Where Is The Best Places To Snow Goose Hunt

About The Snow Goose Populations & Colonies

Snow goose hunting in the spring is one of the best waterfowl hunting adventures you can participate in. There are millions of snow geese that span across the entire North American continent with two species of snow geese: the Lesser Population mostly found in the Central, Mississippi, and Pacific Flyways, and the Greater Snow Goose Population which is found in the Atlantic Flyway. The Lesser snow geese are split between two different populations, known as the Mid Continental population in the Central and Mississippi Flyways and the Wrangel Island Population of Lesser Snow Geese in the Pacific Flyway. The distinct difference between the two populations outside of their breeding grounds is that the Wrangel Island population has very few blue phase snow geese, whereas the Mid Continental Population has 20-30% blue phase snow geese in its population. The Mid Continental Population is probably the largest population of snow geese in the country, with the other two growing in population quickly. Now that we know a little more about the snow goose and their colonies, let's get into the big question.

So, Where Is The Best Place To Hunt Snow Geese?

This is really a loaded question, and there really are no right or wrong answers. Since there are so many snow geese and the majority of the US now shares a spring conservation season, the answer really is wherever you can find good concentrations of snow geese and you have access to be able to hunt them. If you don't have access to hunt them and don't have the time, funding, and resources to deal with it, then the answer for those individuals will be wherever you can get in on a guided hunt with an outfitter that has been hunting snow geese for more than 10 years. There are hundreds of snow goose hunting outfitters now, and there are a lot of them that probably should not be guiding snow goose hunts. But, if you do your homework and ask qualifying questions, you can find an outfitter who can provide you with a good opportunity to get in on some quality spring snow goose hunting action. Well, now you're wondering, so again, where is the best place to get in with an outfitter? If so, then keep reading.

Where Is The Best Place To Snow Goose Hunt With An Outfitter?

I can only speak from experience and not give a clear black and white answer since I have not had the opportunity to hunt snow geese in the Pacific flyway or the Atlantic flyway. That being said, I do have connections to some outfitters that run in the Atlantic Flyway, and they have told me specifically it is not as difficult to hunt snow geese and migrating snow geese in the Central and Mississippi Flyways due to two factors. One is population; there are way more snow geese that travel through the Central and Mississippi Flyway comparatively to The Atlantic and Pacific Flyways, meaning with more geese you will have more opportunities. And the second being hunting style. With fewer snow geese traveling through the Pacific and Atlantic Flyway, the only really good way to hunt them is to chase feed fields, and when you exhaust your geese for that field, then you don't really get a lot of migration traffic like you do in the Central and Mississippi Flyways. So, really the two factors come down to more geese and more opportunities in the Central and Mississippi Flyways.

My Picks For The Best Spring Snow Goose Hunting

Again, since my only real experience hunting snow geese has been in the middle of the US, then I can only give you my choices for hunting snow geese in these areas. So, here we go...

• Central and Western Missouri: I really enjoy the Central and Western Missouri area because of the rolling hills and lots of water pockets where snow geese can find food and water. Hunting snow geese on the hilltops in these areas is by far my favorite way to hunt snow geese. After the snow geese get pushed out of Arkansas where the majority of the snow goose hunting outfitters now stage until late February to early March, they get up into the hills in this area and seem to get a little more comfortable where they can really put on a migration show and a decoying show for you and your hunting party.
• Central and Eastern South Dakota: This area is also great because the snow geese in the Central and Mississippi Flyways get pinched together. This is where the snow geese in the Mississippi Flyway tend to push to from the east and into this area to get around and up into the breeding area, and the Central Flyway runs right into the same area, giving you a mass collection and gathering point of millions of snow geese all pushing that line trying to get north. So, you get the best of both flyways in one area, and there are so many staging areas for them to spread out to with vast huge fields they can feed in and find food; it is a great area to really get into the thick of the migration as it tries to make their final pushes into the north before crossing into Canada.
• Northern Kansas: Much like the Central and Western Missouri areas, this area also boasts some gnarly rolling hill fields and water areas, including Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge nearby that holds millions of snow geese. It is also a less pressured area as a whole and can really be a great place to chase the spring snow goose migration.
• Southeastern Nebraska: This is an interesting one, simply because it has a little different terrain than that of my first three choices. However, in the very eastern part of the state there are hill fields, but as you work your way west you will find some flatter terrain, but in these areas, there are good amounts of potholes, floodings, and water areas for the snow geese to roost and find plenty of food in the cornhusker state. Again, this area is not nearly as heavily traveled by other outfitters, and it is just north of Loess Bluffs NWR so, it can be a great place to find snow geese as they leave that refuge in search of new food sources as they push north.
• Western Iowa: This is another one I like simply because of pressure. There are hardly any outfitters who run in this area, and there are plenty of snow geese to chase up and down the Missouri River area. With plenty of rolling corn fields similar to the terrain in Missouri and Kansas, this area is another great option for hunting and chasing the spring migration with minimal pressure.

No matter where you go to hunt snow geese, it is always a new experience every day and every year. That being said, make sure that if you are looking to get out on a spring snow goose hunt with an outfitter, do a little research and ask qualifying questions. There are many outfitters and guides out there who simply do not have your best interest at heart.