Choosing a snow goose outfitter or guide

Choosing a snow goose outfitter or guide

Do your homework, there are many snow goose hunting outfitters out there now and it is very easy to get caught up in the mix. Having dealt with snow goose hunting for many years we have heard many horror stories from past hunters and prospective hunters.

Some maybe in it for the money alone, some may be in it to be the hero, some may be in it for their own egos, and some are in it to truly try and provide a memorable hunting experience.

Regardless of what the reason is we would like to share some things for you to look out for when choosing a snow goose hunting outfitter or snow goose hunting guide for your snow goose hunting adventures.

Things to look for in a Snow Goose Outfitter or Snow Goose Guide

1. How long has the snow goose hunting guide or snow goose hunting outfitter been in business or guiding hunts?
   Years in business or years being involved in guiding and hunting the spring snow geese. Years in service of years of experience can be a good indicator of what you may be getting yourself into. If, you are booking a snow goose hunt with an outfitter that has only been in business for a short time you will want to do a little extra homework to make sure that they are not just trying to get you hooked into something you might regret. Outfitters and guides who have been around for a long time have experience in the field chasing the spring snow goose migration as well as years dealing with the ins and outs associated with snow goose hunting. Chances are if they have been doing for over 10 years or more then they are doing something right and people obviously keep paying them to do what they are doing for a reason.
2. How many decoy sets or groups of hunters does the outfit run per day?
   Find out how many sets they run in a day. This is a big one in order to stay consistent and productive. A higher number of fields being ran is an indicator that they might just be out for the money and not for the experience. Running multiple snow goose sets is tough and if you are running high numbers of sets at a given time then it might be apparent those sets don't get moved all too often. In some instances and some areas this is ok, but the name of the game in snow goose hunting is staying mobile and having the ability to move around. If, there is a large number of sets being ran this probably isn't happening that often and they are just field stuffing and running up the numbers in their bank accounts as opposed to providing a quality snow goose hunting experience.
3. Ask about what style of hunting they do?
   Find out if they run permanent traffic sets or if they move around to feeds constantly or if they do a little of both. Depending on what state you are hunting and or what flyway, there are many tactics to staying successful in snow goose hunting. In Arkansas if you want to be on a successful hunt you will want to find out this information. The number one way to stay as successful as possible in this area is to get with an outfitter who moves to the X or moves around to feed areas. When hunting Arkansas for snow geese the hunting is more like hunting morning feeds and then the birds stall out during the afternoons so hunting migration style permanent sets is going to most likely lower your odds. This can also be said for the Atlantic flyway and the greater snow goose population, staying mobile is the name of the game in those areas. If, hunting the states to the north of Arkansas in the Central and Mississippi Flyways you will want to most likely find an outfit or guide who uses all those methods since the migration is kicked in high gear in these areas there is constant bird movement from the south and the north meaning there are birds moving around areas a lot. so having proven traffic fields that yield good numbers on a daily basis is more common and being able to move into those feed run areas while also catching migrators through-out the day will also increase your odds. We also find that hunting feeds sometimes in these areas can be risky and can leave you high and dry though most of the time you will at least get some action from new birds and some birds returning to the field. they may have fed that field out that night and will move into a new field close by the next day and you can end up watching them pile into a field next you all day long and that is super frustrating.
4. Find out why they are in business?
   Ask why the guide or outfitter does what he does, I mean this is going to most likely give you an answer that is either fabricated or an honest reaction. Try and decipher which one you are getting. I mean almost every snow goose hunting guide or outfitter will give you the same response of we love to chase the snow geese and we love to get other involved in the thrill of it all. But, the honest answer is some are just in it for the money and some are doing it for both. No, matter what at the end of the day if you are guiding hunts or running a hunting outfit then you are obviously in it for the income to an extent that a given. Got to pay the bills for sure but, some are in it because they truly do love the sport and love the adventure of it all. Don't be afraid to get a little background information a little insight can go a long way for how comfortable you will be hunting with a snow goose hunting crew.

No matter what you are looking for you also need to make sure that you know what it is you are looking for too. If, all you want is to kill and have no interest in the pursuit then I suggest that you may want to rethink your priorities because you will inevitably be unsatisfied no matter who it is you hire. If, you are in it for the experiences and the adventure of it all then the end result is only going to be a bonus and you will always get what you pay for. To sum it all up there are no right or wrong answers for questions to ask or things to be concerned about for hiring a spring snow goose hunting outfitter or any hunting guide or outfitter for that matter. The biggest thing is making sure your spending your money on someone who is going to be there for you and for themselves in general. Hiring an outfitter that only concern is their bottom line will 9 times out of 10 result in a bad experience overall. Do a little homework on your end find out what you can to make the best decision for your hunting adventure and make sure you are going out and paying for what you want.

Keep in mind that mother nature is the one who dictates the outcome and there isn't one person who can say otherwise. We as outfitters and guides are here to do our best and to try and provide the best chances and opportunities that we can put together by studying and using our overall experiences to formulate a plan and there is no such thing as 100% kill rate.