Last week’s cold snap looks to have left the tail end of the snow goose migration hanging around parts of North Dakota. Reports from north of the Devil’s Lake still hold some promise. Hunters willing to put some road under them are still finding huntable groups of birds scattered from Devil\’s Lake north. But by and large, any action to be had will require US hunters to cross over into Canada.
The good news is that the recent tug of war between winter and spring made for some prime, although messy, conditions for hunters. The warm temperatures of recent weeks saw many small lakes and potholes opening up from their winter shell, and the open water has served to concentrate the returning snow geese that were forced to extend their layover by the most recent cold front. Good concentrations have been reported in much of southern Manitoba. Ste. Rose du Lac, Westbourne, Carmen, and Lake Dawson are all reporting respectable numbers, with the heaviest concentrations holding south of the trans Canada highway. Hunter success has been highest in areas around new corn.
So if you still have a need to put a few more birds in the decoys before stowing the gear till next fall, head to Canada, where the season runs until May 31st in some areas.. With temperatures this week climbing back toward the spring side of the thermometer it may not be long till the geese are cleared again for departure and on their way back to the tundra.
