A series of snowstorms will cross the Plains this week, adding snow to the migration barrier of mid-continental light geese – extending the opportunity hunters have along the snowline. At this time geese are strung out from eastern Colorado to Western Illinois with the concentration of birds in northwest Missouri excellent at this time.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
While there has been no shortage of light geese this season, hunter success has varied greatly in the Central and Mississippi Flyways as the first dense flights of adult birds have moved north. As hunters wait for the arrival of juvenile flocks that migrate later, they have been constantly reminded how difficult this species can be to hunt when trying to decoy these massive flocks. Even with the aid of electronic callers and mind-numbing volumes of decoys, success is not an absolute.
Whether you are hunting ducks, dark geese or light geese, hunting where the birds want to be is the primary key to success. While the ratio of birds to active hunters insanely high, the competition for access to hunt the “X” is always at a premium. For many hunters success is determined by being able to successfully “run traffic” and decoy birds somewhere between the roost and active feeding fields. When done correctly, the hunter is rewarded with that epic moment of being under a classic tornado of decoying white birds.
As stated above, mid-continental light geese are strung out from eastern Colorado to western Illinois. Hunting in central Nebraska to Central Iowa is fair to good, with hunter success dropping as you move east to the Mississippi Valley and western Illinois. Bird numbers at Squaw Creek NWR remain substantially above average for this time of year and hunting should remain good to excellent as snow falls across the Central Plains this week.
In addition to light goose seasons in the central and western states, newer seasons and spring hunters are doing their part for conservation in the east. Light goose hunting activity in eastern Pennsylvania is underway and hunter success has increased dramatically over the past few weeks.
Waterfowler.com readers are reminded that a number of our forums have been opened to registered guests during the off-season. Be sure to register as a guest and begin your off-season training, planning and networking today.
Until our next report, plan your spring adventure today.
