Snows....

[jackelope]

Holy snow geese lately... I'm not much of a waterfowler, but living in Duvall, I can't help but notice them once in a while. Are there crap tons more snow geese flying this year than normal years? Pretty sure this isn't one of those "the same thing happens every year this time" kind of things. I don't go outside in the evening without hearing or seeing them if it's still light enough out.

[Sandberm]

I started noticing a significant increase in snow geese last year here in the basin.

Wonder what changed?

[Stein]

They move around depending on what's on the fields, so there may be more in your area than normal.  In general, there are tons and tons of them.  Most states are trying to encourage additional harvest as the general feeling is they are well over objective.

Most states have extremely loose seasons and limits, even allowing late hunts with high or no bird limits and you can shoot any shotgun (extended mags, no plugs).  Of course, the rules are MUCH different here.   

[full choke]

They move around depending on what's on the fields, so there may be more in your area than normal.  In general, there are tons and tons of them.  Most states are trying to encourage additional harvest as the general feeling is they are well over objective.

Most states have extremely loose seasons and limits, even allowing late hunts with high or no bird limits and you can shoot any shotgun (extended mags, no plugs).  Of course, the rules are MUCH different here.   

The wisdom of WDFW is that we close the season on them early (when there are more hunters out in the field) and open a special late season when only guides and outfitters can target them. Science man. Science.

[Stein]

Yeah, where I used to hunt them you also need to pay for a special permit and pack around a punch card!  Way over population and you need a punch card and extra permit.

[vandeman17]

Head up to the skagit valley and look at the fields. its crazy

[ctwiggs1]

That population has exploded in the last ten years.  We're seeing them down south now and guys are even starting to put out white spreads down here.  20 years ago I didn't see a single snow this far south.

[vandeman17]

That population has exploded in the last ten years.  We're seeing them down south now and guys are even starting to put out white spreads down here.  20 years ago I didn't see a single snow this far south.

Agreed. We see more every year over here in the basin too

[knighttime25]

Most snows I've ever seen in the valley this early, made for a fun opener!

[bearhunter99]

If anyone on the west side ever needs an extra shotgun to hunt snow geese I would be up for a trip!  Haven't had the chance to hunt geese or ducks in the last ten years or so and have never hunted snows.

[h2ofowlr]

They had a good juvie hatch again this year.  Lots of them around.  Several groups shot over a 100 of them on the opener.

[CP]

Maybe I should get a harvest record card.  Haven't bothered to for a couple years.

[Bullkllr]

Saw big flocks this time last year at Lake Wenatchee of all places. Blew me away.

[jackelope]

Folks in town in Duvall say they're all landing on Lake Rasmussen in town. It's about a 1 acre pond. That's definitely never happened. I'll have to drive by tonight.

[JBG]

If somebody has a field, I have about 1000 snow decoys that I would be happy to help you set out

[jackelope]

Well I just realized the geese I’ve been hearing are cacklers and not snows. Are they technically lesser Canadians?
Posted on the local FB community group.

[Stein]

Yeah, cacklers are the smallest but it's a bit muddy as I think they have reorganized and renamed the geese subspecies.  I think cacklers are officially the group of the 4 smallest subspecies.

[Mfowl]

Next time you attend the Portland Sportmans show hang around the marsh next to the venue at dusk. You will be amazed at the swarming tornado of cacklers that winter there. They blacken the sky!

[jackelope]

Not snows.
This is the little lake down the street from my house. This is totally not normal.

[storyteller]

Cool video, birds on a mission

[Blacktail135]

 Cool video. Love the colors. I had 4-500 of those on my place for 3 days and nights earlier this week. Went out yesterday morning to maybe shoot one but the water level had came up about 2 feet and that changed everything. They had left in the night at sometime. They were there at 9:30pm Friday night….gone by morning. They sure are noisy.

[metlhead]

My heart reaches out to the folks that live near the little lake. They shouldn't have to listen to that. State should do something. Heaven forbid a child gets pecked by one of those goose birds.

[Guzman]

Let me assure you every guide I know is not in favor of the current seasons. We are highly annoyed we can’t hunt them now. Add to it it makes dark goose hunting harder. And late season those birds are insanely hard to hunt in the north basin.

They move around depending on what's on the fields, so there may be more in your area than normal.  In general, there are tons and tons of them.  Most states are trying to encourage additional harvest as the general feeling is they are well over objective.

Most states have extremely loose seasons and limits, even allowing late hunts with high or no bird limits and you can shoot any shotgun (extended mags, no plugs).  Of course, the rules are MUCH different here.   

The wisdom of WDFW is that we close the season on them early (when there are more hunters out in the field) and open a special late season when only guides and outfitters can target them. Science man. Science.