While snow goose hunting is often thought of more as a Midwestern pursuit, the East, and New York in particular, can see huge flocks of light geese in February and March. (Shutterstock photo)
February 19, 2025
By Rick Bach
Biologists estimate that the current snow goose population in North America is somewhere between 10 million and 20 million birds—more than twice as many as the estimated 7 million Canada geese on the continent. Every spring, thousands of these birds fly through New York’s airspace as they migrate from their wintering grounds in Delaware and Maryland back to their Arctic tundra breeding grounds where they’ll spend the summer. As they fly overhead, they provide an incredible opportunity for hunters to have amazing days in the field.
SHIFTING MIGRATIONS Joe Austin, owner of D.O.A. Outfitters (doaoutfitters.com ), started hunting snow geese when he was 24 years old. Now 70, he has accumulated almost 50 years of experience. Austin says he’ll typically start seeing big flocks of snows move through New York in early March.
“I think by March 20 last year, they were already across the border and up into Canada,” he says. “But I remember back in 2012, I was south of Auburn, N.Y., and it was 70 degrees, and every day we killed a pile of them. Then, in the spring of 2023, when in hit 70 degrees they were out of here. So that ideal temperature seems to change from year to year.”
Snow goose season is open from Oct. 1 through April 15 for almost all of New York. The exceptions are the Lake Champlain Region, where the season has a two-week closure from Jan. 1 to 15, and on Long Island, where the season runs from Nov. 25 through March 10.
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Empire State hunters are permitted to take up to 25 snow geese per day, with no possession limit. (Shutterstock photo) Austin says that the size of the flocks of snow geese that move through the region can make for some truly memorable hunts.
“They migrate in fairly good numbers. Sometimes they’ll hit a field and there will be 10,000 of them out there,” he says. “Hunters can keep as many as 25 snow geese in a single day in New York under current regulations.”
However, Austin stresses that the migrating birds are getting smarter and warier with each passing season.
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“It depends on what they’ve seen,” he says. “If they’ve seen a lot of full-body decoys, they’re not going to come to them. If they’ve seen a lot of socks , they’ll go to the full-bodies. They’re pretty smart.”
He believes that snows are more intelligent adversaries than Canada geese. “You can set up anywhere with Canadas. If they see your decoys, you have a good chance of calling them in,” Austin says. “With snow geese you have to set up where they were the day before, or you won’t have a shot. They know it was a safe field the day before and no one shot at them, so they’ll be coming back again.”
While there was a time when he would employ as many as 1,500 decoys for a hunt, nowadays he has limited his number of dekes to between 100 and 200 shells. He will almost always hunt a field where he has seen geese feeding. Although snow geese will move to keep feeding on seeds and grasses, he says that having access to open, fresh water is critical, too.
“If they can’t get fresh water, they’re gone,” he says. “They’re gone if it freezes over, too. They just have to have fresh water.” He’s even seen flocks of birds intentionally keep water open by returning to it again and again.
As long as they aren’t harassed, snows will return to the same field until the food runs out. Find the feeding grounds and you can expect at least one banner shoot. (Shutterstock photo) Although Austin has used electronic calls positioned in his decoy spreads in the past, he says he now prefers a Canada goose call or even a specklebelly call to bring them in. On a day with some fog or light rain, a Canada goose call can be tremendously effective for snow geese.
SET UP RIGHT Above all else, it’s crucial to be in position and set up in time to see the birds move into the field.
“It’s not a lazy man’s sport. You have to be out there at zero dark thirty,” Austin says. “Also, never hunt the roost. If you spook them, those birds will not return. Last year, a couple times we only set up 100 decoys, and we killed more birds. The snow geese have gotten so smart that they can almost count the number of decoys you have out.”
Weather patterns can play a role in how and when these birds move, as well. “Fog, very light snow or a misty rain is always good,” says Austin. “If it’s a heavy snow or heavy rain, they’re not going to be flying too much. They might not even leave the roost in the morning. Heavy cloud cover can even be a deterrent that causes birds to avoid a decoy spread. Light precipitation, however, seems to get these birds to move in.”
On a typical late-winter day in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, snow geese arrive at a field mid-morning, then leave the field between 11 o’clock and noon to go to a water source, often a lake. Then, between 3 and 4 p.m., they return to the field. Austin says that temperature can affect when the birds move, too.
Since Eastern Flyway snow goose flocks tend to be smaller than those that migrate through the Midwest, giant spreads aren’t necessary; 100 to 200 dekes do the trick. (Shutterstock photo) “If it’s super cold, they’re not going to fly at daybreak, but if it’s up around 35 or 40 degrees, they’re more apt to move to the field,” he says. The geese know that in extremely cold temperatures they’ll be unable to get the sustenance they’re looking for in frozen mud, but when temperatures warm up enough, it’s worth the effort. With tens of thousands of birds flocking to local fields, snow goose season in the Northeast , and New York in particular, offers waterfowlers a great opportunity to extend their season. Those in the know can welcome spring with a bang.
THE PROPER PRESCRIPTION Snow-goose-specific gear to elevate your hunt Photos courtesy of Stoeger, Winchester and Federal Premium A 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun with a magazine extension will give you the most versatility for a productive snow goose hunt, allowing you to take full advantage when large flocks of birds come into range (confirm that magazine extensions are legal in your hunt area before using).
Companies like Stoeger make specialty guns designed specifically for snows. The M3500 Snow Goose comes with a magazine extension, a distressed white Cerakote finish and an oversized bolt handle and bolt-release button for easier operation when wearing thick gloves. Some companies even make specialty snow goose choke tubes. For instance, Carlson’s offers the Benelli Crio Plus Cremator Ported Snow Goose Choke Tube, which will give you a denser pattern on birds just inside of range.
Both 3- and 3 1/2-inch shells are popular choices among snow goose diehards, though the former will produce less recoil, which can help on days when the shooting is fast and furious. Many snow goose hunters opt for a 3-inch shell with 1 1/4 ounces of steel, bismuth or tungsten shot for versatility and range. Federal Premium Black Cloud Snow Goose and Winchester Xpert Snow Goose are two specialty snow goose loads to consider.
FINGER LAKES LODGE Where to stay when the snows fly Sure, you could stay in a Holiday Inn if you travel to New York to hunt snow geese, but why not make the lodging part of the experience? The Fowler’s Roost (frontenacfowlers.com) in Union Springs, on the northeast corner of Cayuga Lake, is one such option. It has big flat-screen televisions, pool tables, card tables, two bars, charging ports for your bass boat in the oversized driveway and the walls are covered with mounts to inspire your experience. The lodge sleeps up to 10 with both private rooms and bunks. Frontenac Fowlers Guide Service, which operates the lodge, offers guided hunts for ducks, Canada geese, snow geese, turkeys, deer and coyotes.
This article was featured in the February 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
