Our 2011 spring season was one of our better years. Total harvest was 5366 snows. The weather was much better than 2010. We shot 11 leg bands and one white neck collar which is a pretty low for the number of birds we shot. We also shot 3 blue phase Ross geese. All of these trophies went home with the hunter who shot it or won it in our drawing.
Missouri Recap: For the second year in a row some of our best hunting was in February when we had very few hunters. The last few years we have seen a trend of groups wanting to hunt mid March. It is a good time, but it is certainly not the only time hunting is good. We have had hundred bird days from early February to mid April. Weather is the biggest factor. Adverse weather can happen at any time or place during the spring season. There is some very good early hunting that is getting missed by you guys. A prime example is our first full day hunt on Feb 21, 2011 with 70 birds shot. They followed it up with 24 and 50 the next two days. That’s good hunting and we had only one group booked.
South Dakota Recap: Birds were late arriving in northern SD. We pushed back some hunters but two groups were already in route when I called so we pulled up stakes and moved them south. By the second weekend the birds were within driving distance of the lodge in NE SD. There was a lot of windshield time but it paid off. South Dakota was very consistent hunting.
