Here are some Snow Geese I ran into on New Year's day. These are the "Greater" sub-species found in the Atlantic Flyway.

Man, would I love to get into some eastern snows in that kinda way!!!!

They show up one here and one there in my part of the state.....usually straggling through with a flock of Canadas.

You must be out in the Reading/Lancaster vicinity, eh??

I've got an uncle who's a CPA near York. I keep telling him he needs to pick up some big farm accounts.............then get his favorite nephew some hunting permissions.

Strut10

Yes I am real close to Reading and Lancaster. We see them in October (not this many as in this pic) and then when they are migrating back up north in Feb/Mar. I took this picture on the Eastern Shore. Very hard to hunt them there unless you are willing to put huge Texas style decoy spreads of 500 to 1000. Calling is useless on these birds as when they take to the sky the noise is deafening.

Dear Collector:

How about Lake Ontelaunee?

I've seen thousands of snow geese there until about two years ago. They seem to push the Canada geese out.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

Hi Chris,

Bucks County is right in line with migrating geese. My guess is that the birds are probably using it in fall (southward migration) and spring (northward migration).

Most of the time on the Eastern shore, Snows and Canadas use the same fields but they stay in separated flocks. Canadas do not move in big gigantic flocks like Snows so I am sure they get the hell out of dodge when they see the white tornado approaching.

Lesse Snow Geese (in Central flyway) tolerate the Specklebelly Geese and let them mix in. The Blue Phass "Lesser" Snow Geese are also abundant in both Central and Mississippi flyways. So may be it is a color thing and that is why Specks are tolerated by Snows in those flyways.

I will post some pics of all color phases and sub-species soon.

collector, I don't want to turn this into a Miss. Flyway thread, but you described my snow/speck experience there to a "T". I'm looking now at my mounts of each (under glass).

The snows here when en masse look just like the photo above. When on the ground in a large bunch they literally cover up whole fields for many hundreds of yards. But, they NEVER get within what I judge to be shotgun distance of the edges of the fields.

Generally we find them on dry fields. But when they use a bean or rice field flooded for ducks you can feel them brush against you and hear their wings cutting the air around your ears as you make your way into the pit before daylight. And, believe it or not, you can find a sizable bunch of them IN your pit. They walk on it during the night and fall thru the cane used to brush the top.

Specks (White Front) are rarer and it's a big deal and something special when they show up, usually at the same time as the snows, but in their own separate and much smaller flocks. It's a special event because (1) they decoy easily (2) it's rare to get a shot at them, and (3) because in the Miss. Flyway they have the reputation of being the best eating goose. IMO they taste like a cross between duck and beef if you can imagine such. On the other hand, snows have their "sky carp" reputation, although I consider them OK eating - probably depends on what they've been feeding on.

Specks as table fare stands to reason as they seem to physically resemble ducks more than other geese. For instance, they have a ducks orange legs and near Mallard-like coloration.

I assume our snows are all lesser, but don't really know. They are in my experience about half in half "snows" and "blues".

I've only seen a few here in NH....and they've been mixed in with Canadas. Thought about trying the VT spring season for 'em......

Shack
Live geese inside the hunting pit. Now if you captured that in a photo that would make for some cool headlines in the waterfowl community.

I am not sure why Snow Geese have a sky carp rep. I breast the meat out and get breakfast links made at a local Amish butchery and they taste just fine. Have had Canadas which were tough as leather at times. I guess it all boils down to what the birds have been eating and who cooks them and how they cook them. The breakfast link thing has worked for us for years and all of my snow geese are put to good use.

Specs on the other hand are absolutely a joy to bake and eat. Have had them on couple of occasions on out of State hunting trips (we do not get any in Atlantic Flyway).


Norton
I have yet to try the Spring Snow Goose hunt but from what I have heard is that it can be an all or nothing. Either you smack them by the hundreds or nothing at all. There are some outfitters in the Dakotas who have dialed into the proper technique but the timing of bird arrival is very dicey.

When I climbed down in the pit I had this feeling of being watched. Shined the lantern around and saw eyes at the far end, and then more and more eyes and bodies on the plank we sit on and on the pit floor. Then another guy gets in the pit in their end and they all come down to me. Standing beside me and around my feet. Fourteen in all. Yes, a picture would have been something.

I agree that Canadas are not always a taste treat. For that matter I frankly like duck as table fare better than goose, even the specks. I'll take a plump rice fed Mallard any day, especially if they've been south a while and have had time to fatten up on beans or rice. We just bake 'um...nothin fancy.

Snows are being hunted here in an organized way more and more, with property being leased just for that and clubs putting out big spreads. Hunters come from many other states for that and for the ducks. East Arkansas is the prime place in this part of the flyway for snows. Canadas are seen more along and east of the Mississippi, and of course southern Illinois, western Ky and Reelfoot Lake of NW Tn are very popular. We even at times get big flocks of Canadas come and use farms 50 miles and more east of the river in what's usually upland bird country.

In other words the Snows and Canadas more or less and with exceptions seem to have their separate territories. At times we also see what we call the Giant Canadas.

My AR friends are telling me there are more Snows in s. AR this year that they can ever remember. While hunting ducks the other morning, they shot 22 Snows/Blues, Ross and Specks within 30 minutes, and this with no goose dekes. I'm gathering my compadre's to head over the first weekend in February for the Conservation season. I expect it will be the Powder River excursion.
LDK

LDK,
Have fun in AK, let us know how the conservation season turns out. Imagine they will allow unplugged guns and electronic callers as well.

This year has been very odd for South Louisiana. We have no geese. I'm not even seeing or hearing the flocks flying overhead. Sure was looking forward to getting some too...

I just back from Arkansas and can confirm that there are LOTS of geese in the Stuttgart area and south of there. My friends, who are all from Arkansas, say they have never seen so many geese before. What is particularly interesting is the number of Specks - big groups rather than the normal small buches with the snows. In one field I saw probably 1 thousand specks all by themselves, no white geese with them. I've been hunting down there for 10 years and never seen this many specks in one field, snows cover the ground sometimes but not specks.

quote:

I just back from Arkansas and can confirm that there are LOTS of geese in the Stuttgart area

I used to hunt there a great deal, but haven't been in a while. Did you hear anything about what guided hunts are now going for over there? Just curious.

When I was there the snows were a constant sight and sound overhead and field after field were covered up by them. You'd hear them by night while trying to sleep in our farm house and on the way to the reservoir before dawn and all during the hunt. In fact, there was a kind of odd phenomenon.

After I got back to the city I could for a brief time think I heard geese in various small everyday faint outdoor sounds. I know how that comes across, but it's true. Quite similar to feeling a boat's motion after stepping on shore when you've been afloat a long time.

During the 90s and early 2000s I didn't see large flocks of Specks over there. Just occasionals. What you described I think was unusual and no doubt due to the recent harsh cold. Several days of single digits does that.

This has been the kind of Winter I remember from the past. I believe those type Winters have now returned. Over my 60+ years in the Mid-South, I'd say typically it's that first week in January that you see the worst, or best, if you happen to be a waterfowler.

Anyway, don't you just love all this that we do?!?

Today's report: more geese than my friends have ever seen (Snows, Blues, Ross). We have found their major roost, which we will not disturb. Instead we will set up in rice fields they are feeding in. Yes, collector; electronic calling, no plugs, no limit, shoot 30 mins after sunset and only a free AR G&F Conservation number required. We can't take enough to make a dent in the over population but we're trying to help. I'll leave this coming week. Will post a report the following week. I have several guys joining our crew. Should be great shooting.

Shack, my good friend Tim Reaves guides late season goose hunts. I'm heading that way thursday. He gets $200 per day includes meals and lodging. You only need a free conservation number (from the AR G&F). No limit on Snow, Blue and Ross geese. I have the hunt listed in the Outfitters forum.
David