My first Snow Goose Hunt (by Shane Rossen 2007)
Snow Goose hunting is an electrifying experience, with thunderous volumes of squeaking geese and windsock decoys and the tell tale white snow goose call to go in hand.
This in combination with good company such as Owners Mark Evans, Mike Letter and Founder Nate Johnson of North Sound Water Fowl? you are in for a real treat!
It was October 24 of the 2007 WA state water fowl season when I received an e-mail from Mr. Mark Evans.
Mark who is also a full time minister at "Youth Dynamics" in Washington was contacting me to mention how much he liked what we where doing at the Ministry of Callers for Christ? an instructional Duck and Goose calling organization that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (www.callersforchrist.com)
He then proceeded to invite me on a snow goose hunt in western Washington.
When I arrived at the blind at 5:45 am and after introductions where made I broke the news to him that this was my first ever Snow Goose hunt!
Then immediately I heard a cheerful reply Awe a Rookie? followed with some cheerful chuckles! They made me feel right at home after setting up our spread, in the blind constructed out of hog fencing brushed out with blind material and vegetation.
We hunted over a combination of full body, wind sock and flyer snow goose decoys it was a sight to behold a huge congregation of white!
The first thing we seen in the morning were some distant flocks of ducks. They were moving northward in a sky that was slowly illuminating on a brisk October morning in western Washington
Shortly after that the keen eye of Mark Evans spotted our first arrivals in the distance.
The four of us began to play a rendition of Snow Goose Mania? on our Buck Gardner and Big River snow goose calls and the action was on!
I am no expert at estimating numbers in the sky but lets put it this way in the first flock or should I say flocks there were white sqeakers and squawkers all around us and over the top of us when we jumped up to shoot?.
More than one person had there eye on the bird I was drawing a bead on. Because just as I was about to put the ka blammmo on this Snow goose it gets smoked! I moved to the next obvious bird in my line of site and the same thing happens that bird folds!
So the birds are now are pulling out of range so I picked one and dumped three shells and nothing.
I thought to my self common Shane gets your act together brush of the rust!
I was quickly reassured by these snow goose vets that there was plenty a more a comin!
Man where they right about that and old Shane?r shook off the rust from the first group and I got my Whack on? From there on out! Ha! Ha!
We where having a ball shooting these Snows which where all juvenile birds that we shot and we where even blessed to have a group of five lesser Canadians work right in.
Out of the five lessers we dumped four. In addition to that we also had a lone Speckle Belly pitch in on the east side of the spread while Mark was working his dog Gunner? a beautiful male chocolate Labrador on some downed Snows. Mark hunkered down in the deeks and fired three shots missing and then Nate stands up and makes an awesome shot of about 60 yards and pummels it!
What a hunt I will never forget my first Snow Goose hunt in western Washington with the birds giving us the tell tale sign by only going so far from the refuge and turning back the hunt came to a close.
With a group total of 15 Snows 4 Lesser Canadians and 1 Speckle Belly I was grinning from ear to ear!
Mark, Mike and Nate have all began there love of water fowling at an early age.
By the quality I experienced hunting with the “North Sound Water Fowl? crew here in western Washington you can definitely tell these boys have a passion for the sport!
Callers for Christ Founder Shane Rossen
Nate Johnson Founder of N.S.F Shane Rossen C.F.C founder and
Co-Owner Mike Letter
Mark Evans Co-owner showing off there awesome Duck pitts at
North Sound Water Fowl!
