WHY THE HUNT IS THERE: Spring snow geese range from the arctic tundra all the way to Mexico and many states in between. We have chosen the state of Missouri to hunt these birds for one reason only, it most likely has the highest number and most predictable spring migration than any other place in the country. If you look at spring migration reports they will tell you that somewhere between central Nebraska eastward to central Missouri is the snow gooses “center of the hour glass” in their migration when trekking north. And our lodge is directly in the middle of the largest migration path. The local refuge has reported and officially counted as many as 550,000 snow geese on it during this peak time, I was there the day they counted it. They count it once a week, I personally have seen the refuge twice as full as the day they counted it, on a couple of occasions, obviously with only 1 day to count and 6 days not counted and a peak time of only about 2.5 weeks.  I would say that they may have their numbers wrong, wouldn’t you? I have no problem in saying that I personally believe that the Squaw Creek National Wildlife refuge as held up to and over a million birds in the past on several occasions.

I also have no problem saying that in the surrounding area refuges, private and public I would estimate it some years as high as another 300-400 thousand snow geese at one time, excluding Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Now what I mean by this is that on any given day, during the peak migration time the area could hold up to 1.4 million birds, this doesn’t include migrating birds, and it is only what I call resting birds. With a guesstimated population of 4-9 million, depending on who and when you talk to somebody and most of these birds coming through this “hour glass section” of the country, you could say that it’s “a lot of birds”. And so, if 1.4 million “could” be moving through the area, after their “rest” at one time, that doesn’t leave you a lot of hunting days to catch the “peak”. Granted they bounce back and forth, North to South, East to West, etc.; but this is the reason we only hunt these peak times in this peak area.

We basically hunt a 3 or 4 county area in the NW corner of the state of Missouri. This area not only is a large part of the “hour glass” it is also just below the snow line, meaning that when snow storms hit, they typically hit just North of our area, driving all the geese back to us. This part of Missouri is often too warm to get really big snow storms at this time of the year, a few weeks or days before, yes; but not typically past the first week of March. Now remember I said typically, Murphy’s law you know. Anyway, my point is that there are a lot of geese coming through this area at this specific time and yes, even with this many birds it still depends on weather as to how good you do on a given day; but most days you’ll average in the twenty’s, you’ll be in relatively tolerable hunting weather, although layers are important, and great days you’ll never forget! We typically hunt over a minimum of 1,500 decoys, sometimes less, sometimes more and they are a mixed bag of full body’s, northwind socks, and floaters. Obviously mentioning floaters that means we hunt over water at times as well as high hilled corn fields and low bottom lands. It all is dependent on what and where the geese are and what they’re doing.

We also use highly effective custom sounds from cd, and mp3 stereo players. Most likely you’ll get to know our blinds very well, it will be your friend and enemy. They often start off as comfortable and end up as a pain in the neck, most if not all of your shooting will be done from the sitting position, so practice before you come. Very few are lucky enough to end up in a pit blind and the reason for that is that there are relatively no pits where the geese are, what do I mean by that? Well I will tell you, all of the pits in the area are for duck blinds, very near the refuge, which on a rare occasion can be good; but if your goose hunting it usually isn’t worth your time. Geese are too smart to feed right outside the refuge line, they simply rarely do it and often learn quickly if they do and that is why pits are so rarely used where we’re at. Farmers do not see the need of having pits way away from the refuge just to shoot “snow carp”. Now I don’t agree with them; but I have had a heck of a time convincing them otherwise.

THE DAYS EVENTS: Getting to shoot, the guide calls all of the shots, he can tell when they are going to be at their closest. You should make arrangements to have two guns just in case, often times somebody’s gun goes bonkers and they are out a gun and some days you’ll have a heck of a time convincing me of giving up mine and my expensive 10 gauge shells. But seriously it’s a really good idea, guns seem to break often or parts get lost when taking them apart. You should have plans to have somebody bring at least one extra gun in your group. When the guide calls the shot, it may seem too far and that is o.k., don’t shoot; but most likely somebody there doesn’t think it’s too far to shoot. Plan on discussing this with me or your guide at the beginning of the hunt, I do not mind shooting at 70 yard birds; but most of my guides do. I only have a couple of them that I would say are good enough shots to shoot a bird that far and almost no clients so we don’t shoot that far unless we’re with clients that are able to do it. We only call shots out to 50 yards. Now don’t be intimidated, these birds do not circle out in front of you too often, they circle over top of you. So when we say 50 yards, with the shells I am telling you to buy, (read the home page), it is still only a 2 or 3 foot lead, if that. It is much easier than you would think and it will be fun fine tuning your long distance skills.

Now I am assuming we don’t need to talk about the shots under 35 yards, one foot lead and pull the trigger and there yours. 50% of your shots will be less than 35 yards and 50% will be less than 50 yards, if you get real antsy and you want to see if you can hit the birds that keep circling at 60 or 70 or 80, let him know and he’ll call the shot on them. Your there to have a safe good time and you’d be surprised with those new steel loads how far you can kill a bird when their straight over your head, I can pretty much guarantee it. So along with that, remember you’ll be sitting on your butt, shooting straight up or straight out, the great thing about these birds is that there are no “shoot behind you birds” there always straight over your head or at a 45 and some of our places your actually shooting down on them. I will leave that one a secret; but we have a spot that you can sit in your blind and they often decoy close enough you’re shooting down at them in the decoys.