There were a number of weather challenges this year causing us to postpone more days than in any year in the past. Much of the season was unseasonably cold with many days 20-30 degrees colder than normal. Mother Nature gave us a couple crippling ice and snow storms that froze our equipment into the ground. We were left with no option other than to wait for a warm up. You can’t fight Mother Nature.
With all of this said you may be thinking how was this past season? It doesn’t sound good. Hunting success depended on when you hunted with us. There was some very good hunting as well as slow hunting at times. If you were hunting when there was not weather issues than you likely did average or better. If you were with us around some of the weather events then hunting was likely a little slower. Overall we feel the 2014 season was a fair season. Not our best season and not our worst but somewhere in the middle. We had a lot of fields harvest in the teens and low twenties which is average hunting. There certainly was not nearly as many of the 40+ bird days that we see on the better years. With the weather conditions we had we were satisfied with the results.
The total harvest was 3707 snows with four leg bands. Two of the four bands were shot out of one flock. The pair of juvy blue geese band were separated by only seven numbers. On the surface the 3707 snows harvest might seem low however the lower harvest was more a result of fewer days in the field rather than from poor hunting. When we only get to hunt 30 some days this year and most years we hunt 40-50 days it stands to reason that we are going to harvest fewer snow geese…that is what happened in 2014.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_053
I see them boss!
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_057
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_065
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_034
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_042
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_022
We use large snow goose decoy spreads.
This is a picture form Missouri. It takes us 3 days to get all of the gear in the fields ready to hunt. This is what happened while driving to the last field to set. This was ice ball that covered the road in a couple minutes.
Another Picture this one of the blinds from the ice storm in Arkansas. Although it looks like snow it is just a bunch of ice pellets frozen together.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_046
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_017
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_021
Average Snow Goose Hunt
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_018
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_024
Guides Adam and BJ take their boys out for an afternoon hunt.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_098
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_033
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_083
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_066
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_069
Hold on boys… those are swans! Just because we are hunting snow geese, in a snow goose spread, with recordings of snow geese playing on the callers doesn’t mean everything that comes into the decoys will be a snow goose.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_072
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_081
Refuge in the area we run our snow goose hunts.
One of the best days during the 2014 spring snow goose season. This was in Missouri.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_027
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_006
Arkansas rice field snow goose hunt
Mid-March Missouri snow goose hunt
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_025
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_063
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_082
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_043
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_019
Great Arkansas snow goose hunt. Although this field looks wet the mud in Arkansas is nothing compared to the Missouri gumbo.
An above average day in Missouri.
Missouri Spring Snow Goose Hunt 2014
March Missouri Snow goose hunt.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_091
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_015
Above average day in Arkansas.
Big spread, good friends, good times during this snow goose hunt.
Big days like this are very possible but should not be expected. Most hunters will have average hunting with is a harvest in the teen’s or twenties per day.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_089
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_010
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_055
Another average day snow goose hunting.
Pictures of the spread after the ice storm in Arkansas. It crippled us as there was no way practical way to get the ice off the decoys or get them out of the ground. We just had to wait for it to warm up.
Late Jan Arkansas snow goose hunt
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_004
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_041
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_005
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_090
Picture from the big ice storm in Arkansas during the 2014 spring snow goose season.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_051
When we had good weather we had good hunting. This was in Missouri.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_095
Spring Snow Goose Hunting
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_085
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_054
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_074
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_087
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_037
More Arkansas ice storm picks.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_088
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_056
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_002
We consider an average snow goose hunt to range from 10-30 snow geese in a days hunt.
This one is mine!
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_052
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_009
Get ready boys.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_096
Banded Snow Goose… one of only 4 which is a very poor band year. On an average year we shoot about 10-20 banded birds and a good year we have shot over 25 banded snow geese. There are good and bad year but they average out over time.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_014
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_048
Pretty tough conditions today.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_031
Our hunts are run where there are large number of snow geese.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_060
One of only 4 bands shot this year. We shot very few bands this year compared to a normal year.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_013
Here is what average snow goose hunt looks like.
Here is two of the four bands snow this year. Both were shot out of the same flock and only 7 numbers apart. Both were juvy blue geese. Guide Tryg Koch must have a knack for this… several years back his hunters shot 2 snows out of a flock in South Dakota that had consecutive band numbers.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_036
Snow Goose hunting in the corn fields of Missouri.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_068
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_097
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_020
Youth Snow Goose Hunter proudly showing his geese.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_086
This is one of those days you don’t expect. A day after the ice storm hit Arkansas with everything frozen the snow geese bombed into this spread.
Spring Snow Goose Hunts 2014_038
