questions;
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Rob: Mike, you’ve been at it hard for several years now and you’ve seen good years and lean years – for someone looking to get into snow goose hunting for the first time, what’s the best advice you could share?
Mike: “The best advice I could ever give someone in regard to getting into the madness of snow goose hunting, is to hire a guide for the first couple of seasons. Spend some money (and sometimes) learning everything you can about these birds…it will serve you well if (and when) you decide to pull the trigger on a spread of your own. Your first spread doesn’t have to be new, it just has to be effective. Be watching the snow goose pages on Facebook for guys that are selling a used spread after they’re done hunting them for the Spring…You can get lots of decoys for a reduced rate. You do have to be careful sometimes because some people like to get new prices on used decoys. Doing your homework on prices can help you know if you’re getting a good deal. They are out there if you are patient and do the research. Take advantage of our information sources like YouTube, podcasts, articles such as this one…there’s so much information out there, you just have to be willing to spend the time learning. It can make the difference between success and failure and between being hooked and giving it up!!!”
Rob: From the outside looking in, it can appear like there are some large barriers to entry (i.e. cost, amount of equipment, land and land access.)
Mike: The cost of snow goose hunting is the biggest reason why people say “Thanks, but no thanks,” and, in my opinion, manufacturers have to understand that they’re pricing people right out of waterfowl hunting in general, let alone snow goose hunting. [It can be really discouraging to new hunters, particularly if they spend all of this money and then can’t get on birds. This is the main reason that I say to go with an outfitter first…]
When we started Flipping Birds Apparel Co., we did so with the goal of providing a product that was quality, one which allowed hunters to show off their love of snow goose hunting, and one that was affordable. It’s the sole reason we’ve chosen to keep our prices as low as they are for our apparel. [You don’t have to also get all-white gear for every piece of hunting gear you have, throw the white shell on over the jacket you’ve got and head out!]
Rob: There’s a lot of conversation in the hunting community today about new hunter recruitment and the decreasing numbers of younger hunters. What are some ways that you get involved and what are some ways that we can maximize positive experiences so that they stay with it?
Mike: New Hunter recruitment is something we all have to be VERY serious about…it’s our heritage, our privilege to practice Conservation and our privilege to enjoy the bounties of Mother Earth. We have a responsibility to make sure that our children’s children have that same opportunity. Get Involved in Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, and any other organizations you can use to help introduce youth to the Outdoors. Volunteer to assist at a local Hunters Safety courses, or get certified to teach the course, yourself! We need to get kids off the couch (and off their phones) and into the outdoors, we need to change that!
Get involved in offering to mentor young hunters…this brings me a ton of joy. It’s so rewarding when you see that look in their eye and you know that they just got hooked, like you were when you were their age. You can’t put a price on that. This goes for older hunters too who might be brand new to the sport. I don’t care who it is, I love sharing my insane excitement about hunting with everyone I can…and then I invite them to come along with me to experience it firsthand. I feel it’s the only way we’re going to keep this tradition alive.
Rob: So, say you just WHACK them and you end up with 40 geese or better… what do you even do with that many birds? Any good recipes you’d like to share?
Mike: If you’ve shot 40 geese in a day, you’re doing very well for yourselves! Of course, you’ve got to get some hero shots with the birds to share with your buddies and to have something to remember the day by. After that, I’ll clean the birds and freeze what I’m not about to cook. Putting it away to eat later in the year and well after the season is over. The rest, I’ll cook.
Now, this is where I feel like the snow goose doesn’t get nearly enough credit! If cooked properly (like any wild game) snow goose is delicious! I actually was just speaking with someone the other day who said they make into pastrami, I’ve heard of others like to make it into BBQ (similar to a pulled pork), and lots like to simply grill it to medium (at most) with their favorite seasoning.
My personal favorite is a twist on the “popper” and goes a little like this…
– Cube up the breast meat into bite-size chunks and marinate overnight in your favorite marinade.
– Cut jalapenos into 6-8 pieces and scrape seeds from inside
– Place a chunk of the breast onto a chunk of jalapeno, wrap with bacon and place on a skewer. (Thinnest skewers work the best)
– Grill to medium-rare while brushing with your favorite BBQ Sauce.
– Enjoy with your favorite Adult Beverage.
I took this to a Wild Game dinner several years ago and it was gone in minutes!
Rob: Since snow goose hunting in particular is done in primarily agricultural areas the geese won’t be at a feed on any particular spot so you’ll, very likely, need to ask a landowner/farmer for permission for access to land. Any tips for doing this that have been successful for you?
Mike: There are, probably, as many ways to gain access to land as there are ways to hunt snow geese. Fundamentally, it boils down to providing assurance to the landowner that you’re going to take care of their property and showing them a genuine appreciation for the access you’ve been granted.
We’re very lucky in that we’ve been fortunate enough to develop a relationship over time with a landowner who does not want our money to use his farm… he just wants the snow geese gone. He has been instrumental in helping us gain access to additional farms by calling the neighboring farmers and going to bat for us because we’ve made sure to take very good care of him, and his land.
I think once you show landowners that you’re going to do what you said you were going to, they become very confident and will do whatever they can to help you. I have actually become very close friends with the Landowner, and we communicate throughout the year, not just when we’re preparing to come down and hunt. We even share photos of our deer hunting successes with each other every Fall. It’s all about relationships.
To that end, I’d also add that if you’ve gotten permission to use someone’s property to hunt, it would be a good idea to do the following. Before you set foot on the property to hunt, make sure that you ask the landowner where you can drive your truck and, likely, your trailer. It might not quite register, initially, with some landowners that when you ask for permission to hunt that you are also asking for permission to drive your truck and trailer out to their fields at 3:30 in the morning to set up. There’s a potential to get stuck and they might not expect to see a vehicle out in the field that late at night and think you are some punk kids up to no good.
Take a moment and explain to them what time you think you’ll be there and ask if there are places on the property or around the fields that you shouldn’t drive. Work to manage relationships and develop expectations. They might have shallow-buried electric or water pipes that you could damage, or they might be able to direct you to better ways to approach the field than when it’s pitch black. They may not have any of those special requests or aversions to you coming early or with a trailer but let them be the one to make that call. Doing this helps communicate to the landowner that you are a conscientious person and makes them feel like you respect their position as the owner of the property.
On the way out, pick up your hulls, trash, and if you get stuck or rut up ground, offer to fix your divots. They might prefer to do it themselves with their equipment but, again, you demonstrate that you’re not some knucklehead. Understand that you’re not just trying to find a place to hunt that day. You’re trying to secure a place to hunt for years to come.
Develop relationships. You never know what kind of effect that a bad experience for one farmer could have on the area. All it takes, sometimes, is one farmer complaining about you at coffee one morning at the CO-OP and you could help create a negative perception of other hunters for landowners in that area. Whether you see it or not, you are a representative of other hunters and your actions don’t just go out into the void. They affect others, as well.
Back in February, I had the opportunity to join in and shoot a snow goose hunt with Southern Prairie Outfitters, in Arkansas. An untimely conflict for my brother’s father-in-law opened up a spot for me and my friend, Nick May, to tag along. I’m not what someone might refer to as “a goose guy” but, that notwithstanding, I couldn’t very well let the opportunity pass me by. I’m very glad I didn’t. After that hunt, I think I could get behind doing a lot more goose hunting.
This was my first, ever, snow goose hunt. I won’t pretend to be a seasoned veteran. I’m much more familiar in a duck blind or standing in water. I think I bought into the notion that snow goose hunters were a little crazy and that being out there in the open would be cold and miserable. I have to say, though, that while I was comfortably reclined on our layout blinds, I was acutely aware of how much not being in waders and being on dry land didn’t suck. It was great, actually. Laying out in the middle of the decoys is a different experience and it makes you feel a lot more connected to what’s going on and conscious about staying hidden.
On that hunt, I was exposed to the contagion that is snow goose hunting. It was just barely shooting light and we had just gotten fully settled into the spread when I heard someone say, “here they come, boys!” In the distance, I saw a group coming in low and fast. They rose slightly and I thought they were bugging out. As I watched their climb my eyes readjusted and I realized that they were climbing to join their friends above them, hundreds more. They began to circle, losing altitude with each pass.
There were hundreds over us, stacked in what looked like three or four distinct layers of birds. They crossed over one another in a display that was disorienting to watch. Then their wings locked up and they committed. A shout from down the line “GET EM BOYS!” rang out like a starter’s pistol and we emptied our guns into them and watched as birds fell this way and that. Watching those birds come in the way they did and in the numbers that they did was worth the entire trip. I’ll remember that for a long time to come. It’s a unique experience that only the conservation season can provide.
If you have never been snow goose hunting, you have to go. There’s, simply, nothing else like it. If it’s your first time, I’d recommend going with a guide, it will definitely increase the chances of you getting on birds and will also take out another layer of complexity (and cost) that you probably don’t need to worry about at the moment. It’s worth it. Obviously, hope for huge rainouts and monster tornados of birds, but try to temper expectations and prepare yourself for the possible outcome of a big goose egg.
If you’re looking to start out on your own for the first time, bless you. There’s a lot to learn and you may have more bad days than good, starting out, but just stay after them and the stars will align eventually. Those good days make the tough days worth all the work and toil in the mud. As with any waterfowl hunting, scouting and leveraging connections with landowners is immensely important and is most of the battle. Good scouting will lead to more success. Period. Finding birds is one thing, securing access to hunt it is another.
The goal is to kill them all, no doubt, but don’t be discouraged or complain if you walk out with 15-20. Even if you get blanked, it’s only a waste if you haven’t learned something. Attitude can be a huge driver of your overall experience. It’s a tough business and that’s something you can hang your hat on. Don’t get caught up with what you see on social media. Some folks genuinely just beat them down and make it look easy. You haven’t seen the scouting, planning, management that goes into making that happen. This goes back to snow geese hunting not being transactional. Dropping the cash for decoys and committing the time for travel and scouting is no guarantee of birds. Be patient.
While, there is some debate as to whether or not the conservation season is an effective means to “preserve the tundra,” and mitigate the overpopulation of snow geese on both sides of the migration, it cannot be said that the spring conservation season snow seasons isn’t a blast. Find some buddies, get out there, put in the time and the work, and maybe you too can have the chance at a volley of a lifetime…
P.S. Don’t shoot the specs or dark geese!
