Fully Guided Spring Snow Goose Hunts - Mound City, Missouri - Muck Boy and Snow Goose Guides

The Muck Boy crew will be in Mound City, Missouri the weekend of March 2nd, for our 2nd spring snow goose hunt. As all waterfowlers know this hunt will be subject to the birds migration. You can only be in the path of this spring migration, the rest is up to the birds. With this winter being more like a normal winter, we are hoping our timing will be a little better than last year, when we arrived a little late. As like last year we will be hunting with Snow Goose Chasers. We had such a great experience with Scott our outfitter, George the field boss (guide) and JP, George's trusted assistant, choosing them again to guide our hunt was a no brainier.

2/6/13 - Geese are starting to move. Up until about Wednesday most reports had the geese in the south of Missouri but the picture on the left was taken near Vandalia IL. and JP one of guides for this trip reported just seeing the first geese around the Mound City Area.

2/14/13 -Let the hunting begin - more and more geese are arriving everyday into the Mound City area. Today one of the crew members had a nice hunt prior to our trip in 12 days, with Snow Goose Chasers- (Note: Scott has a few openings left if you think you ay want to try a hunt like this - just give him a call.

2/23/13 - Snow, Snow and now more Snow on the way - If this isn't bad enough, most of the geese that had arrived have moved back to southern Missouri and Arkansas. Our Outfitter Scott has asked us to reschedule to the weekend of March 15th and 16th. If your planning a trip next week or weekend first check with your outfitter.

3/18/13 - The hunt is over and we have our complete report posted by the end of the week. Make sure to check back.

The Hunt -

3/ 15/13 Friday -We arrived at the Kwik Stop in downtown Mound City at 6am where we met up with out outfitter Scott of Snow Goose Chasers and Guide George for today’s hunt. We had four other hunters along today, a father and son team from Indiana, alocal Grandfather and Grandson and George’s trusted companion J.P. The morning started slow with a lot of Canadian Geese and a few flocks of Snow Geese around but nothing was worked the spread. Around 9am a six pack came from the north and headed straight to us losing altitude the whole time. They circled once and came directly overhead about 60 yards. It was a difficult shot out the back of  the lay out blinds and unfortunately only one bird fell. By this time the temperature had reached the mid 60’s and there was hardly a wisp of wind or a bird in the sky. This gave us a chance to get out of the blinds and stretch our legs and check the blinds and decoys. Just before our lunch break a snow dropped in but only came to within 50 yards and looked to be hooking off so George yelled “take’em” and this poor bird ran into a wall of steel shot.
After getting lunch we ran over to the Squaw Creek Wildlife Refuge to see how many Snow Geese were there and the latest count by the refuge staff was at 615,000 birds. It looked like every one of them was there at lunch, it is quite a sight to see that many birds in one place at one time. We all showed back up to the spread at 2pm and stayed until end of shooting time. Temperatures by this time were in the high 70’s to low 80’s but the wind had shifted to the northwest. We turned the blinds and made sure they were camo’ed up good for the afternoon hunt. There was a little more action with the group taking five more singles. The temperatures by the end of the hunt had started to drop and the winds were already due north. Everyone was excited about the prospects for the morning. With over 600,000 birds less than 5 miles away, a strong North wind and the temp’s in the 40’s we thought we were going to be in for a special hunt.

3/ 16/13 Saturday - We arrived back at the field around 6:30am with temperatures around the 40 degree mark and a stiff NNE wind at 20 to 25 mph. We took two large adult snow geese early and watched bunch after bunch of ducks buzz the spread. About 9am a couple of us had to go back to the truck and get our winter bibs and coats because the temperature had dropped to the very low 30's and the wind had not let up. With nothing much flying, around 11am the group from Indiana headed home. This gave us a chance to catch an early lunch and head to the refuge to check the bird numbers. To our surprise they were all gone, from 600,000 to around 1000 birds overnight. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze. Knowing there were not many birds in the area we still went back to the field and hunted till about 5pm. As expected, we seen very few snows that afternoon but still enjoyed the comradery  of the hunt and the efforts of George.
We are still figuring out Snow Goose hunting and have adjusted our plans again for next year. Our schedules limit our flexibility but we know that Snow Goose Guides will always do everything that they can to make               sure that we have the best chance for success on the weekend we are there. We look forward to the 2014 migration and have our fingers crossed for better luck, because you can count on us buying our tickets for the Snow Goose Lottery again.

Snow Goose Hunts 2012 - Hunting Report

This winter or the lack of any winter weather has left the waterfowl wondering if they should migrate and I think the verdict is in. There are still thousands of Canadas and Mallards in South Dakota that will never head south. Which when I tell you that there are still snow geese in Missouri and at Squaw Creek that have never left so get your guns ready it is going to be an early snow goose season.

The Snow Geese Continue to Come In - Mound City, Missouri

Well believe it or not the snow geese continue to come in and the clients keep shooting them. Even with a driving blizzard the birds could not stay out of the decoy spread.

Wow It's Hot In Mound City - Up Close

We did them for 10 in , hour and a half wind socks and the cheapest equipment we own. We were the professors today the snow geese were the students and we saved some of the Tundra.

Guided Spring Snow Goose Hunts: Conservation Action

Spring Snow Goose Hunting in Early Spring - Book Your Hunt and Be Apart of History!!! The group that harvests the most birds will receive a 50% discount off of there 2012 Spring Snow Goose Hunt.




WHITE OUT: Mid Continent population studies indicate that between the mid 1960s and now, snow goose numbers grew from an estimated 50,000 to more than one million. Officials predict that by the middle of the next decade, roughly two million snowies might compete for limited space, doubling in current size. (Delta Waterfowl media photo)



By Steve Hickoff

The so-called regular waterfowl seasons may be over, but don’t put your gear away just yet. Clean it, for sure, but keep it ready to roll . . .

In the heavily human-populated Atlantic Flyway where I write this — and elsewhere around the United States — it’s not just humankind competing for space. Snow goose numbers are at all-time highs, migration time depending.

That’s good news for hunters. In late-winter and early-spring you can jumpstart your waterfowl season, extending it into spring turkey time.

Snow goose numbers exceed available food and habitat in many areas. As a result, federal and state wildlife management organizations now offer expanded seasons for these waterfowl in many locations. By conservation order, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has specifically mandated this effort to control growing numbers.

Though they’re hunted elsewhere, eight states in the Atlantic Flyway were open last year under the “conservation order” for late-winter and early-spring snow goose hunting. These included North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware to the south, and New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont to the north. Check your current regulations as changes may appear there.

More geese? Waterfowl hunters couldn’t be happier. So how do you hunt them?

First check to see if your state offers a late-winter or early-spring season. Many do.

Once licenses, permits and stamps are secured, assess your waterfowling gear. You may need to amp up your decoy holdings with snow goose fakes. Shells and full-body options are widely available for this growing sport.

As with real estate, location is everything. Scout for these so-called “light geese” in agricultural haunts. Gain permission from landowners to hunt these spots. Be there before dawn the next morning to set your spread of dekes.

Huddled in a layout blind, snow goose calls on a lanyard around your neck, non-toxic loads chambered in your shotgun, you’re ready to roll.

Some other tips to hunting these light geese include:

Your effort to find them might begin where they roost, and include locating a nearby field where they feed and/or might forage. Study them for a pattern of use. They’ll often move and feed early in the day and later in the afternoon, loafing elsewhere during midday. Sometimes too they just move on.

Study maps, drive and glass fields, and seek landowner permission at all costs, explaining what you’ll be doing and even why. Set your spread at midday for later afternoon hunts. If it feels right, get back there the next morning too. Don’t pressure a spot; then again, hunt it while it’s hot and even just a little warm.

As camouflage goes, wear white if snow covers the ground, or standard options if you’re in a layout blind or using natural cover. Blend in, no matter what. Snowies feel the pressure, and adjust accordingly. If possible, hide all unnatural evidence, including your truck, trailer and four-wheeler. Make it look real.

Spreads should consist of as many snow goose decoys as possible. Full body snows, shell fakes, and silhouettes should round off your presentation. It’s not unusual for a hardcore snow goose hunter to place several hundred to even 1,000 or more decoys out in a field, and even use wing flags to impart movement to the spread.

Snow Goose Action

Snow Goose Migration 2011

Well it's time for the 2011 Sping Snow Goose migration to begin with no snow pack south of Nebraska as the warmer days of February approach the snow geese will be ready to head north.

Snow Goose Report 2010 - Mound City, MO

Scout flocks of snow geese spotted around Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge (SCNWR). This may not be the big migration however it does show that they will migrate whenever they want. WE have no doubt that if we would have had a decoy spread out that they would have decoyed.