The season for Canada, snow and white-fronted geese in Missouri may wrap up Sunday, but hunters still will be able to go afield for a bit longer.
The state’s Light Goose Conservation Order will open Monday and continue through April 30.
Realistically speaking, most light geese will be gone from the area by late February.
The season is open specifically for snow and Ross’s geese only.
During the conservation order, the hunting regulations are relied somewhat.
There is no daily bag limit or possession limit during the season.
Hunters can use unplugged shotguns, but still must use non-toxic shot.
Those hunting in Missouri will need to purchase a conservation order permit, which costs $5 for residents or $47 for nonresidents. A small-game hunting license and waterfowl stamps are not required when hunting in the conservation order.
Electronic calls are legal during the conservation order, and for those trying to decoy snow geese, they can make a huge difference. Believe me, when a huge swarm of snows is flying nearby, they’re not going to pay attention to a single caller. The electronic calls played through a loudspeaker will sound like a big flock and be much more likely to get their attention.
Those decoying snow geese tend to put out large, and expensive, spreads of full-body and silhouette decoys, white rags and everything in between. It’s really a numbers game.
Scouting is key, giving hunters an idea of what fields the geese prefer to feed in.
The other tactic some hunters like to use is stalking flocks of geese as they feed, using tree lines, ditches and other cover to hide their approach.
The idea is to sneak close, jump up and fire away. This technique can result in a lot of geese taken, but it can be dangerous, so safety is paramount.
Another potential issue with the sneak method is there likely will be white-fronted geese around the edges of the snow goose flock, and they will not be legal. Every year, conservation agents write tickets to a few folks who weren’t careful and took the wrong species.
Hunters also should seek permission from landowners where they want to hunt snow geese. Just because most landowners despise the birds and don’t want them around doesn’t give someone an excuse to trespass.