[Dep6]

The only meat we have given away has been to the farmer whose land we mostly hunt on, he asked us for some because he is usually in the middle of prepping land when we get up there or finishing the harvest so we give them some birds but the rest of them come back across the border with us.

 

[jaysweet3]

I got in with a group of guys that have been hunting on their own in Saskatchewan, for 25 years. This will be my tenth trip in September. For the longest time, we have had little to no competition. A handful of years, we were the only waterfowlers in this particular area. One of the reasons we did so well, is our group does it right. No access without securing permission. We bring small gifts to our land owners. We gift birds and have some sausage made, that we give all of it away to our land owners while we're there. Everything we shoot is eaten, by us or our landowners. We had farmers that would call us to shoot snow geese off of their wind rowed crops.

Last two years we've had competition... Outfitters are screwing it up. Locking up and burning out good areas. There's an area that has several decent sized lakes, quarter to section sized lakes all within a couple miles. Some years, there would be geese as far as you could see. It was like this for years. Two outfitter camped in that area, changed the migration. Those lakes don't get used nearly as much as the did.

 

[Jarvis]

Outfitters for the most part are a blight on the landscape! Greed is the motivating factor with the majority of them. I find it interesting how they speak of "my fields and my area" as if they own it. Most of them tie up "private" land that is not theirs. Most land owners I know hate them. Hunting ducks and geese is not rocket science and you do not need to pay some ridiculous fee to have someone take you hunting.

 

[goldfish]

For the fall, you also don't need ridiculous spreads to pull birds in canada. You can limit out with 3 dozen duck decoys

 

[Dep6]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Agreed!!

 

[Theduckguru]

BGipson

Unless you have lots of time to scout and dont want to hunt mornings and afternoons guides are the only way to go.. They do all the leg work and spend their time and money on fuel etc to get you on the birds..

Scouting eats up hunting time and eats into your wallet for gas in very expensive in Canada...

If you shoot limits every day you have to either gift them or clean them and you can only have 3x the legal limit in possession...

Getting permission is somewhat easy but not quite as easy as you might think and yet again you have to haul decoys blinds etc..

All of this takes time and money so if a hunter only has a few days guides are the only way to go..

Also freelance is HARD work and requires guys to pick up tear down etc etc

So freelancing although rewarding is not the easiest or the cheapest way to go

I'm a snow goose hunter so hard work setting and pulling spreads is not an issue to me. I put 12k miles on my truck between October and March for ducks and geese here in the states. Sounds like you're more the weekend warrior type so I get how the task could be daunting. I live for waterfowl hunting so it's worth it to keep land open to the average guy by not supporting guides that lock land up. I'm not about shooting limits, I'm about the time spent with friends. Having lived in states with inaccessible private land and states where farmers were friendly and not greedy, I much prefer the latter.

Most of us up here are pushing pretty hard for Americans to be forced to use guides when bird hunting north of the border. Us in Alberta and Saskatchewan anyways. You will see the end of freelancing sooner than later.

A lot of us down here are pushing hard to require guides fot Canadians when they venture down here in winter. Not just to hunt or fish either.

 

[recker]

I got in with a group of guys that have been hunting on their own in Saskatchewan, for 25 years. This will be my tenth trip in September. For the longest time, we have had little to no competition. A handful of years, we were the only waterfowlers in this particular area. One of the reasons we did so well, is our group does it right. No access without securing permission. We bring small gifts to our land owners. We gift birds and have some sausage made, that we give all of it away to our land owners while we're there. Everything we shoot is eaten, by us or our landowners. We had farmers that would call us to shoot snow geese off of their wind rowed crops.

Last two years we've had competition... Outfitters are screwing it up. Locking up and burning out good areas. There's an area that has several decent sized lakes, quarter to section sized lakes all within a couple miles. Some years, there would be geese as far as you could see. It was like this for years. Two outfitter camped in that area, changed the migration. Those lakes don't get used nearly as much as the did.

It happened in north dakota and is now happening in canada. Its weird they cant lease a field yet they lock them up. Must be under the table payments. Farmers arent giving unlimted access for nothing.

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[recker]

Ya by locals up here its definitely looked down upon even when a non residents guide gives away their days harvest. The general consensus up here is if you aren't going to eat what you shoot you probably shouldn't be shooting. Not saying its the right opinion, but it is the general opinion. Theres a major push going on right now to make all of our mule deer, elk and moose off limits to any non resident as well.

In a lot of ways I don't want to see Americans pushed out, as Ive shot and guided a lot of great guys and gals. BUT, at the same time Ive also had a group of southern boys (just last year) pushing up birds on my own fields to try and push them into a field they had permission on after trying to kick me off my own field where I was planning on shooting on the next morning lol

Just some examples of why some guys up here are pushing for it.

Ive watched the hired to hunt videos and they are shooting 250 birds some days. You really think they dont give birds to locals?? No american is flying on a plane with 100 birds. So is that not bush league as you say that they give them away?

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[recker]

Ya by locals up here its definitely looked down upon even when a non residents guide gives away their days harvest. The general consensus up here is if you aren't going to eat what you shoot you probably shouldn't be shooting. Not saying its the right opinion, but it is the general opinion. Theres a major push going on right now to make all of our mule deer, elk and moose off limits to any non resident as well.

In a lot of ways I don't want to see Americans pushed out, as Ive shot and guided a lot of great guys and gals. BUT, at the same time Ive also had a group of southern boys (just last year) pushing up birds on my own fields to try and push them into a field they had permission on after trying to kick me off my own field where I was planning on shooting on the next morning lol

Just some examples of why some guys up here are pushing for it.

As i said why are guides shooting 300 birds a day when they wont be eaten? They give them away period. I would never hunt with a guide cause i dont enjoy 7 guys blasting at the same time. I dont hunt canada so dont worry im not going to rein in on your land.

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[rem870hntr]

The internet is full of great opinions and ideas and reading these comments is pretty funny stuff.... If you think they shoot 300 birds a day you are sadly mistaken those videos are shot over days edited and produced to entice SUCKERS to but their products.. I guarantee you its not happening the way you see it on the shows..

Funny stuff though please keep posting

 

[recker]

The internet is full of great opinions and ideas and reading these comments is pretty funny stuff.... If you think they shoot 300 birds a day you are sadly mistaken those videos are shot over days edited and produced to entice SUCKERS to but their products.. I guarantee you its not happening the way you see it on the shows..

Funny stuff though please keep posting

A lodge with three or four different groups can shoot 300 snows in a day. That's a fact.

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