I won’t hold you in suspense over this question. The answer is yes. If you are planning to go out Spring Goose Scouting then you should first head to the fields where you saw geese frequently in the fall hunting season. Fields that were cropped with peas, wheat and barley may still have a substantial quantity of grain in the field, spilled from the combine activity, and will bring back the waterfowl flocks in the Spring.
Spring Snow Goose Hunting
This is only relevant for Snow Geese hunting as there is a Spring Snow Goose (including Ross Geese) hunt season but not a Spring season for any other goose species, ducks, or cranes. Just like the fall hunt, you can expect to find a mixed bag of waterfowl in the Saskatchewan fields. The arrival dates will vary greatly, dependent mostly on the weather conditions as waterfowl will need access to open water and food sources. Some species, like Greater Canada Geese will be the first to arrive. Usually around the first week of March we begin to see some small groups of Canada Geese around Saskatoon. They are the hearty souls of the goose world and can stand cold weather and have the willingness to dig through snow to find the grain remaining in the fields. Lesser Canadas, Specklebellies, and Ducks will come a few weeks later. The last to arrive will be the Snow Goose flocks. Contrary to their name, they are not fans of snow and nice and will actually reverse course if the weather does not provide suitable open water and open fields. Like this Spring, 2026, the snows were arriving in early-mid April then disappeared with the occurance of two spring blizzards across southern Saskatchewan.
Spring and Fall Comparison
May 2026 compared to October 2025. I have included images from a fall 2025 article and corresponding May 2026 images to provide proof. Below we show the field from October of 2025 and then follow with the same field from May 2026. Note: some pics are from different angles.
Field 1 October 2025
Field 1 May 2026
Field 2 October 2025
Field 2 May 2026
Field 3 October 2025
Field 3 May 2026
Wild animals, such as geese and ducks are creatures of instinct and habit, with a large dose of unpredictability. While spotting, certainly you want to learn the tendencies, the normal actions of the birds you are hunting. But, always be prepared for something to change their routine. While watching one of the fields above this spring, the birds were approached by two coyotes, looking for injured or straggling prey. This caused the entire flock of several thousand birds to jump and move to another field, 1-1/2 miles away.
If you are looking for predictability, what is probably the most consistent in spring hunting is the day water spot. Figure that out and you have the back shoot of your dreams. That’s for another future article.