# jumping snows



## trigger2 (Dec 6, 2004)

hey guys
i know that alot of you fellas don't like jumping snows, but for us who don't have decoys it seems like a pretty good way to get em. have you guys ever tried posting standers in a treeline, ditch, ect. and send one guy from the opposite side of the field to jump them and and hope that they come over the shooters? we tried walking up on them with cow cutouts (they looked like sick horses to me) and it seemed to work pretty good, but the cutouts kept getting blown up and most of the geese saw us. if the wind wouldn't blow too hard i think that a guy could walk right up to em. 
:beer:


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

trigger2 said:


> have you guys ever tried posting standers in a treeline, ditch, ect. and send one guy from the opposite side of the field to jump them and and hope that they come over the shooters?


That's what we used to do. If you're in an area with a lot of birds in a lot of fields it's the quickest method. We preferred to shoot them out of the sky rather than on the ground. It eliminated the possibility of shooting non-game species.


----------



## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

I jump shoot snow geese sometimes, but I would rather decoy them in, I think it is more fun


----------



## honker (Feb 13, 2005)

i think jumping them just educates the **** out of them :eyeroll:


----------



## purepower (Sep 11, 2004)

jumping them doesnt educate them........they will always be able to pick out blinds before some one crawling in the tall grass.


----------



## backwater (Jan 29, 2003)

honker said:


> i think jumping them just educates the &$#* out of them :eyeroll:


Please expain this one to me? It makes them jumpy but to say that it educates them is wrong. That is unless you are caring windsocks and rags in your hands when you jump them.


----------



## jbaincfl (Feb 5, 2003)

Chris - When you jump them, don't they seem to climb really fast before they ever get to the edge of the field where the posters are?


----------



## fishunt (Jan 24, 2004)

I dont have decoys last year but I hide treeline and waiting for pass shooting than jump shooting


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Yes, but it depends on the field. If the field is stacked enough, the birds will always make wide swings initially and you need the shooters to be ready for that swing. More often then not, the birds will leave the field from the same direction as they entered so you'll want to "push" from the opposite direction and make that decision for them.



jbaincfl said:


> Chris - When you jump them, don't they seem to climb really fast before they ever get to the edge of the field where the posters are?


----------



## jbaincfl (Feb 5, 2003)

Chirs - What do you consider stacked?

Last year when we hunted them there were only 3 of us and we tried sneaking on smaller flocks. It did not work very well.

How many people do you like to have when you are pushing the birds?


----------



## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

Stacked means there are alot of birds in the field.


----------



## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

Heres a little rule I used when I pushed birds. If you can't get within 100 yards of them before you run out of cover. You can forget about pushing them over anyone because they are going to get too high.

Being successful on jumps is about choosing which flocks you jump. I see guys all the time trying to jump flocks in the dead center of a half section. A huge waste of time.


----------



## jbaincfl (Feb 5, 2003)

I realized stacked means a lot of birds. I was asking is stacked 500 - 1000 or more like the 5000 bird flocks.


----------



## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

I think a stacked field is 30,000+.


----------



## trigger2 (Dec 6, 2004)

anyone ever tried the cow cutouts?


----------



## honker (Feb 13, 2005)

yeah it works pretty well


----------



## Top Flight Waterfowling (Oct 21, 2004)

You will get a million different answers if you ask someone on what they consider how many geese are in a field to be considered stacked, it also depends on the size of the field.
Adam :wink:


----------



## ndoutdoorsman (May 13, 2004)

Cow cutouts work really well, I have been able to sneak up within 30 yards of geese with them, sneaking up on snow geese takes alot of time, but if you are good at it you can get pretty close and get alot of geese. Just remember, if you can see the geese, they can see you, try to use little hills, trees, and other things that may hide you. go slow if you are getting to where they can see you, sometimes sneaking isnt the easiest way if they are in a flat field the best way is to jump then and have people capping. If your in an area where there are multiple groups of snow geese feeding get in between them, alot of times geese will go back and forth between group and it can give you good pass shooting.


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I've never tried, nor have I seen a flock being sneaked by a cow silly. I would love to see it however.

gandergrinder pretty much nailed it. You need A LOT of birds in the field to make a push easy, but the closer they are to the edge of the field the better. If they are really concentrated, then you can expect them to take longer to lift and a wider swing. Then you can get away from distances further from 100 yards.


----------



## jbaincfl (Feb 5, 2003)

I tried the cow once last year and we only got within about 125 yards. For those of you who have been successful with the cow, do you go slow with a zig zag or act like you are going around them?

I assume you don't just walk right at them. How fast do you walk?


----------



## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

Heard it works good, but it takes a while.


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I've heard the "zig zag" works. But then again, I still would like to see it for myself before I can give a real opinion.

I chuckle every time I even think about attempting it.


----------



## muskat (Mar 5, 2002)

Everyone so far has great ideas about jumping and pushing snows, and the keys to making it work. One thing I would add is the wind and time of day factor. Like Chris said, the flock will swing, when they get up they fly into the wind a short distance and then swing. Placing "cappers" in likely spots (weed line, rock pile, tree row, etc) that would fall under this swing increases your odds of decent shooting. 
Also, earlier in the day, snow geese tend to fly away from their roost. Later in the morning they fly back towards the roost (obviously). This is tougher to predict in the spring.

As far as the cow goes, when the spring conservation was first introduced, I made a cow. I have yet to use it, basically because it sounds stupid, and I think I would look like an idiot doing it.


----------



## Greg_4242 (Feb 21, 2005)

Boy, you guys must have it tough in the Dakotas and NE. Here in MN there is so many cattails you can basically walk right up on them. I just wish we got a few more birds through the area


----------



## Duckhuntinpro03 (Mar 2, 2005)

Chris and all you other guys who know about cowing, 
I am from minnesota and we are trying hard on getting everything prepared for the big hunt we have two e callers and 500 decs goin, and a truck and trailor ready to be stacked, but my question is with all you people who have had success with the cow sil, what is your opinion on a totally enclosed cow, now chris it may seem as a joke but seriously do you or any others have any thoughts on it? we are making an all black cow 3-d if you can picture it with a white head, a peak hole, pop up blind, and even a tail but the whole thing is totally enclosed. I have tryed the one sill before and zigzagged, went slow the whole nine yards but that wind is just a bugger. Anyways ANYONE HAVE ANY FAITH???


----------



## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

Ill sit there with a camera, take a bunch of pictures and laugh my *** off as you do it. You better watch out for loose Bulls or else the guy in the back will never walk up right again in his life.


----------



## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

:rollin: :rollin: :rollin:


----------



## SNOWSNBLUES (Oct 23, 2004)

GooseBuster3 said:


> Ill sit there with a camera, take a bunch of pictures and laugh my a$$ off as you do it. You better watch out for loose Bulls or else the guy in the back will never walk up right again in his life.


That is too funny. I've never tried the "cow method" and have no desire to. I'll stick with decoys.


----------



## Goosepride (Sep 29, 2003)

One thing we do once in awhile is watch and see the speed and movement of a feed. Like GB3 said, if there are 30,000+ birds in a field they tend to move. Like you already know, nine out of ten times they'll feed into the wind...position yourself and let them come to you. It's fun to watch while you're waiting to. Seems to work really well.


----------



## charles (Mar 20, 2004)

remeber seeing an old western type flick and the indian folks were sneaking up in buffalo using buffalo skins and walking slow crouched over. For you guys that are gonna try this cow thing be carefull could be someone out there looking to go cow tippin :biggrin:


----------



## scotchie (Mar 4, 2005)

They are selling these at Cabellas now:

http://www.costumecraze.com/image.php?i ... -large.jpg


----------



## Fireman1217 (Oct 14, 2004)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: TOOOOOOOOO FUNNY!!!!!

Cabelas huh?? I'll let you know how it works....can always use it for Halloween if nothing else


----------



## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

scotchie said:


> They are selling these at Cabellas now:
> 
> http://www.costumecraze.com/image.php?i ... -large.jpg


Don't you mean "COWbela's"??? :lol: :lol:


----------

