Spring Snow Goose Migration Invades Iowa

The following article on the spring snow goose migation is reprinted from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website, (http://www.iowadnr.gov/).  The author is Lowell Washburn.

The spring snow goose migration has arrived in southern Iowa. If you’ve not yet seen the spectacle for yourself, it’s a trip worth taking. Simply stated, it is a bird show without equal.

The numbers defy description. On the best days, wavy lines of migrators form a lacework pattern that fill the skies and stretch from horizon to horizon. Once they descend, feeding flocks are measured by the acre rather than by hundreds or thousands.

But it is the sound of the geese that will impress you most. A distinctive high pitched yelping that, when multiplied by many thousands, will leave an indelible print on your memory as well as on your ear drums. Spend an entire day with the geese, and the unmistakable sound will continue to echo within your head well into the night.

Although some migration will occur statewide, the vast majority of snow geese will fly across southwestern Iowa. Located just below the Iowa border near Mound City, Mo., the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge offers a final staging area as geese push toward remote arctic nesting grounds. As the birds forsake Gulf Coast wintering areas and head north, Squaw Creek goose buildups can be rapid and dramatic. A world class example occurred last week as the snow goose count jumped from an already incredible 300,000 to a record busting 1.4 million. From there it didn’t take long until flocks began invading southern Iowa, especially along traditional flight paths of the Missouri River.

During recent decades, snow geese have exhibited a number of amazing changes. Most significant is that populations have more than tripled during the past 30 years, resulting in severe damage to fragile arctic nesting areas. Current numbers have increased to a point where snow geese not only threaten their own survival, say scientists, but are also having a negative impact on dozens of arctic nesting bird species.

The over abundance has called for extreme measures. Every year since 1999, hunters have been allowed to shoot snow geese during spring migration. The original goal of the emergency provision was to reduce snow goose populations by 50 percent. Although a decade of spring seasons have dramatically increased snow goose harvest, the measure is failing to achieve its goal. The good news is that increased hunting pressure has effectively reduced the survival of adult females nesting in colonies along the southern Arctic’s Hudson Bay lowlands. Unfortunately, survival of females in the northern arctic --- which is where more than 80 percent of snow geese nest --- appears to be essentially unchanged as breeding colonies continue to expand.

If there is one important lesson that snow geese have learned and learned well, it is that there is safety in numbers. When my friends and I first began hunting the birds during the mid-1960s, snow geese migrated across Iowa in small flocks that usually consisted of anywhere from a dozen on up to 20 or so birds. The migration was well distributed statewide, and geese stopped wherever there were suitable marshes. Goose behavior was much different then, and most hunters regarded snow geese as being just plain stupid. Tame and trusting, the flocks came eagerly to decoys --- which in most cases meant a dozen or less floating counterfeits. Goose hunters who employed more than one or two dozen floaters were considered hard core professionals.

How times change! Today, most snow geese are hunted in harvested grain fields and spreads employing anything less than a thousand or more decoys is considered lacking. Instead of traveling in small groups, migrating flocks now arrive in waves containing thousands, if not tens of thousands, of birds. Instead of setting their wings at the first squeak of the call, modern-day snows warily scrutinize decoy spreads while hanging suspended at several hundred feet. Whenever a group of inexperienced juveniles attempts to break ranks and parachute earthward, adults do their best to call them back into the flock. The tactic usually works. But youngsters who fail to heed the warning pay the price.

These days, snow geese never come easy. In spite of unprecedented hunter mobility, superior equipment, increasingly realistic decoys, and even electronic caller playing taped recordings of live birds, snow geese continue to become increasingly difficult to bag. To lure a flock within 20 yards or less of decoys currently represents the ultimate waterfowling challenge. No bird anywhere is harder for human hunters to deceive --- and I‘m including wild turkeys in that statement.

The eminent challenges of preserving fragile arctic breeding grounds while literally protecting the snow goose from itself are tasks that have left scientists, wildlife managers, and hunters scratching their heads. Only one fact remains certain. When it comes to snow geese, no one is calling them stupid anymore.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank.

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One Million Plus Snow Geese and Moving.

Here come the snow geese.  Every year we see them going south on their way from their northern nesting grounds.  Enormous flocks of white and dark birds all V'd out and flying at all altitudes.  That is the fall migration.  Our spot just west of the Missouri River along the bottoms holds 40 acres of water and there are cornfields all around.  They rarely stop, but seem to go from refuge to refuge.



Decoy spread on water and land. 


In the spring, the same thing happens again in reverse as they fly north to their nesting grounds.  But this time they will stop, and you have to be there at the right time. 

Part of our spread.

This is opposite hunting compared to the fall.  Everyone likes to think of it as "gentlemen" hunting because you don't have to get to the blind until 8:30 to 9 AM.  The next feature compared to the fall, is that you want to have really nice weather with light to medium southerly winds and beautiful warm sunny days.  This is totally opposite from hunting ducks and Canada geese in the fall and into the early winter.  At that time, you wear your longies, layers of clothing, and you might have to be breaking ice to keep the hole open.  The bigger the spread of decoys in the spring, all the better.  In the fall we can put out a couple of dozen and decoy big flocks of ducks and Canada geese.  The last comparison is in the fall we have some really outstanding duck callers that make beautiful music to the ducks and decoy them to our spot, or sometimes we don't call at all.  I hunted last fall with a fellow club member.  We just sat there and never called once.  By 10 AM we had a nice limit of ducks and a couple of really big Canadas.   In the spring, we use a loud speaker system with multiple sounds and changing volumes from the blind. 

Snow geese are very very wary.  You must have a lot of patience, which is something I am a little short on at times.  If they are taking a look, they begin to sail or lock up with their wings not moving and just float.  Over and over, round and around they will slowly let down.  These are very cautious birds.  That is why there are so many of them.  Eventually, if everything is just right, they will commit and the opportunity is there to harvest some game.

Walking up to the blind you can see three heads sticking out of the pit and a couple of flyer decoys hovering.

The key is to be there at the right time.  If you say, "Well, I am planning to hunt this weekend," it may be all over with.  When the report comes that the snows are in the area, head to your favorite spot.  I always remember that "a bad day of hunting is better than a great day at work."

That is Jackson, just one year old bringing in a snow goose.

Two of our members invested a lot of time.  They put out about 300 decoys comprised of floaters, field decoys, plus the fliers that circle.  The spread looked really good.  We all realize that the big commercial spreads probably put out 1000 decoys and hunt in wide open fields.  We have had moderate luck with our method of staying with the current blinds and using the water and surrounding fields for decoying birds. 

Closer shot of Jackson.  His owner spends a lot of time training him and it shows when he is on the retrieve.

On my first day I arrived at the blind around 9 AM.  The migration was in full swing as streams of geese were flying overhead.  Three hunters had already shot five birds, and it looked like this was going to be an excellent day.  One of our members brought his son along.  We always give the kids the opportunity to shoot.  When we have young people in the blind, I don't shoot, but give them all the shots.

Good shot of Jackson with Bob holding him for the picture. 

Waiting until about 1 PM, the overhead flights just kept going and going and periodically we would get a smaller flock set up and start to sail.  With other commitments ahead of me, I had to call it a day and plan for another try at it.

Junior taking a break.  Look how muddy he is from being out in the water and chasing down geese.

Getting home that evening, I received a call from my good friend John, and shortly after I left they got into a good flock and added to the kill for the day. 



The sales are on- going and keep getting better.  It is time to stock up.  You cannot own enough gear.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

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Anterless Deer = Shed Buck

The landowner had a new place for me.  It is really nice that he is always looking out for deer whenever I am hunting his ground.  It might have something to do with the fact we are neighbors.

South of his house near the levee is a line of trees in a low lying area.  They are not really noticeable, but deer come out of the reserve to the west and move along the tree line to the next stand of timber to the east.  In the spring and early fall you can see them moving along in a line all strung out. 

The suggestion was to hide in a small equipment shed at the end of the road and wait.  He also told me to come in the evening about 4:30 PM and bring binoculars to look to the west and be prepared when they come out of the reserve.  They would have about a mile of open ground to cross.  The road running north and south was closed due to flood damage and to repairs being done on the levees.

There was a mixture of does and bucks in these herds of deer running across his ground.  Many of them had shed their antlers.  For identification purposes, a hunter should look at the back of the leg right where the gland is on the back leg.  Here the hair is a little longer and black.  If that is seen, and there are no antlers, he is a shed buck.  He is legal. My license states anterless deer only, and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart.

I pushed myself back into the shed next to some equipment.  I could see to the right and left if I stood up, but focused on the ground to the west.

As I faced straight west, eight deer came in from the east behind me.  They took their time, stopped and stared at me, then slowly moved on.  My gun was leaning on a post about three feet from me and I was not sure if they could see me in the shadows.  A really big buck with a nice rack just stood there and stomped his foot a couple of times, then moved off.  Several does that would have been really close shots, stopped, stared, then wandered off.

The wind was to the north, and I was amazed they did not wind me.  I had generously drenched my hunting clothes with a new product I had found from Bass Bro.
Wildlife Research Center Scent Killer Spray Combo - Hunting Accessories

I had followed the directions on the bottle and sprayed my coat, gloves and boots.  They did not wind me and I could feel the breeze coming in from the north on the back of my neck. I was facing straight south.



Farther to the east, deer were seen coming out of the timber that ran north and south.  Still, I waited for traffic from the west.

The sun had moved just below the top of the trees.  Out they stepped from the timber.  Standing very still while watching them was the only thing I could do.  They moved slowly along the timber.  The concern was that they would not get to my spot before night fell. 

When they reached the halfway point, I sat down.  It was obvious they were on a straight line along the timber and hopefully would reach me before it was dark.  About ten feet from the front there was a barrel to my front and a manure spreader to my right. The gun was mounted up to my shoulder and sitting on some shooting sticks.  The only vision spot available was right  straight to my front. 

Then the first one appeared.  Darn, a buck, but he was really nice.  Then came two more with no antlers, but they had the long black hair on their gland at the back of the leg.  Now a really big anterless buck started to stroll past me.  On the opposite side there was another smaller deer.  It had to be a doe as it was smaller. 

The sun was down, and there was little time left.  The big buck stopped, looked straight at me.  The smaller one stepped forward, and there was the shot.  It was taken.   About four more steps and it fell over. 

Off went the herd, and I called the landowner as it was his request.  When I approached the deer, the head had two big spots where the antlers had been.  This deer was considerably bigger than what I wanted, but meat is meat.  I pulled my truck up to it, but lifting this big boy into the bed was not possible.  The landowner appeared, saw what was shot and said, "That is a really big boy."  He returned with a tractor and an end loader and said, "Let's dress him indoors up at the shop where it is warm and there is a lot of water." 

That was fine with me as by now darkness had set in, and I did not really want to field dress the deer in the dark.  Plus when the sun went down, it got cold.  It might have been 45 during the day, but it is Iowa in January.

I just purchased from Bass Pro a brand new knife for field dressing deer.  The blade would now get a baptism with this big boy.
Buck® Alpha Hunter Folding Knife - Drop Point - 8 oz - 3.5" Blade - Woode Handle - Cutlery

This is a great knife, and I highly recommend it.

The 2011-2012 season ended and as reported by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, hunters killed 4.5 percent fewer deer during the recent hunting seasons.  As reported to the DNR, 121,400 deer were harvested during the seasons.  It was estimated that Iowa's deer population has been reduced by about 30% from its peak in 2006.  The department will review the harvest and population surveys in the spring and propose to reduce the kill and stabilize deer where the numbers are at or below the goal.

The next morning my wife took the deer to get it processed, and the people at the meat shop came out and said "My that is a really big boy."  They see lots of deer so I know it was, as they put it a "really big boy."  That tells me how big the others were in the herd and how healthy the deer are along the bottoms. 

Next year, the plan is for a really nice small doe.

Good hunting, good fishing, Hank.

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A Successful Shot or Is It?

Day two broke into a beautiful morning.  Temps were expected to be in the 50s during the day and upper 30s in the evening.  No need for heavy clothing and this was the first week of January. 

Before the first rays of light, a location was found in the dark next to a piece of fallen timber along the edge of the reserve.  The setup was 300 yards from my first position and abour 50 yards south of the tree line.  The west edge of the reserve ran north and south, so I was just south of the landowner's tree line.  The deer had stepped out of the timber to the north and moved southeast into the reserve.  Sitting along side a fallen tree, I would have a profile shot to the southwest and about 30 yards from where I was hiding. 

The usual cacophony of nose began as it started to show touches of light.  Out of the woods came the turkeys and off the roost they flew.  The noise was very very pronounced, but hunting deer was the goal.

A couple of bucks came out of the timber and in the really dim light, the antlers were just barely visible.  They moved right along the line that was anticipated.  This was good.  The location was just right.  The wind was calm.  Luckily, I had soaked my hunting coat in a product from Wildlife Research Center and sold by Bass Pro.
Wildlife Research Center Scent Killer Spray Combo - Hunting Accessories Click on the link for more information or the Bass Pro Banner at the bottom of the page.  Look under Scents.

I was not winded.  As it became more light, out of the timber stepped a nice sized doe.  She move forward and stopped about 75 yards from my position.  The timber was to my front, and the gun rested upon a shooting stick, but something was not right.  She looked straight at me.  Head on, deer give a really poor profile, and really bad shots.  I have done it before with a 30-06 in another state.  The muzzle loader was sighted in at 100 yards dead on.  She just stood there.  I waited to see if I could get a better angle, but she just stood there and my patience went out the window.  With the cross-hairs right on the center of the animal, the shot was taken.

Down she went.  The doe just folded up and laid there.  No movement was seen.  I should have waited about 5 minutes, but I headed for the doe with my field dressing equipment.  Within ten yards, she came alive, really alive.  Up she jumped, up went the flag, and off she went heading west, then turning north into the timber.

Immediately, the ground was examined and there was no blood stain. Then her movement west was tracked, and then north to the edge of the timber.  No blood trail was found. 

Hearing the shot, the landowner came over to see me.  He gave plenty of encouragement and a couple of tips on tracking down the doe. He also went into the timber to find some evidence of the crippled animal.

For three and one half hours I weaved back and forth moving almost all the way to the highway to the north and the edge of the farm, but nothing was found.  That deer had folded when it was hit, and the expectation was finding her within 50 yards of the timber line.  Having them take off like this is not unusual, although I hate to see it. The deer is usually found, and I rarely loose one.  I am still amazed how she folded up laid there and then got up and ran.  The fox and her cubs somewhere in the timber will have fresh venison to feast on.

The landowner told me to set up on the road into the farm as he had seen deer moving from the river into the timber.  After finding a couple of runs, I set up along the side of the road.  This would be a really quick shot if one stepped out of the timber.  Giving a quick short whistle will most times cause a whitetail to stop and take a look.  They are so curious, but once discovered up comes the flag and off they go.

This would be a really quick shot if a deer stepped out of the brush and timber.  I kept the gun at my shoulder waiting for a couple of hours.  One came by, but it was a buck and my license is for anterless deer.

It was really getting warm and I headed in.

Good fishing, good hunting, and good luck.  Hank.

PS: It is the first week of march as I post this blog, and with the warm weather the snow geese are returning.  Squaw Creek Refuge in the middle of Feb. had over a million snows and blues.  We are looking for some of them to follow the Missouri River. 

                        

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The Does are Thick Along the Missouri River Bottoms

                      

The farm ground to the west of me along the Missouri River had seep water on most of the crop ground.  Not knowing what the condition of the timbered pasture was, the decision was made to call the landowner. 

His comment was, "Where have you been?  We have a lot of does that have moved back into the formerly flooded ground on the west side of the levee, and no one is hunting the ground."  With that in mind, I inquired about the best location.  It was where I had hunted turkeys and deer in the past.

As I entered from the north end of the farm, I discovered that the seep water from the flood had not reached the pasture.  The timber to the north of my intended location did not get any water either.   The evidence showed a lot of deer had moved in when the water pushed them out of the river bottom on the west side of the levee. Deer tracks were everywhere.  Trying to pick a spot would be a chore.  There were runs coming out of the timber all along the edge of the timber.  The evidence showed the deer would come to the timber's edge, then turn southeast into a state reserve.  The majority of the reserve had been dry during the flood. 

There had been no rain for some time and the ground was really dry.  My plan was to set up midway between the timber line.  In that way a shot could be taken from either side of where my position was.  My back would be up against a large tree so I would be able to shoot to either side.

A full moon helped me find my way to the spot the next morning.  The first thing that happened was the woods behind me became very excited.  The turkeys were there by the hundreds and the hens were really vocal as they came off the roost to the ground.  The moonlight helped with the lighting as they flew right out in front of me about 50 yards from the timber line.  Hundreds upon hundreds of turkeys kept coming. 

That is the tree line where I will be hunting.  You can see some deer in the field I spooked when I was scouting out the position on a turkey hunt last spring.

Small flock of turkeys that came out of the standing timber to my right.

These birds must have been living on the west side of the levees in the timber along the Missouri River and were pushed into this area by the flood.  This location is a venerable meat market.  I know where I will be when Iowa turkey season opens, but it is a young tasty doe that will be harvested today. 

Right out in front of me the turkeys kept flying to the ground.

Slowly it got lighter.  To my left out of the timber stepped a nice small doe.  She was at least 150 yards out, so I decided to wait for a bigger animal.  With all the tracks, a hunter could afford to be picky.  She slowly moved southeasterly toward the reserve.  Soon additional animals slowly stepped out of the security  of the standing timber.  They were further out than the first one.  I waited.

By now it was fully light, but the sun was not up.  In excess of 25 deer had been spotted with the majority being does.  The feeling was that this might not be a good plan.  There had been plenty of traffic but nothing came out of the timber within a good shooting range for a muzzle loader. The expectation was that the majority of the deer would come out on my right and then move across my front to the reserve.  This plan was not working.

Finally the sun was fully up and moved above the trees.  The sky was perfectly clear and I was looking into the sun.  Time to go and adjust the plan for the next day.  I needed a cup of coffee anyway so headed for home.

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Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

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