2017 Spring Conservation Order Migration Report

gloszz · #1 02-28-2017, 01:19 PM

Thought I would start a thread for the spring 2017 conservation order migration reports as a friend in Melville, SK has already seen some adults flying around. It may be a bit early for Alberta, but better have it up than too late.

Feb 28, 2017

South Dakota- Juvies starting to show up and mix with the adults. Thought they were gone but the snowfall pushed them back down again.

goldscud · #2 02-28-2017, 02:43 PM

Birds anxious to get back this year. I saw a pair of swans east of Calgary on Feb18

Diesel_wiesel · #3 02-28-2017, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloszz

Thought I would start a thread for the spring 2017 conservation order migration reports as a friend in Melville, SK has already seen some adults flying around. It may be a bit early for Alberta, but better have it up than too late.

Feb 28, 2017

South Dakota- Juvies starting to show up and mix with the adults. Thought they were gone but the snowfall pushed them back down again.

I live not far from Melville (45 minutes)
no open water and everthing is covered in snow here , still
no sign of anything waterfowl yet

gloszz · #4 02-28-2017, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel_wiesel

I live not far from Melville (45 minutes)
no open water and everthing is covered in snow here , still
no sign of anything waterfowl yet

I hope he wasn't lying to me haha. I wouldn't be surprised he wanted to trick me into coming to visit him.

gloszz · #5 03-03-2017, 01:59 PM

Seeing a few Canada geese around Edmonton and area. Friends in Medicine Hat said there is some open water present, so maybe the snows will be heading up just in time for the season??

wellpastcold · #6 03-03-2017, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloszz

Seeing a few Canada geese around Edmonton and area. Friends in Medicine Hat said there is some open water present, so maybe the snows will be heading up just in time for the season??

Not saying they aren't returning birds. There are many resident birds that stay as long as there is open water. Industrial users like power houses, sewage plants and warm water discharges keep water open over winter. The amount of unharvested crop and relatively light snow cover assists as well.

nube · #7 03-03-2017, 08:17 PM

Snow geese are a bit different than a few returning Canadas

gloszz · #8 03-03-2017, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nube

Snow geese are a bit different than a few returning Canadas

Haha, oh I know that too well. Friends in Montana were saying they saw a few flocks by Freezeout Lake, hopefully the didn't mistake them for swans.

name · #9 03-04-2017, 03:25 AM

they r coming off geneses power plant
got to be 500 or so

Diesel_wiesel · #10 03-04-2017, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by name

they r coming off geneses power plant
got to be 500 or so

Canada's or snows????

Diesel_wiesel · #11 03-04-2017, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloszz

I hope he wasn't lying to me haha. I wouldn't be surprised he wanted to trick me into coming to visit him.

over on the other side of Melville towards Regina there is way less snow but the ponds are still frozen, and there is local Canada geese that stay all winter around Regina
could be what he has been seeing

tracker · #12 03-06-2017, 05:09 PM

I was out ice fishing at Crawling valley this past weekend and there were a ton of Cda geese flying and trying to land on the smooth ice.

threeforthree · #13 03-06-2017, 05:24 PM

80% of all Canada`s have now left the city and are headed your way north, same every year at this time, when river breaks up all will be gone seems the ones that that do nest here, come in around the first two weeks of April

gloszz · #14 03-23-2017, 10:36 PM

Word is that the Central Flyway geese are circling around the Minot area in ND. I think a few days until we start seeing birds in Southern AB!!

32-40win · #15 03-24-2017, 01:43 AM

I heard snow tonite over the city. First time I have done that. But, they were definitely snows.

LKILR · #16 03-24-2017, 05:51 AM

Seen some snows yesterday just north of Lethbridge

gloszz · #17 03-24-2017, 06:06 AM

How many are you guys seeing? Maybe they're locals? Have you spotted a few hundred or just a few pairs?

deadeye · #18 03-24-2017, 08:09 AM

Tens of thousands on Horsefly, Tyrrell and Stirling lakes in deep southern part of the province

Tako · #19 03-25-2017, 01:06 PM

Hey fellas. Are there any outfitters in AB that guide the spring season? I have asked at least 3 and none do. I want to come out from BC for a shoot but am not having any luck lining something up. Please help if you can! Still not much for birds it sounds like?

Habfan · #20 03-26-2017, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloszz

Word is that the Central Flyway geese are circling around the Minot area in ND. I think a few days until we start seeing birds in Southern AB!!

They're here ! Go for a drive !!

elkhunter11 · #21 03-26-2017, 09:19 AM

I haven't seen any snows, but the Canadas are back in big numbers.

gloszz · #22 03-26-2017, 12:25 PM

I had a report from a friend that lives by Devon saying he saw a few thousand and sent a picture but not sure if it's from this year or last haha.

Drove to scout new hunting areas around wainwright and Viking and looks like A++ land but no snows, tons of Canada's.

32-40win · #23 03-27-2017, 10:45 AM

Snows are moving up now. I was out scouting this weekend along with a buddy, not a lot yet, he saw enough for a small shoot, I didn't, but I did see about 5000 birds scattered around. Watched 10-12 nice strings in one spot. Likely saw 250,000+ honkers scattered around that area, couple of ponds were packed with them, the way the other birds pack in, never saw honkers do that before. And they were in any field that had a pool and something edible. Swans had me looking a couple of times, one bunch of snows I followed out landed in with swans and honkers. Roosts are broken now, they'll show sometime this wk I'd guess. In two wks it went from full winter no birds around, to spring with birds everywhere. No ducks last weekend, this weekend--Cranes, Pins and Mallards and even Coots around, only thing I haven't seen yet is Specks, heard some Thurs nite, haven't seen any yet.

gloszz · #24 03-27-2017, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 32-40win

Snows are moving up now. I was out scouting this weekend along with a buddy, not a lot yet, he saw enough for a small shoot, I didn't, but I did see about 5000 birds scattered around. Watched 10-12 nice strings in one spot. Likely saw 250,000+ honkers scattered around that area, couple of ponds were packed with them, the way the other birds pack in, never saw honkers do that before. And they were in any field that had a pool and something edible. Swans had me looking a couple of times, one bunch of snows I followed out landed in with swans and honkers. Roosts are broken now, they'll show sometime this wk I'd guess. In two wks it went from full winter no birds around, to spring with birds everywhere. No ducks last weekend, this weekend--Cranes, Pins and Mallards and even Coots around, only thing I haven't seen yet is Specks, heard some Thurs nite, haven't seen any yet.

How long before the snows would show up more north toward east of Edmonton? I went to scout yesterday by Viking and saw no snows. Hopefully they fly in when I can go hunt during the weekend and not the weekday!

Bushmaster · #25 03-27-2017, 06:54 PM

Saw some snows and a few ducks over by Macklin yesterday....

Family Hunter · #26 03-29-2017, 04:25 PM

Seen some snows in a field beside hwy 36 between Lake New Newell and Kitsm lake this morning

Sceptreguy · #27 03-30-2017, 10:18 AM

5 miles NE of rosemary. Just seen a flock fly over my jobsite.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

scruffy · #28 03-31-2017, 11:29 AM

I have just finished up a week of snow goose hunting in Southern Alberta. Third year in a row. Lots of geese ... tens of thousands, actually although I never took the time to count them all that close.

They tended to be rather spooky after being shot at for about 8 months in a row. Still better than being a rooster pheasant during six weeks of the year, I suppose.

I found that they were flying very high most of the time while going from field to field or to and from the lakes.

Mostly they made me look like an idiot. Damn they must have big brains ...

No complaints for not filling the big freezer ... I think that I got enough and wish them well on their long journey north to the High Arctic ...

Good luck, folks ... further north ... they are on their way ...

gloszz · #29 03-31-2017, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scruffy

I have just finished up a week of snow goose hunting in Southern Alberta. Third year in a row. Lots of geese ... tens of thousands, actually although I never took the time to count them all that close.

They tended to be rather spooky after being shot at for about 8 months in a row. Still better than being a rooster pheasant during six weeks of the year, I suppose.

I found that they were flying very high most of the time while going from field to field or to and from the lakes.

Mostly they made me look like an idiot. Damn they must have big brains ...

No complaints for not filling the big freezer ... I think that I got enough and wish them well on their long journey north to the High Arctic ...

Good luck, folks ... further north ... they are on their way ...

Good to hear!!

Hopefully they are going to come for the next weekend as there is no way I can miss work this week... Don't scare them North yet haha.

Did you hunt over a big spread? Use an e-caller?

scruffy · #30 04-01-2017, 06:21 AM

I tried to use guile this year instead of the big spread with electronic callers. Last spring the 450 decoys and caller got two birds one morning ... Pass shooting was much more productive .. however when the decoys work ... amazing !!!