Ducks or snow geese?

[duckhunt]

Next year my oldest son will be a senior in high school. He really likes hunting waterfowl so I thought for a graduation present I would take him on a hunt. I cant decide between a flooded timber hunt for mallards or a spring snow goose hunt in march. Any thoughts on wich would be a better hunt?

 

[jryoung]

Flip a coin....but laying under a tornado of snow geese waiting for the call is a pretty awesome experience.

 

[skimerhorn]

Snow geese can be fun if you get into them good, but is hit or miss. Personally I'd do the timber hunt or flooded rice field. Will be good either way im sure.

 

[TheJason]

I haven't hunted snows, but I've hunted out of a pit for Canadas and I've also hunted flooded timber for mallards. I had a lot of fun with each and I don't know that I could necessarily choose between them.

Flip a coin.

 

[glass eye]

Graduation is in late May or early June....? That's waterfowl season in NZ. Headed there in a few days (12th) all DIY public land. Easy and cheap.

ps............this photo was on private land but permission is easy to obtain just by knocking on the door.

 

[TheJason]

Now that's a blind with a view! What kind of geese are those?

 

[ida homer]

I've done snow geese once in Arkansas. We killed a couple hundred in 2 days, unreal fun. No limit, no plugs, e-callers allowed. The license is free. Check out Northern Skies Outfitters if your going guided, they hunt in the Dakotas, Missouri and Arkansas.

Greenheads floating down through the timber would be incredible, but at the end of the day you only get to shoot 5 or 6 birds.

 

[glass eye]

Now that's a blind with a view! What kind of geese are those?

Those are Paradise Shelducks. 20 per day limit.
Limits are species specific and varies by region.
Mallards 50 per day
Honkers..no limit, no closed season.

Here's a Grey Duck

 

[glass eye]

Pukekos are very wary and act like pheasants.

 

[duckhunt]

Im thinking snow geese just because if we hit it right there can be alot of action like twsnow18 said. That new zealand hunt looks awsome to.

 

[StrutNut]

I have done both and I too would opt for snows. I will however make the recommendation of instead of springtime, try the fall in Canada. You can still shoot a lot of snows but also specks and ducks. If you hunt Saskatchewan, you might also get into some great Sandhill Crane action or depending on area, fantastic Hungarian Partridge hunting. I always went that first week you could hunt geese all day and typically the hunting was fantastic.

 

[Nemont]

I have done both and I too would opt for snows. I will however make the recommendation of instead of springtime, try the fall in Canada. You can still shoot a lot of snows but also specks and ducks. If you hunt Saskatchewan, you might also get into some great Sandhill Crane action or depending on area, fantastic Hungarian Partridge hunting. I always went that first week you could hunt geese all day and typically the hunting was fantastic.

^^^
I would echo this same thing. Where I go in Sask. we hunt snow geese and then in the afternoon we either hunt ducks, huns/sharpies or fish for Walleye.

Nemont

 

[VanHook]

^^^
I would echo this same thing. Where I go in Sask. we hunt snow geese and then in the afternoon we either hunt ducks, huns/sharpies or fish for Walleye.

Nemont

That sounds like a good idea to me as well. I haven't done a spring snow goose hunt, but I have to assume that if you have a day when not many birds are coming in, it would be a LOOOOOOONG day just sitting there.

 

[TGL]

I haven't done either but shoot mallards all the time. I would definately opt the snow goose route. I've been to Freezeout lake before when over 500000 snows were there and that's something I will never forget. Sure you'll have a great time either route though!

 

[sneakypete]

I wouldn't do a snow goose hunt, it's to iffy on the geese migration. A mallard hunt would be a great hunt. Not sure where you're located but if I had my choice Eagle Lakes Lodge in Washington state is on my hit list.

 

[mdhunter]

I like to hunt what I like to eat....ducks.

 

[Z Barebow]

Spring snows are fickle. For us in the upper Midwest, they basically follow the snow line. The bulk of them are in/out in a short time frame. If you cannot be flexible of hunt timing, I would lean toward a different hunt.

As mentioned, fall in Saskatchewan or ND can be awesome. So many choices to hunt within the same day. (But I might be biased!)

 

[genesis273]

Ah heck, be the coolest dad ever and take him on two trips. Problem solved!

 

[Reeltime]

I have done both and I too would opt for snows. I will however make the recommendation of instead of springtime, try the fall in Canada. You can still shoot a lot of snows but also specks and ducks. If you hunt Saskatchewan, you might also get into some great Sandhill Crane action or depending on area, fantastic Hungarian Partridge hunting. I always went that first week you could hunt geese all day and typically the hunting was fantastic.

This :hump:

 

[StrutNut]

Lots of fun!