This can be a tough one to answer with 100% accuracy, lots of variables in play on spring snow geese.
Timing is critical for good hunting, problem is the migration is impossible to predict. Last year was a late migration and a lot of the birds moved farther west then they normally do, this year is shaping up to possibly be a super early migration and we may see birds in Feb if these conditions hold. I hear birds are stacked up in Missouri right now and those guys are worried about them starting north soon.
Outfitters are also a big variable for several reasons. Many “fly by night” operators have popped up who are only interested in making a buck!!
Do your research, don’t hire the cheapest cause most of the time that is what you will get. I have seen several outfitters who guide for a year or two, build a bad reputation and fold only to show back up the next year under a new company name. They get their guides and buddies to post some big kill pics and write a good review and sucker some more people.
If I were looking for a guide find someone who is super flexible on where they will hunt, many of the good ones chase the migration trying to stay in the birds. You will also have to be flexible in your dates and travel plans as they can change from week to week.
Find a guide who is consistently scouting for new fields to move decoys into so you are hunting on the X more consistently. Many guides will lease a handful of fields in an area, put up a spread of decoys and run hunters thru the same blinds day after day. This works in peak mitigation and bad weather, but I’ve seen many times where guys don’t fire a shot.
This close to the start of the season most good guides are booked up already, as they usually have a long list of returning clients.
I won’t recommend a guide or company, but only that u do a ton of research before u book.
If you can’t be as flexible on dates you might want to look at hunting birds on the wintering grounds.
