# Snows were the Hell are they???



## GooseBuster3

With the snow storms moving through teh middle section of the use, where are the geese holding at? Cant find any thing on big concentrations


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## nodakoutdoors.com

The birds are still scattered from SD to TX.

Reports have been poor lately due to bad weather. I assume wherever there's water you'll find birds.


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## Miller

My brother just got back from OK and said the birds were thick along Kansas and nebraska.not much moving


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## Dean Nelson

Well in SD last weekend the geese would stack up on the ice line in large numbers but the number of scout flocks and the size of scout flocks going north was much higher then most years. The scouts would fly as far a three hundred miles north of the ice line before turning around.


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## GooseBuster3

Yeah this snow and cold weather isnt helping the journey north. All that I can say is I will be set up when they cross that border!


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## nodakoutdoors.com

Dean, have you ventured south at all this spring???


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## Dean Nelson

Ive been in IL,KS and SD but SD was the only snow goose trip.


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## Matt Jones

All I can say is those SOB's better get here soon or I'm going to start pulling my hair out. Two weeks ago it looked very possible we could be hunting snows in ND by the opener. Now it's looking like it will be another two weeks before we start seeing them and that's if the weather cooperates...and so far it hasn't been!


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## Herters_Decoys

The weather is supposidly going to get better. It is warming up down south so the birds should be moving north. Just when they reach south dakota and north dakota they will be hit with snow and cold. They are saying mid 30's Sunday and next week so that should help. This cold can't last that much longer. (i hope)


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## nodakoutdoors.com

If the birds are going to be late, I'm glad it's because of snow. If we can build a good snow line, we'll be able to predict when and where on a couple days notice.

We're almost done snowing for the evening in Fargo, but there's another system coming right out of Montana. It's taking the exact same path at this point and time. I think it's positioned perfectly, at least for the area I hunt. :razz:


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## Herters_Decoys

Just looked at the snow depths and it looks like alot of snow has been melting from nebraska up to the southern north dakota border.So they should be on the move. Just got about 4 in. of snow in northern north dakota. That should slow them up when they get up here.


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## Guest

seems there are a lot of snows in and around grand island nebraska


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## nodakoutdoors.com

I was traveling all weekend from north of Jamestown down to the SD/ND border. The snow mostly blew into the ditches and tree belts. We didn't get the snow line I'd hoped for due to the wind.

I got a small tip from a guy in SD who said they have a large buildup of snows by the Missouri River. As soon as we get 40 degree temps and a south wind for a few days, you should start seeing snow geese.

According to the forecasts I've been checking, it appears the 40+ degree temps will come Wed. and Thurs. If that's true, we could get our first scout flocks Thursday.

[ This Message was edited by: Chris Hustad on 2002-03-11 12:43 ]


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## nodakoutdoors.com

This is a nexrad imagery from Sioux Falls in the early afternoon. I wish I would've copied this photo earlier, as there showed 5 times what it's showing now. The groups on the left of the picture are snows. There's no precip anywhere near that area, so it's a confirmed flyway.


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## Dan Schafer

Dean!!!
Where the hell are you? Mike talked to your mom the other night to get you phone number at school but all he gets is a computer answering machine. Looking to see if you are going to get a chance to go out in ND this spring. I am coming out to visit my sister in Bismarck and am going to hunt ND. Make it a little easier this year rather than picking you up and heading to SD. I am going to be there for 2 weeks, let me know what you are up to. 
HOO-DEE-HOO from Wisconsin!!!


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## nodakoutdoors.com

According to the ND Game & Fish this afternoon:
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Nebraska officials believe they are seeing the peak of the migration, and it seems that there is a northerly movement of snow geese from Nebraska into South Dakota this morning, with geese seen flying high in steady streams over the Sioux Falls area and west.
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It appears Nexrad was dead on. I'll keep nexrad images posted when the small storm system goes through.


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## Decoyer

Keep the pictures coming Chris. Those pictures you posted were awesome. So what do you guys think are the chances of hunting by this weekend? I know that if Sand Lake has birds I will be going down there.


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## Herters_Decoys

[No message]


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## Herters_Decoys

it was nice again today. Any Birds moving into North Dakota? Where is the main place they are concentrated at?


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## nodakoutdoors.com

I don't think they're here yet. There is a small possibility of small flocks around the ND/SD border, but none of the reports have been confirmed.


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## Decoyer

I called Sand Lake this morning. They are reporting no snow geese in or around the refuge with none being seen flying over. They were reporting good numbers in southern SD and approximately 15,000 in the Lake Thompson area, but I would guess the weather pushed most of these south.

SD is expected to recieve up to 2 feet of snow in some areas. I think that the birds will once again get stuck in Nebraska for a few days. With the timing getting to be a little late, and this storm staying farly localized, I wouldn't be suprised to see the birds just hop over the snow line. We will just have to what and see what happens over the next few days.


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## Doug Panchot

Decoyer, I think it is going to be the same as it was last year. They hold on that 2 ft snow line and then when things bust open it going to be by by birdies. This same thing happened last year. We had the majority of the birds move through in one day. I sure hope that this isn't going to happen!! Doug


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## Herters_Decoys

I don't think i can take this any more. If its not the bad weather up here its south of us slowing up the geese. All i can say is that they better just fly over the snow line. It is nice up here in north dakota. I think north dakota gets screwed over the most. We have gotten mainly fly-overs the last few years, spring and fall.


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## Dean Nelson

The snows will push over the snow line in SD with one or two warm days. The geese are stacked in southern SD and don't seem to care about the snow they are feeding in some feelds with 90% snow cover. If we get any warm weather heads up next week.


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## gandergrinder

There are reports of snows by Lake Preston in Kingsbury county SD. This is not all that far from ND. All we need is some warm weather now.


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## GooseBuster3

I just got this from waterfowler. Some guy said he shot geese in ND, but I dont think it true. I got it from waterfowler.


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## nodakoutdoors.com

I think it could be true. He said he only saw 2 flocks and with Canadas I've seen flying around, it's possible.

Not something I want to read on a Monday though, here goes a long week! :iroll:


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## Decoyer

Sand lake is still reporting no snow geese in that general area yet. They have reports of birds in Spink County and a few around Lake Thompson and Brookings. The hotline is reporting close to a million birds in the southern part of the state close to the snow line. If it warms up this weekend I would guess that there will be a movement into ND.


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## GooseBuster3

Looks like to me this may be a repeat of last year. I am thinking when they are going to migrate they are going to be on the eastern third of the state, not west of Ashley ND, so we can try to pull them down when they are migrating.


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## GooseBuster3

What is up with these weather people, they cant make up there damn mind about the forcast. It changes very day. Looks like saturday will be the day for migrating if the geese figureout that they can fly over the snow line. I just cant believe all the geese that are in SD right now they are predicting it is 90% of the midcont snowgoose population, WOW!!!

_________________
"Hammer Time"

[ This Message was edited by: GooseBuster3 on 2002-03-26 20:10 ]


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## muskat

I hope with the lack of posts today, some of you guys and girls are out there doing a number on those sky carp. Good Luck to everyone.

As for a report, I havent heard anything new as of today. Still reports coming from the border of ND and SD that geese are flying over, but eventually flying back south. It is not a lot of geese, but 15 decoy as well as 1000.


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## Field Hunter

It appears the snows are finally moving into ND. A few thousand here and there. Big Push still in SD. Lots of snow to get over.

I heard they were in some corn fields but every time they saw decoyer and goosebuster they headed back to SD. Just kidding guys.
Looking forward to you posts after scouting today.


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## muskat

Report
Went out this morning. Saw a few flocks from Tewaukon over to Ludden. Maybe a few thousand all together. Started to head back around 12. Got to about Rutland, the sky from the south turned into solid geese. An amazing site.

The majority I saw went East and landed at Tewaukon. I watched for a while as more and more came, and finally had to leave(have to work at 5). They were still sitting on the refuge at 330. I would guess around 50000.

As for farther West, I would assume that lots of geese also came up through the Ludden area, but this is only speculation. There was a lot of Open water east of Forman, and there was also some open water west of Forman. Good Luck everyone, get out there and kill some. Im heading out in the morning, and I suggest everyone do the same.


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## GooseBuster3

That 50,000 birds you saw was probably 6,000 birds, we drove by Tawauken to. There was no way there could be 50,000 birds. The flock on the water was only 40yds wide by 60yds long.


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## muskat

Goosebuster,
There was 50000 at Tewaukon Friday at 3:00. My family lives right to the south one mile. They said that the geese went out to feed at about 4 behind their farm, then they headed south over the hills after about an hour in the field.

As for this weekend. I set up decoys saturday north of Geneseo. Saw small flocks all day long. They didnt want into the decoys. We were forced to sneak the geese. There were geese flying around south of Milnor and Wyndmere for most of the day, no big concentrations, and only a few flocks on the ground. We managed to get 4, not impressive at all.

Sunday, went out into the same area as Saturday, and didnt see many geese at all.


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## GooseBuster3

Muskat the decoy's didnt work for use either. 
On fri when Decoyer and I found two small flocks of about 2,000 birds in in each. We set right up in between the flocks, right after we got set up we shot a juvy snow. Then a couple more came in at 40yds but we missed! we had the setup in right spot the geese were jumping from flock to flock and they would come over our's to see what the hell was going on. Any ways Decoyer and I thought we were going to have a good shot until those damn jumpshooter's came along and jumped the geese. Then all the birds in that area moved north, and east. Sat there were guys set up all over the place. The geese went back into Sd to feed. Then they there was migration of birds from 10:30 until 12:00 a couple K moved through the area. But I asume they flew back south. We only shot 2 they were really hard to get inside of 50yds and that was pushing it. But we did have a flock of 700 tornado down on to our spread that was awesome, wish I would have brought my camera, they never came into range. We had a blast, cant wait until the big push starts!


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## Decoyer

It was a diffecult weekend for me and goosebuster. It was nice to see some birds on the ground unlike last year, but I still think the migration is going to be incredibly fast this spring, as soon as it warms up and we get a good south wind, it will happen fast. Even on Sat. in that hard West- northwest wind they were migrating. If the lakes are opening on the SD border, it won't take long for them to open up further north. I am going out again on Tuesday and will post the results.


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## nodakoutdoors.com

My god these birds are rough!

Thurs was kind of a waste of time, but still 10x better than work. We didn't like our spot, as we were in a lack of options and ended up picking up early. There was a few flocks moving around. Scouting for 4 hours Thurs., we couldn't find a water spot. We had to tag along with a buddy to set up with his field spread for Fri.

Friday was strange. Drove into our cornfield looking to set up a land spread and right in the middle of the field was some nice potholes. So we gave the potholes a try with the floaters. Pretty much everything that flew over decoyed into range, but off course we couldn't shoot. We were definetly on the X for the migrating birds. I think we ended up with 16.

Sat. we set up in the exact same spot and the hunting turned a 180. The birds that were migrants the day before turned local and they wouldn't commit to a water spread with their roost only 7 miles away. Didn't get much shooting, and some guys had to get on the road and we picked up early. Before we left, we took a stroll down around the refuges and saw flocks drop down out of the clouds. We saw a lot of birds along the border, but the numbers dwindled as we went north.

The thaw line is around HW 46 in S. ND. That's about how far north I'd see birds flying before they'd turn around.

This week:
If you're setting up a land spread, try down by the border. If you're running a H20 spread, try just south of HW 46.


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## Doug Panchot

After our wasted hunt on Thurs. I headed west. I found some flocks N of Oakes. So Friday afternoon we head out and more birds have moved into the area about 40K or so. We found a corn field with some water in the low spots. Saturday we set up, we only had one flock come in to about 30yds and only shot one out of the flock. The only other goose shot was one that was circling at about 60 for about 8 passes and when he cut into the wind the 10 put him down. We are going to need some more birds. With the warmer weather coming the birds are going to be moving fast!!


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## Herters_Decoys

You guys down south think it will be a fast migration. The only thing preventing that is about 16-18 inches of ice on everything up here in northern north dakota with little sheet water. And if the birds can't find water they won't move on. Things started to thaw during the week but this weekend all the water that was open froze over. With and 80% chance of snow for us tommarow and the next day i don't think things will be opening up. I just thought i would let you guys down south know that the birds will stay down there longer than you think.


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## hunt4life

There seemed to be many scattered flocks from Lidgerwood to Oaks along hwy 11.

The birds seemed very jumpy, flying every direction and never sitting in any one place very long.

The geese we found on the ground were always in corn.


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## Brad Anderson

my dad just returned from SD today, said there are LOTS and LOTS of snow geese south of the boarder approx 100-150 miles. He also said he saw birds in ND but not nearly as many as in SD.


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## Decoyer

I didn't make it out today because of the weather, but I don't think it would have been worth it anyway. Tewakon NWR is saying that most of the geese went back south because of the weather.


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## muskat

Well, being the moron that I am, I agreed to go out with my buddies this morning at 4:30. It only took us about 2 hours to get to Tewaukon, roads were horrible. There is about 3 inches of snow everywhere that we went, which includes almost the entire SE corner of the state. The farthest west we made it was to about 10 miles west of Forman. We saw very few snows, only one flock on the ground, and everything else flying south. Looks like they are lining up to come through again this next weekend.


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