Spring is Here!

March 20, 2019 / galen / Camping, Goose Hunting, Ice Fishing

Welcome to the first day of Spring 2019! After a very cold Winter a warm start to Spring is a very welcome change. Today’s high in Central Saskatchewan is plus 5. Yes, a plus in front of the number. There are signs of spring everywhere. More people out walking, a few Canada geese pairs flying overhead, water running in the streets, fields starting to show under their blanket of snow. Blue skies and sunshine in the forecast. Looks like a great rest of March to come.

More signs of Spring are the provincial campground reservations systems are all available now.

Alberta Campgrounds: https://reserve.albertaparks.ca/
Saskatchewan Campgrounds: https://saskparks.goingtocamp.com/
Manitoba Campgrounds: https://prspub.gov.mb.ca/

Note that not all campgrounds in all parks may be available yet as provinces often stagger the open dates to manage the volume.

It’s officially Spring Snow Goose season, but don’t head out spotting yet. The white geese are still several weeks away. We wont see them until some of the water bodies open up as their push north depends on being able to find both water to roost and food in the fields. I was out ice fishing yesterday, still 3-1/2 feet of ice to auger through so big water is going to be awhile still.

Speaking of ice fishing, March is typically the best month for ice fishing so get out while you can. In most southern zones, ice shacks should have already been removed but that shouldn’t stop you from spending a sunny day drilling holes and catching fish.

Geese in the Air

March 20, 2018 / galen / Goose Hunting, Hunting

It must be spring, there are geese in the air.

March 10th at about 2:00 in the afternoon I saw a flock of 25 Greater Canada Geese flying over Saskatoon on their way to the only open water around for a few hundred miles, the river. There were a couple small groups of 3 to 5 birds around as well.

Now if I was a bird, and I could fly, I would still be down south where the fields are bare and the water is warm.

Shoot the 3rd Bird

March 26, 2017 / galen / Duck Hunting, Goose Hunting, Hunting

Spring Snow Goose season is not far away. Technically the season is already open as of March 15th but the snow geese do not pay attention to the hunting season regulations and they don’t start their journey north to the arctic breeding grounds until there is enough open water and open fields to sustain their multiple thousand bird flocks. That usually means 2nd to 3rd week of April before we see any good numbers here in Central Saskatchewan. But with what seems like an early spring this year, we are getting the blinds and decoys organized and guns inspected and oiled. Oh yeah, stocking up on ammo as well. Prepping for spring hunting always gets my running through some mental images of what it is like sitting in the blind, watching the geese drop their feet, and then the adrenaline rush at the call of “Take ‘Em! Take ‘Em! Take ‘Em!”.

I’ve had the chance to hunt with few of the most respected waterfowlers in North America. Snow Goose hunting legends such as Jim Jones and Waterfowl hunting show hosts such as Jared Brown (DU TV), Mike Checkett (DU TV), Buck McNeely (The Outdoorsman), and Chris Dorsey (Orion Media) . I have also hunted with some great hunters, some great shooters, who aren’t famous but can knock down geese and ducks with anyone. One thing I have learned is to not try to act like you know everything about hunting when in the presence of the masters. That doesn’t mean play stupid, it means don’t try to be the expert. Instead, listen, watch and learn.

We don’t often get this many choices.

A couple of observations come to mind from hunting with Jim Jones and Jared Brown. It has to do with selection of birds to shoot when there are multiple targets. Every now and then I like to set the gun aside and take out my video camera. While doing so I noticed that often when there are multiple bird kills, it’s the close bird that dies last. Especially with 4 or 5 guns in the blinds, I’ve noticed this to be a trend.

How to Shoot a Triple

To shoot a triple, meaning one hunter kills 3 birds, takes some quick decision making, proper choices, and ultimately excellent shooting. I have shot a few triples myself, doing it the hard way. After learning the right way to do it, my multiple bird shoots have increased. My approach used to be to make sure I got one (like the front end of a double play in baseball) by shooting the easiest to kill bird first then get another by shooting the next and then hoping to drop a third at 80 yards while it’s hightailing it away from the gun blasts. My success rate on the first bird is pretty good but the second and third attempts drop off quickly. Part of the issue I like to shoot my old Browning pump shot gun so I am slower to cycle to the second and third shots than when I shoot my Beretta semi-auto. Don’t ask me to justify that choice. I guess i just like the pump action and the extra half a second it forces you to prepare for the next shot.

Shoot the third bird to shoot a triple.

But now the new method of shooting a triple goose or duck kill. Start by shooting the third bird closest to you, then shoot the second then the close bird. On average, the shot length will be shorter, which drastically increases your chances of dropping three birds. Let’s say you pull on the group of birds when the lead bird is 35 yards out, a comfortable shooting distance for many of us waterfowl hunters. With normal spacing in a group of birds, the third bird is going to be about 40 to 45 yards out, still a very make able shot, especially if the birds are still in landing mode, wings cupped, feet dragging. One the first shot, birds flare and try to climb and accelerate away from danger, putting shot number two at about 50 yards, the 40 yards it was at when you shot bird number one, plus 10 yards of get away flight. That should put the final bird at approximately 55 to 60 yards. Tougher shot, especially when it’s tail feathers may be facing you now, but definitely in killable range. Contrast this with where the third bird would be, adding roughly 20 to 25 yards to where it was on the first shot, and that puts the last shot at 75 to 80 yards.

A Good Day of Goose Shooting

Learning from the Wisdom of Others

Something else I have learned from Jim Jones is the answer to the question how big can a snow goose spread be? The answer has more to do with the size and capacity of your trailer. With enough hunters, Jim will empty the trailer meaning there will be up to 1500 decoys on the ground, stretching a few hundred yards. At first I thought that Jim was insane. Turns out that might be a little bit true as well, but mostly Jim is cunning. The monster spread proved it worth that day in Central Saskatchewan as we had 4 snow goose tornadoes over our heads.

Welcome to Spring

March 21, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Fly Fishing, Goose Hunting, Hunting, Ice Fishing

Spring is now officially here. In reality, the arrival of Spring is highly variable across the prairie Provinces. Southern Alberta has anglers reaching for their rods and tackle boxes as seasons open up on some of the mountain streams while others will remain closed in May/June. Make sure you check your regulations for what waters are open. I have a number of flies and my fly rods at the ready to go join a buddy from Lethbridge and catch some fresh mountain trout in the foothills waters. As you move further east and north, most lakes are still covered with a health coat of ice but thin ice conditions in some southern zones are dangerous and in need of caution. I was fishing central Saskatchewan last week and buried the ice auger shaft at one point meaning the ice is still 3-1/2 feet thick. The later half of March is often the peak of the ice fishing bite. All the shacks should have been removed by now but portable huts are still usually permitted as long at they are removed when you leave the ice for the day.

Spring also brings the Snow Goose flock control exercises. March 15th is the season opening date in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, although you may not see any huntable flocks of snow geese until mid-April. Early season flocks of snow geese can be hunted in Alberta often as early as the beginning of April. Snow geese will rise and fall in latitude with the availability of large open water and food supply. Because flock sizes are typically in the 10’s of thousands, both of these need to be in large quantity or the birds will simply hold where the food and water is available. It’s not uncommon for birds to move north, even all the way to central Saskatchewan, then retreat to North Dakota if there is a significant early to mid April snow fall. Canada geese have been making their presence known in Central Saskatchewan for several weeks already, but in small flocks of 10 or less so open water can be sheet water in a field or a slough edge and food sources only need to support a few beaks, not thousands. of course, only snow geese (including Ross’s Geese) are legal to hunt in the Spring.

Bear seasons don’t open up until mid April so no need to get out the rifles and bows, unless you want to shoot some target practice.

Because of the highly variable conditions, Spring hunting and Spring fishing can be dangerous times of the year. So get out there, be careful, and enjoy the Prairie Outdoors.

Saskatchewan Goose Hunting

January 26, 2017 / galen / Duck Hunting, Goose Hunting, Hunting

Saskatchewan Goose Hunting is a new web service matching avid Goose hunters to Saskatchewan Goose hunting Outfitters. The service is 100% Free for Hunters to use. This new website uses a network of Approved Outfitters who have joined the program and matches them to the hunter’s requirements for number of hunters, dates, as well as other criteria.

See more at SaskatchewanGooseHunting.com

New Survey – Pick Your Shotgun

March 20, 2015 / galen / Goose Hunting

We have just added a new survey on which shotgun gauge you prefer to use when hunting geese. Follow this link to vote for a 12 gauge or a 10 gauge.

Did you Honk at Me?

March 11, 2015 / galen / Fishing, Goose Hunting, Hunting

I walked outside this afternoon and I thought I heard the sound of a Canada goose honking. Maybe there were two. Maybe just wishful thinking, but the sound of geese honking is a sure sign spring is nearly here.

These were not the only sure signs of spring today. In my mailbox today was both the Outdoor Canada Annual Fishing issue and the Cabelas Spring and Summer catalog. How much more can I stand? I still have 2 feet of snow in my yard and the ice on the lake was still 3-1/2 feet thick this weekend. The only open water will be a couple mile stretch on the river, so if there are geese here, they are roosting on the river.

Our last two springs have been late, very late. Spring snow goose hunting last year barely got started until May 1st. Then the birds were in a hurry to pass through, although the 2nd week of May was full of limit shoots. With the late melt, many lakes still had too much ice on them to launch a boat for opening fishing weekend.

Spring comes in waves here in central Saskatchewan. Sometime we get this warm spell in early March and then winter returns for another month (see 2013, 2014). The experts say that this year is a return to normal so let’s hope they are right and we can get the spring snow goose hunt finished and then launch the fishing boats for some pre-spawn pike and walleye.