Spring snows ???

[ABDUKNUT]

Spring sucks... There's nothing to do... Except wack snows, turkeys and bears.


scouting


found some


my 20 dead ones the next morning. Picture shows about 1/3 of the decoys we put out on these hunts. Alarm goes off at 1:30 am, be in field by 3:00 to have it ready to rock at 5'ish.








Only jewels we shot this Spring.


My buddy was pretty happy with his first snow goose hunt

[Albertabowhunter]

Looks like fun, Love the Blues....... so love the Blues.

[ABDUKNUT]

Couple more blues from last year. My one buddy wont shoot nothing but blues. I prefer a more balanced approach, but am always happy to shoot one wearing jewelry.

[hunter10]

Great pictures, looked like you had a ton of fun!

[M70]

Whoa! Nice photos. Thanks for sharing. The first two pics are unreal!

[savagencounter]

is there and open season in the spring on these birds i cant see it in the regs but if there is why the hell am i at home today?

[shorty]

Where is the season?

[savagencounter]

Originally Posted by shorty

Where is the season?

that is what im trying to figure out the regs only show the regular open seasons sept 15 -dec 30 but doesnt show spring season

[7 REM MAG]

check the sask regs, you might find the info your looking for as alberta has no spring season because the snows that migrate thru alberta in the spring and fall are from a population that is decllining in numbers and cannot sustain both a spring and fall hunt

[savagencounter]

thanks

[ABDUKNUT]

Originally Posted by shorty

Where is the season?

Parts of Saskabush and Manitoba. These pics are all in SK. White man can't hunt snows in Alberta in the Spring, there is no season.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by 7 REM MAG

check the sask regs, you might find the info your looking for as alberta has no spring season because the snows that migrate thru alberta in the spring and fall are from a population that is decllining in numbers and cannot sustain both a spring and fall hunt

Actually, in the spring a strain of snow geese migrate north thru; the Ab. flyway, (with the others... )which are considered a "threatened species".... they continue on to Russia for their nesting, and then migrate south along the West Coast in the fall....I beleive Rob posted this earlier but can't find it.....two different migratory routes...2 different sets of rules

[ABDUKNUT]

The snows that migrate through Alberta in the Spring are mostly headed to the Mackenzie Delta of YT and NWT, and the colonies near Victoria Island, which they share with the Mid-Continent flyway snows. It is these Mid-Continent snows that are the target of the Spring Conservation Order that allows a liberal 'hunting' season on them.

The snows in the Alberta flyway are mostly white-phase, and there are much greater numbers of Ross Geese, than the Mid-Continent snows that go through SK and Manitoba, which are close to 50:50 white to blue phase.

Ross Geese are protected in the Spring in Canada, so a season in Alberta would be too difficult to swing; reason being, A) our light geese have not been identified as being over-abundant nor a threat to critical habitat, B) too many Ross, and C) too many white-phase that can be easily mistaken for Ross.

Since the Mid-Continent snows rarely, if ever, venture far enough West into Alberta, there is no reason to allow hunting this far West.

When the Conservation Order was introduced, both in Canada and the US, it was met with a great deal of opposition from do-gooders...

Including Alberta in it would have been counter productive since there is no scientific evidence to support a more liberal hunt for light geese here.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by ABDUKNUT

The snows that migrate through Alberta in the Spring are mostly headed to the Mackenzie Delta of YT and NWT, and the colonies near Victoria Island, which they share with the Mid-Continent flyway snows. It is these Mid-Continent snows that are the target of the Spring Conservation Order that allows a liberal 'hunting' season on them.

The snows in the Alberta flyway are mostly white-phase, and there are much greater numbers of Ross Geese, than the Mid-Continent snows that go through SK and Manitoba, which are close to 50:50 white to blue phase.

Ross Geese are protected in the Spring in Canada, so a season in Alberta would be too difficult to swing; reason being, A) our light geese have not been identified as being over-abundant nor a threat to critical habitat, B) too many Ross, and C) too many white-phase that can be easily mistaken for Ross.

Since the Mid-Continent snows rarely, if ever, venture far enough West into Alberta, there is no reason to allow hunting this far West.

When the Conservation Order was introduced, both in Canada and the US, it was met with a great deal of opposition from do-gooders...

Including Alberta in it would have been counter productive since there is no scientific evidence to support a more liberal hunt for light geese here.

Have u seen a sharp increase in the #'s of Sandhill Cranes?????wow!!!!...they're everywhere this year...(just passing thru')...but a lot of them...

[ABDUKNUT]

Sandhill cranes are increasing everywhere, even nesting in non-traditional areas more and more in the past 10 years or so. There has been a season opened on them in parts of Eastern Alberta this year. We get a few
out here in GP in the early Fall but I don't think there's enough around to hunt. Tons of them in Saskatchewan, everywhere you look as you said. Every year I see a few Whooper's mixed in with them, and report the sightings. If you see a white crane, go here;

http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/endspe...b01s05.en.html

[mikeo2]

Hal is dead on about the threatened snows from Russia, thats why there will never be a spring season in Alberta. On another note I saw a field just north of Hwy 16 by mundare today with close to 10,000 snows in it.

[ABDUKNUT]

Originally Posted by mikeo2

Hal is dead on about the threatened snows from Russia, thats why there will never be a spring season in Alberta. On another note I saw a field just north of Hwy 16 by mundare today with close to 10,000 snows in it.

Yup, those Wrangel Island snows are declining and also has a lot to do with the lack of Spring hunting here- even though some of them winter in parts of the US where there is a Spring season.

Quite a few snows along 16 in the usual spots.

[shedcrazy]

I love that stringer of blues...unreal. Great photo!

[plinker]

There is a season in Alberta for Sandhill Cranes? Can you eat those things? I always thought you couldn't???

[drake]

Congrats on the spring snow goose hunt man. Ive been wanting to do a trip over there for years!! They must be cagey after being shot all the way down then back up the fly way. How did they respond to your setup?

[name]

We shot a banded snow from Russia last year. When we submitted it, the bioligist phoned to make sure we had the right #'s off the band. It was right, this bird flew over the ocean from Russia to Alberta. Awsome!! We still laugh from the comment my buddy said when we found out it was from Russia. "You bastards shot a Russian!!"

[ABDUKNUT]

Originally Posted by drake

They must be cagey after being shot all the way down then back up the fly way. How did they respond to your setup?

Sometime they torture me... Sometimes I torture them...

[broadfieldpoint]

Incredible pics...thanks for posting this.

[ABDUKNUT]

Originally Posted by hal53

Actually, in the spring a strain of snow geese migrate north thru; the Ab. flyway, (with the others... )which are considered a "threatened species".... they continue on to Russia for their nesting, and then migrate south along the West Coast in the fall....I beleive Rob posted this earlier but can't find it.....two different migratory routes...2 different sets of rules

The Wrangel Island (North coast of Russia) population of snows is comparatively small and is much more affected by Summer nesting weather conditions than the Canadian Arctic populations. This population is not increasing, and it was clearly stated in the document Final Environmental Impact Statement: Light Goose Management as needing special consideration and protection. These birds mainly migrate through corridors off or along the coast of Alaska and B.C., but some do venture into Alberta. They winter in B.C., Washington and the Central Valley of California.

The largest population of Ross's geese, which biologists call the Western Population of Ross's Geese, are also not a target for population reduction. They nest in the Western Canadian Arctic, in the Queen Maud Gulf. The majority pass through Alberta, on their way to and from their wintering grounds in the Central Valley of California. Research shows these Western Ross geese are increasingly expanding their range Eastward, and joining into the population of Mid-Continent birds. While this expansion is considered a 'surplus', the original Western population is stable, and again, not a target of population reduction.

I don't think we will ever see a Spring hunt in Alberta. It's just a matter of too many 'good' geese here, and not enough 'bad' ones to justify it.



Comin' in on the deck for 15 yard shots... Who ever said you need 3.5" Magnums for snow geese ?!?

[Joe Fehr]

Nice photos! Can't wait for the season here nothing like a good goose shoot!