Know-How: Snow Buddies

To the uninitiated, spring snow goose hunting might just seem like another corner of the waterfowl world. It’s not—and it’s not for the faint of heart, either. No matter how hard you try, success often boils down to being at the right spot at the right time. Here are two types of people who can help you make that happen.

Landowners
Introduce yourself to as many local farmers and landowners as possible, and stay in touch with them about where the birds are—or if they’re around at all. Start the conversation and secure hunting permission before the season so you’ll be set when the geese arrive. When you locate birds, be prepared to hunt them all day. Snows move at all hours during the reverse migration, and you need to be ready when they decide it’s time to land. You can’t shoot triple-digit bags from your couch.

Outfitters
Get to know the outfitters in your area—or those 1,000 miles away, if you’d prefer. Call them, talk shop, share stories—they’re hunters, too, and are usually pretty friendly. Let them know you’d love to kill some snow geese. Every year, outfitters across the nation have dropouts and cancellations, sometimes just when the birds are ready to work. If you hit it off with an outfitter, he may drop you a line when he has a spot or two open up at the last minute. Sure it’ll cost you a few bucks and you’ll have to move quickly, but if you can afford to be on call, it’s the best chance you’ll have to hit the snow goose lottery. Indecisive types need not apply.

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