2010 Spring Snow Goose Migration
Our B and B, MRPH Lodge in Frederick SD, housed a number of spring snow goose hunters this past March. We work with a couple of waterfowl guides who do the outfitting and we provide the lodging and meals (if requested), and at times acquire the land for hunting.
Snow goose hunting is intriquing. The geese have been pushing their way north for weeks. They are tired and hungry. They are skittish. They’ve been hunted their entire journey.
When we are out scouting, we’ll see entire sections overtaken with thousands of snow geese. The noise is deafening. Just driving by these flocks, is often enough disruption to stir them up. Their lift offs look like a cyclone in the sky!
Usually it’s about the 15th of March when we start to see the first flocks of snow geese come through. The flocks increase in size and numbers over the next few weeks. Each year is unpredictable as the weather plays a major factor in their movement. This year we had been seeing good numbers of geese for days. Thousands of geese were resting and feeding in the fields outside of town. Then we had a sunny day with extreme wind (over 50 mph) from the northwest. The geese didn’t move at all that day. They were hunkered down/ beeks in their wings. The next day the wind continued to blow but had switched and was coming from the south at about 30-40 mph.
At about 5 PM that day, the wind died down. Every flock in the area took flight and headed north. Wave after wave of flocks kept moving. We have never seen so many birds in the air at one time. Everywhere you looked, the sky was covered with long lines of birds. Some low, some high, some small flocks, mostly large flocks all moving northward. It was a sight to see!
We weren’t sure if this was their final move out of our area or not. Were they just moving feeding grounds or actually continuing their migration north? Over the next days, we had the answer. All of those geese had moved out of the area. More flocks continued to migrate from the south but not nearly in the numbers we had previously seen.
At MRPH B and B, our specialty is fall pheasant hunting. We’ve enjoyed our involvement with the snow goose hunters and the outfitters in the spring. If you are looking for pheasant hunting or a water fowling experience in either the fall or spring give us a call. We can get you connected.