# CONCERNS ABOUT SNOWS/BREEDING



## duckman1 (Mar 28, 2009)

im concerned with the breeding this year , with all the rains
we have had in the dakotas and points north,hopefully the'll find
good ground and produce another great hatch, what are your
thoughts?


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## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

i hope there is a huge colera outbreak and they all Freakin die.


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## goose_caller (Jul 5, 2005)

Heck last year with the "bad" hatch we shot more geese then this year with a "great" hatch.....I am hopeful for drought in the dakotas to concentrate the geese in the spring more then a good hatch.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

goose_caller said:


> ..I am hopeful for drought in the dakotas to concentrate the geese in the spring more then a good hatch.


Hey thanks!

I sure as hell hope were not dry again.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Not sure what rain or drought in the Dakotas has to do with the snow goose hatch.They nest 1000 miles north of here. :huh:


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## Save Hens (Mar 15, 2008)

Yea i was kinda thinkin the same thing


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## goose_caller (Jul 5, 2005)

He is wanting a good hatch, and I said I would rather have dry weather then a good hatch.....last year was a terrible hatch but the hunting was good because it was more dry and less standing water....this year it was a great hatch but with all the water hunting was so-so. So I would rather have dry conditions then a good hatch if I had to pick.....actually if I had to pick we would have a good hatch and dry weather in the midwest and have another 2007 season and GRIND them every hunt.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Wasnt the hatch better in 2008? Wasnt it also drier in 2008 than 2007? (At least in ND).

We killed more birds last fall (2008) in three hunts than we did all fall of 2007. We were MUCH drier, and im pretty sure I heard the '08 hatch kicked the crap out of the '07 hatch. We only killed about 13% juvies in fall '07, but were well over 50% last fall.


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## goose_caller (Jul 5, 2005)

Well since 90% of snow goose hunters do most of their hunting in the spring I talk about the spring.....no clue the conditions when the snows came through in the fall....yes from talking to buddies who hunted SD last fall it was a slaughter. But comparing spring 2009 to 2007 it was to totally different springs with the same great hatch. The difference was the number of water on the ground and the lack of concentration of birds.

Personally I want a consistant supply of birds that don't roost/feed in the same field to kill big numbers. This year was a good year for hunting, but not the slaughter that it could have been if 50% of SD/ND was not underwater and birds having millions of spots to roost.


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## Jewish Mallard (Dec 20, 2008)

I thought the idea was to reduce the populations. Now you want a good hatch? Are you really concerned with the resource or just want birds to kill? Seems to be a bit of a disconnect. Please fill me in.


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## MCMANN (Apr 8, 2003)

you havnt learned yet barry you cant win lol boy i hate being the only one hunting here in sd its just no fun  :lol:


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## goose_caller (Jul 5, 2005)

Jewish Mallard said:


> I thought the idea was to reduce the populations. Now you want a good hatch? Are you really concerned with the resource or just want birds to kill? Seems to be a bit of a disconnect. Please fill me in.


I honestly don't care what happens in the "tundra"....it is a massive place and when they wreck their native habitat they will move to new...kind of like I don't give a ratts butt if we drill in ANWAR...another place 99.99% MASSIVE and all they show us is a few pictures of a few square miles wrecked....so yes I want a good hatch and a dry spring.


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## goose_caller (Jul 5, 2005)

MCMANN said:


> you havnt learned yet barry you cant win lol boy i hate being the only one hunting here in sd its just no fun  :lol:


Well give me a call and there could be two....LOL

What I learned this year is don't leave MO till the fat lady sings....sure was nice picking up decoys in flip-flops.


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## MCMANN (Apr 8, 2003)

now you no why we stay down there so long ..well finally done picking up the last spread now been killing them since jan 31 its been a long season time to go fishing


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## tango6 (Jan 29, 2003)

goose_caller said:


> Jewish Mallard said:
> 
> 
> > I thought the idea was to reduce the populations. Now you want a good hatch? Are you really concerned with the resource or just want birds to kill? Seems to be a bit of a disconnect. Please fill me in.
> ...


Hmm..Funny.. Its because of what the "government and groups" are saying is the only reason there is a spring snow season in the first place.

And the only reason you "guides and outfitters" get another 3 months to make money.

I guess we shouldnt be listening to them and the conservation season should be eliminated all together. Would that make you feel better goose_caller?

:eyeroll:


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> I honestly don't care what happens in the "tundra"....it is a massive place and when they wreck their native habitat they will move to new...kind of like I don't give a ratts butt if we drill in ANWAR...another place 99.99% MASSIVE and all they show us is a few pictures of a few square miles wrecked....so yes I want a good hatch and a dry spring.


Your attitude is why 90% of the world hates americans. Grow up and educate yourself buddy. Are you ignorant enough to think that if one eco-system fails and the birds don't breed that there will be a good hatch? :eyeroll:


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## goose_caller (Jul 5, 2005)

My reasoning for it not being as bad as they say it is comes down to this......IF they REALLY thought the problem needed to be corrected they could do it in a day or two right around say March 5th in a couple KEY holding areas along the migration using INTENSE out of the box harvest ideas.....I see no problem with the USFWS taking care of 2-3 million geese in a couple of days if they REALLY wanted to....heck give me a hilo and a couple bennelis with 25 round drums and I will show you a hundreds of thousands of snows in a couple of days...... So since it has not come to that pressing of an issue, I have a real hard time beliving everything I hear.....they scream fire to get the results they desire, but is there really that big of a fire?

If they REALLY cared they would take care of the problem ASAP instead of letting it run its course.....but then again I am all for things running its course and believe EVERYTHING happens for a reason and we are just a small player in the game....kind of like global warming and other issues like that.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> If they REALLY cared they would take care of the problem ASAP instead of letting it run its course.....but then again I am all for things running its course and believe EVERYTHING happens for a reason and we are just a small player in the game....kind of like global warming and other issues like that.


I think you should read why there are so many mid-continent snow geese. IMO Agricultural practices are the leading reason for the population explosion.


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## goose_caller (Jul 5, 2005)

So your saying there is no fix then except stop farming? WRONG If they REALLLLLLLLLLLY wanted to fix it they could in under a week....but obviously it is not that pressing of an issue. There are issues in waterfowl that are not fixable easliy by humans like the decline of Bluebills....but snow geese are not one of those issues that are not fixable and maintainable if they wanted to.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> So your saying there is no fix then except stop farming?


Re-read my post. I never said anything like that. I think you are confusing population control with eradication.


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## goose_caller (Jul 5, 2005)

But populaton control is not working....we have been at this for over 10 years and little if any change has occured....heck they have NO clue how many there really is. When is it time for another course of action if there REALLY is a big problem?

When do you stop using the eye dropper to put out the fire and turn on the hose?


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Actually, the spring season HAS had some positive impact. We are successfully killing off enough juvies and adults each year to where we have reached a stalemate so to speak. Their population isnt dropping, but it isnt increasing either.

Personally, I hope the damn things have a big crash. The limit goes back to 5, spring seasons go away, and all the weekend morons quite hunting (read as harassing) them.


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## goosenoose (Feb 18, 2009)

barebackjack said:


> Actually, the spring season HAS had some positive impact. We are successfully killing off enough juvies and adults each year to where we have reached a stalemate so to speak. Their population isnt dropping, but it isnt increasing either.
> 
> Personally, I hope the damn things have a big crash. The limit goes back to 5, spring seasons go away, and all the weekend morons quite hunting (read as harassing) them.


 phew glad I only hunt during the week.


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