A lot of snow goose hunting is standing around thinking through the problem. By the time we hunt snow geese in South Dakota these geese have flown up from Texas and the Gulf Coast and they're looking to get north to the tundra breeding grounds. The only thing holding them back is weather and fatigue.
In Arkansas, we are primarily running large permanent spreads in proven traffic areas. We have been hunting the same fields for over a decade, and success continues to come year after year. In South Dakota we generally run traffic as well, but will occasionally move to set up on a feed. When feed hunting we wait for the birds to clear out, and get set up with a smaller decoy spread.
Many levers can be adjusted while Snow Goose hunting. Imagine the guide's mind as a control room, taking in information such as weather, wind, what kind of birds are around (Adults, Juvies, Mix), etc, and then using that to deploy the most effective setup of decoys, sound, and motion. Aside from the spread, the hide is often the most important piece of the equation. If the geese can see you, they are not going to come in. Attention to detail is also important and includes picking up shells/garbage, covering your face, keeping the decoys straight, etc.
