Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Guided Snow Goose Hunts - Missouri Conservation Season Opens February 1 - Mound City, Missouri
Monday, October 14, 2013
Fully Guided Spring Snow Goose Hunts - Mound City, Missouri - Muck Boy and Snow Goose Guides
The Muck Boy crew will be in Mound City, Missouri the weekend of March 2nd, for our 2nd spring snow goose hunt. As all waterfowlers know this hunt will be subject to the birds migration. You can only be in the path of this spring migration, the rest is up to the birds. With this winter being more like a normal winter, we are hoping our timing will be a little better than last year, when we arrived a little late. As like last year we will be hunting with Snow Goose Chasers. We had such a great experience with Scott our outfitter, George the field boss (guide) and JP, George's trusted assistant, choosing them again to guide our hunt was a no brainier.2/6/13 - Geese are starting to move. Up until about Wednesday most reports had the geese in the south of Missouri but the picture on the left was taken near Vandalia IL. and JP one of guides for this trip reported just seeing the first geese around the Mound City Area.
2/14/13 -Let the hunting begin - more and more geese are arriving everyday into the Mound City area. Today one of the crew members had a nice hunt prior to our trip in 12 days, with Snow Goose Chasers- (Note: Scott has a few openings left if you think you ay want to try a hunt like this - just give him a call.
2/23/13 - Snow, Snow and now more Snow on the way - If this isn't bad enough, most of the geese that had arrived have moved back to southern Missouri and Arkansas. Our Outfitter Scott has asked us to reschedule to the weekend of March 15th and 16th. If your planning a trip next week or weekend first check with your outfitter.
3/18/13 - The hunt is over and we have our complete report posted by the end of the week. Make sure to check back.
The Hunt -
3/ 15/13 Friday -We arrived at the Kwik Stop in downtown Mound City at 6am where we met up with out outfitter Scott of Snow Goose Chasers and Guide George for today’s hunt. We had four other hunters along today, a father and son team from Indiana, alocal Grandfather and Grandson and George’s trusted companion J.P. The morning started slow with a lot of Canadian Geese and a few flocks of Snow Geese around but nothing was worked the spread. Around 9am a six pack came from the north and headed straight to us losing altitude the whole time. They circled once and came directly overhead about 60 yards. It was a difficult shot out the back of the lay out blinds and unfortunately only one bird fell. By this time the temperature had reached the mid 60’s and there was hardly a wisp of wind or a bird in the sky. This gave us a chance to get out of the blinds and stretch our legs and check the blinds and decoys. Just before our lunch break a snow dropped in but only came to within 50 yards and looked to be hooking off so George yelled “take’em” and this poor bird ran into a wall of steel shot.
After getting lunch we ran over to the Squaw Creek Wildlife Refuge to see how many Snow Geese were there and the latest count by the refuge staff was at 615,000 birds. It looked like every one of them was there at lunch, it is quite a sight to see that many birds in one place at one time. We all showed back up to the spread at 2pm and stayed until end of shooting time. Temperatures by this time were in the high 70’s to low 80’s but the wind had shifted to the northwest. We turned the blinds and made sure they were camo’ed up good for the afternoon hunt. There was a little more action with the group taking five more singles. The temperatures by the end of the hunt had started to drop and the winds were already due north. Everyone was excited about the prospects for the morning. With over 600,000 birds less than 5 miles away, a strong North wind and the temp’s in the 40’s we thought we were going to be in for a special hunt.
3/ 16/13 Saturday - We arrived back at the field around 6:30am with temperatures around the 40 degree mark and a stiff NNE wind at 20 to 25 mph. We took two large adult snow geese early and watched bunch after bunch of ducks buzz the spread. About 9am a couple of us had to go back to the truck and get our winter bibs and coats because the temperature had dropped to the very low 30's and the wind had not let up. With nothing much flying, around 11am the group from Indiana headed home. This gave us a chance to catch an early lunch and head to the refuge to check the bird numbers. To our surprise they were all gone, from 600,000 to around 1000 birds overnight. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze. Knowing there were not many birds in the area we still went back to the field and hunted till about 5pm. As expected, we seen very few snows that afternoon but still enjoyed the comradery of the hunt and the efforts of George.
We are still figuring out Snow Goose hunting and have adjusted our plans again for next year. Our schedules limit our flexibility but we know that Snow Goose Guides will always do everything that they can to make sure that we have the best chance for success on the weekend we are there. We look forward to the 2014 migration and have our fingers crossed for better luck, because you can count on us buying our tickets for the Snow Goose Lottery again.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Francis McLaughlin On HIs Way To A Grand Slam With A Merriam's Gobbler
I would like to thank the Nebraska Hunting Company for his help in getting me a Merriam's turkey. Scott is totally committed to getting you a turkey. He is focused on hunting and will put you on birds. For me this is the third leg of a Grand slam, now only needing the Osceola. Another group hunting while I was in Nebraska completed 3 grand slams! One needed a Merriam's, the other two needed a Merriam's and a Rio!Thanks to Nebraska Hunting Company for my Merriam's and awesome hunting memories. Thanks to Marilyn and Walt for the hospitality and wonderful accommodations at Uncle Buck's Lodge.
Frank McLaughlin
4/23/2013
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Waterfowl Migration Report - Waterfowler.com
Waterfowler.com Reports
If there is one thing you can count on in the world of migration tracking this season it’s change – and what a difference a new year can make. A warming trend during the first week of the year ignited a number of reverse migration events, and birds returned to a number of previously snow-covered states. Duck numbers in southern Illinois, southern Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas rebounded significantly over the past week, as waterfowl totals on the Illinois Natural History Survey reached number nearly two times the 10-year average for the lower Mississippi survey area.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
With the final month of the General waterfowl season underway in the south, moderate to exceptional drought conditions persist in much of the south. With temperatures rebounding in the central tier of the United States, ducks that were driven south by ice and snow are rebounding northward into areas with better habitat conditions.
While hunters are reporting flights of northbound ducks in a number of states, the bulk of the migration remains in the Deep South. Of course, the areas holding the most birds are those with water – albeit natural or well managed habitat that has been saved by the pump.
For the late season hunter in the southern states, duck numbers are good to excellent in most areas and hunting is, as it always is this time of year, not without its challenges. Birds are educated, wary and pressured. Most of these late-season survivors carry a masters-degree in decoy avoidance strategies and the lazy, lucky hunter can often go home empty-handed despite a volume of birds in their area.
While the northern hunter that is used to a half-dozen mallards over the decoys might wish for the massive groups the southern hunter can work over the decoys, there is a huge difference in having a couple of ducks land mindlessly on top of a spinning wing decoy early in the season and having hundreds of eyes looking for an excuse to flyby. Scratching out a limit in either case is never a given, and no less difficult – that’s why they call it hunting, not shooting.
Of course, every duck hunter, at some point in long duck-hunting career, experiences a shoot. It’s the kind of day where everything goes to plan and you found yourself in the right place at the right time. The birds come. Group after group they work like champions and finish like a Terry Redlin painting. You shoot straight, the dogs set the benchmark for breed standard and at the end of the hunt you kick back on the tailgate with full lanyard and soak in the moment. Yep, it’s the kind of day that every duck hunter dreams about for years to come and the tale of “that day” is retold to friends and family over and over – understanding that embellishment is acceptable, earned and actually expected.
As hunters in the south trudge forward in search of the perfect duck day, opportunity for spring hunting adventures are right around the corner for special light goose season. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to plan and book your Light Goose Adventure and experience a day under the deafening calls and tornado-styled flights of the mid-continental light goose. With a number of affordable guides operating in the Central and Mississippi Flyways, the opportunity to extend your hunting season into the spring months is merely a phone call away. So, what are you waiting for?
PACIFIC FLYWAY:
Duck numbers are good to excellent for this time of year from California to New Mexico. Hunter success in California varies with the weather and winds – as it always does. Goose numbers in northern Californian remain excellent at this time and hunter success above average.
CENTRAL FLYWAY:
Duck numbers remain at peak in along the Gulf Coast of Texas, with mallards scattered throughout the lower portion of the flyway. Hunting in Oklahoma remains good to excellent in most areas with duck numbers and hunter success lower in Kansas over the pat week. Light goose numbers remain near peak in eastern New Mexico and Texas. With dark goose numbers best from the panhandle north.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY:
Mallards are scattered throughout the south from Southern Illinois to Louisiana. Numbers have declined slightly in Louisiana and increased in Arkansas over the past week, as ducks slid north on southerly winds. With hunting in Missouri now closed pressure management will become more critical in bordering areas with seasons still open.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY:
Duck numbers remain good to excellent in the Carolinas at this time with hunter success improving greatly over the past week. While drought continues to plague many areas in the southeast, the mobile hunter willing to find water is finding birds. Hunter success in northern Florida is good to excellent at this time, with bird numbers up significantly over previous years.
If there is one thing you can count on in the world of migration tracking this season it’s change – and what a difference a new year can make. A warming trend during the first week of the year ignited a number of reverse migration events, and birds returned to a number of previously snow-covered states. Duck numbers in southern Illinois, southern Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas rebounded significantly over the past week, as waterfowl totals on the Illinois Natural History Survey reached number nearly two times the 10-year average for the lower Mississippi survey area.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
With the final month of the General waterfowl season underway in the south, moderate to exceptional drought conditions persist in much of the south. With temperatures rebounding in the central tier of the United States, ducks that were driven south by ice and snow are rebounding northward into areas with better habitat conditions.
While hunters are reporting flights of northbound ducks in a number of states, the bulk of the migration remains in the Deep South. Of course, the areas holding the most birds are those with water – albeit natural or well managed habitat that has been saved by the pump.
For the late season hunter in the southern states, duck numbers are good to excellent in most areas and hunting is, as it always is this time of year, not without its challenges. Birds are educated, wary and pressured. Most of these late-season survivors carry a masters-degree in decoy avoidance strategies and the lazy, lucky hunter can often go home empty-handed despite a volume of birds in their area.
While the northern hunter that is used to a half-dozen mallards over the decoys might wish for the massive groups the southern hunter can work over the decoys, there is a huge difference in having a couple of ducks land mindlessly on top of a spinning wing decoy early in the season and having hundreds of eyes looking for an excuse to flyby. Scratching out a limit in either case is never a given, and no less difficult – that’s why they call it hunting, not shooting.
Of course, every duck hunter, at some point in long duck-hunting career, experiences a shoot. It’s the kind of day where everything goes to plan and you found yourself in the right place at the right time. The birds come. Group after group they work like champions and finish like a Terry Redlin painting. You shoot straight, the dogs set the benchmark for breed standard and at the end of the hunt you kick back on the tailgate with full lanyard and soak in the moment. Yep, it’s the kind of day that every duck hunter dreams about for years to come and the tale of “that day” is retold to friends and family over and over – understanding that embellishment is acceptable, earned and actually expected.
As hunters in the south trudge forward in search of the perfect duck day, opportunity for spring hunting adventures are right around the corner for special light goose season. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to plan and book your Light Goose Adventure and experience a day under the deafening calls and tornado-styled flights of the mid-continental light goose. With a number of affordable guides operating in the Central and Mississippi Flyways, the opportunity to extend your hunting season into the spring months is merely a phone call away. So, what are you waiting for?
PACIFIC FLYWAY:
Duck numbers are good to excellent for this time of year from California to New Mexico. Hunter success in California varies with the weather and winds – as it always does. Goose numbers in northern Californian remain excellent at this time and hunter success above average.
CENTRAL FLYWAY:
Duck numbers remain at peak in along the Gulf Coast of Texas, with mallards scattered throughout the lower portion of the flyway. Hunting in Oklahoma remains good to excellent in most areas with duck numbers and hunter success lower in Kansas over the pat week. Light goose numbers remain near peak in eastern New Mexico and Texas. With dark goose numbers best from the panhandle north.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY:
Mallards are scattered throughout the south from Southern Illinois to Louisiana. Numbers have declined slightly in Louisiana and increased in Arkansas over the past week, as ducks slid north on southerly winds. With hunting in Missouri now closed pressure management will become more critical in bordering areas with seasons still open.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY:
Duck numbers remain good to excellent in the Carolinas at this time with hunter success improving greatly over the past week. While drought continues to plague many areas in the southeast, the mobile hunter willing to find water is finding birds. Hunter success in northern Florida is good to excellent at this time, with bird numbers up significantly over previous years.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Canadas In A Hilltop Cornfield - Nebraska
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)