01/01/2012
Happy New year!!
2011 brought some changes in my life,both personally and professionally. In the middle of Feb,while in Ark, I was informed that my belonging were packed up and in the garage. Talk about stessful.
I was able to concentrate on the spring snows and with the help of our outstanding guides we had one of our best season ever. We averaged just over 50 snows per morning in Arkansas and South Dakota was in the 30s per day inspite of terrible hunting conditions.
In May Somehow I was able to land a job and a place to stay at the Mallard Club near Palisade MN.It is something that I have really enjoyed. Managing habitat and farming is hard work but extremely rewarding to me. I did have to basically give up my guiding in Western Mn,but I am very happy with my decision.I am going to be here next summer and fall and hopefully for many more years. I already have plans on what others crops we can add to the buffet of wild rice.
My sole New Years resolution is to post right here more often. I have not been posting as much as I feel I should.
As far as the 2012 spring snow goose season goes.....I am basically fully booked for both Arkansas and SD. I have a couple of days open in early April in SD and thats it.I have spent a lot of time trying to decide if I should go bigger...ie..more guides and spreads.....but I am going to stay with my original intent of having the best service possible. I feel that anything more than two spreads makes that goal hard to achieve.I may be foolish to not try and maximize income....but somethings are more important than money.
2012 full steam ahead!!!
07/27/2011
Big changes and exciting times this fall. Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to live and work at a place called the Mallard club. I jumped all over it and could not be happier that I did. Basically The Mallard Club is a 2,900 acre farm that specializes in Wild rice. They also offer duck and goose hunts and provide lodging in their spectacular lodge. Its the kind of place I have always dreamed of having.......but working and living there will have to do for now.
The last two years I have been doing some habitat work and food plots and really fell in love with it. The Mallard club is like that just on a huge scale.
All of the hunts I offer this fall will be at the Mallard club. They will actually be for the mallard club and I will just be basically a booking agent. I will be here everyday helping out with decoys,scouting (easy) and the fall harvest.
As far as spring snow goose hunting....nothing has changed. We will still be proving excellent hunts all of Feb. in Arkansas and most of March and early April in SD.
We are now booking for Minnesota Early goose,Minnesota duck hunting and our spring snow goose hunts.
From the last reports I have read the duck population is incredible and a modern day record. The snow goose hatch sounds like it will be average to above average.
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04/09/2011
South Dakota 2011 was definetely a season to remember....or forget ...depending on the day. We we hammered with snow, rain, cold temps, and covered in mud.... depending on the day. Access to many areas was impossible due to a huge number of washed out/flooded roads. In spite of all these obstacles we were still able to get on the geese and had our best South Dakota spring goose season ever. We averaged just over 39 geese per day per spread. Our low day was 6 and out high day for one spread was 140. Interestingly enough we killed the low and high days out of the same field just two days apart....with the low day happening on Friday and the high(140) on Monday.
All in all it was a good season and all of the guides and myself are looking forward to next spring. Thanks to everyone that came out and hunted snow geese with us in South Dakota and we hope to see you all in 2012!!!
03/07/2011
Hopefully my e-mail issues have been worked out.
Our Arkansas snow goose season turned out fantastic. We did have to move a couple of hours south for one week, but we were able to stay on birds the whole month. We did have to cancel a couple of hunts due to snowstorms. In the end we had 20 hunts and killed 1,001 snow and blue geese for a daily average of 50 geese per spread. Our high morning was 150 geese and our low was 10 geese. I will start booking for the 2012 Arkansas spring snow goose season after I return from SD in early April. As is our policy returning hunters will get first dibs on the spots.
I also have a few spots open for a South Dakota hunt. 2 spots for the 18th-20th of march and an open field for the 21st-24th of March. Things are shaping up to be another excellent spring season in South Dakota!!
