The 2016 spring season was another very warm spring. If asked what the odds of having two years in a row with 70 and 80-degree temps in February and March would be we would tell you very low but yet this past springs weather was just like the 2015 spring snow goose season…too hot! We did have some very good hunting at times but not during the extended warm period.
Our Arkansas snow goose hunts began with good hunting for the first few days. By the end of the first week into the second week hunting was slower. Towards the middle of the month hunting picked up nicely. There were a couple of fields that had outstanding hunting. The best day was 175 snows shot in one field. It was a foggy day which helped the success but days like this are very rare. This is the most birds shot in one field by our hunters since 2009 when 216 snows were shot in one field by our hunters. Warm weather and dry conditions was the norm this year in Arkansas.
A ton of snow geese arrived in Nebraska early this year. We sent Curt and Cody up there to started running hunts in the snow before we were done in Arkansas. There were a ton of birds on the lake. The first several days the hunting was excellent. Then the weather went from normal to well above average temps. Just as in 2015 when the 70 and 80-degree weather moved in for a number of days the snow geese moved out. We stopped hunting in Nebraska early and run all the way to the South Dakota / North Dakota border to catch up with the birds. The move ended up being in vain. It was tough hunting and many of the birds moved north shortly after we arrived.
Overall the 2016 spring snow goose season was another fair year and similar to 2014 and 2015 spring snow goose seasons. A lot of average hunting with a few bright spots and clunker days mixed throughout.
Our 2016 spring snow goose season saw a total harvest of 2516 snows. We shot twelve leg banded birds two of which also sported yellow neck collars. Five of the banded birds were banded as adults 11 to 12 years prior. Two were banded 3 and 1 year ago as adults. Five were banded as juvy’s in 2015. It was a good year for bands as we doubled the number from the 2015 season with less birds harvested.
