Question Snow and Waterfowl Feeding

blinddukisland · 11-18-2008, 10:58 PM

I have a quick question for field hunters. When there is a big snow has anyone ever went out to a field and cleared a patch out with a snow blower or shovel and set up? My old man had made a comment about doing that last year to hunt the few geese around after the large amount of snow we got in early December. If no has, do you think it would attract birds? I'd think it would help since they would think they didn't have to burry their heads in the snow to find food.

CDILL · 11-19-2008, 08:54 AM

I am just starting to get into field hunting for geese and I tried this once last season. We had about 3-4" of snow on the ground, so all of the grain was covered up. When I was setting out my decoys, I just used my foot and kicked around a bunch of the snow close to each decoy and around the edge of the spread to make it look like the geese had been digging around for food. We also had cattle out in the field, so I tried to make it look similar to some of the other spots in the field that the cattle had been hanging out in. Seemed to work as I was able to traffic one flock off of their normal feeding spot and they came right into the decoys without working at all. Don't know if it helped that much, but I may have just been lucky. Something that I will definitely try again in the future though.

MrPike · 11-19-2008, 12:41 PM

Sounds like a whole lot of work.

Kicking some snow to expose the dirt underneath is all you have to do, if even that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinddukisland

I have a quick question for field hunters. When there is a big snow has anyone ever went out to a field and cleared a patch out with a snow blower or shovel and set up? My old man had made a comment about doing that last year to hunt the few geese around after the large amount of snow we got in early December. If no has, do you think it would attract birds? I'd think it would help since they would think they didn't have to burry their heads in the snow to find food.

MrPike · 11-19-2008, 01:07 PM

Sounds like a whole lot of work.

Kicking some snow to expose the dirt underneath is all you have to do, if even that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinddukisland

I have a quick question for field hunters. When there is a big snow has anyone ever went out to a field and cleared a patch out with a snow blower or shovel and set up? My old man had made a comment about doing that last year to hunt the few geese around after the large amount of snow we got in early December. If no has, do you think it would attract birds? I'd think it would help since they would think they didn't have to burry their heads in the snow to find food.

Alex T. · 11-19-2008, 02:05 PM

in some states,it is illegal to do what your'e thinking about.May wanna check the regs. first.

Alex

gooseh8r · 11-19-2008, 06:08 PM

I know of somebody that did this with a tractor in a SD bean field recently and it turned into a massacare of all things with webbed feet.

blinddukisland · 11-19-2008, 11:23 PM

I don't think I would actually do it but was just wondering about it. As for it being illegal in some states...do you think they consider it some kind of baiting?

Alex T. · 11-19-2008, 11:37 PM

If I remember the article correctly,it was altering the habitat or something like that. Can't remember which state the article was about.

Alex

livnlrn · 11-20-2008, 08:16 AM

Quote:

in some states,it is illegal to do what your'e thinking about.May wanna check the regs. first.

Just say your were looking for a contact or something.

Alex T. · 11-20-2008, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Just say your were looking for a contact or something

Actually,I just drive in circles,back and forth,zigzag,etc. trying to find the right place to park and setup.

Alex

11-18-2008, 10:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
blinddukisland Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kearney, NE Posts: 52 Thanks: 2 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Snow and Waterfowl Feeding I have a quick question for field hunters. When there is a big snow has anyone ever went out to a field and cleared a patch out with a snow blower or shovel and set up? My old man had made a comment about doing that last year to hunt the few geese around after the large amount of snow we got in early December. If no has, do you think it would attract birds? I'd think it would help since they would think they didn't have to burry their heads in the snow to find food.

11-19-2008, 02:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
Alex T. Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: under the lids of a laydown blind Certified Youth Fishing Instructor Posts: 3,419 Thanks: 0 Thanked 62 Times in 35 Posts	in some states,it is illegal to do what your'e thinking about.May wanna check the regs. first. Alex __________________ Listening to an e-caller daily to help pass the time until they come back

11-19-2008, 06:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
gooseh8r Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ne Posts: 480 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 6 Posts	I know of somebody that did this with a tractor in a SD bean field recently and it turned into a massacare of all things with webbed feet. __________________ "In Duckhunting there are champion duck callers and champion duck killers...Im both." To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-19-2008, 11:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
Alex T. Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: under the lids of a laydown blind Certified Youth Fishing Instructor Posts: 3,419 Thanks: 0 Thanked 62 Times in 35 Posts	If I remember the article correctly,it was altering the habitat or something like that. Can't remember which state the article was about. Alex __________________ Listening to an e-caller daily to help pass the time until they come back

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11-19-2008, 08:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
CDILL Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lincoln Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I am just starting to get into field hunting for geese and I tried this once last season. We had about 3-4" of snow on the ground, so all of the grain was covered up. When I was setting out my decoys, I just used my foot and kicked around a bunch of the snow close to each decoy and around the edge of the spread to make it look like the geese had been digging around for food. We also had cattle out in the field, so I tried to make it look similar to some of the other spots in the field that the cattle had been hanging out in. Seemed to work as I was able to traffic one flock off of their normal feeding spot and they came right into the decoys without working at all. Don't know if it helped that much, but I may have just been lucky. Something that I will definitely try again in the future though.

11-19-2008, 11:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
blinddukisland Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kearney, NE Posts: 52 Thanks: 2 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	I don't think I would actually do it but was just wondering about it. As for it being illegal in some states...do you think they consider it some kind of baiting?