Snow Goose Hunt Information Package Licensing Waterfowl Haven Outfitters (#3045) does not provide, nor is responsible, for licensing of any type. It is extremely important to check licensing guidelines through Colorado Parks & Wildlife for your specific type of hunt to make certain you are in compliance BEFORE arriving to meet your guide for your hunt. CPW regularly checks hunters for proper licensing and it is the full responsibility of each hunter to make sure they are 100% compliant. Each hunter is different and requires different licensing and stamps for each type of hunt. That is why it is the full responsibility of the hunter & not your guide or outfitter to acquire proper licensing. Colorado Small Game License (seasonal or by the day) Colorado Habitat Stamp (seasonal) Colorado Waterfowl Stamp (seasonal) Colorado HIP Number (seasonal) Federal Migratory Bird Stamp (seasonal) Hunter s Safety Card What to Expect (Article by Hunt The North attached to this document is Required Reading) Hunting snow geese is very dependent on weather conditions and migration. There is a possibility to see several thousand if not hundreds of thousands of birds migrating overhead. There is also a possibility to see few to no birds. Our goal is to produce a successful hunt every single day and we work hard to get our hunters shots. You will be hunting wild birds that are much more migratory than the local ducks & geese along the Front Range. There are NO GUARANTEES when hunting snow geese. Last season we had several good hunting days back to back, followed by slow days until new geese arrived on the migration path. There may be 100,000 snow geese roosting in the area one day and overnight those birds all migrate out of the area. Snow goose hunts can change drastically from one day to the next. 40-50 bird days are not out of the question, but they are by no means the norm. An average hunt is anywhere from 10-25 birds for the entire group. Each morning, the hunters will meet their guide(s) at the prearranged meeting location and proceed to the hunt location. Once at the hunting location, the guide will line out all the hunters with a spot to shoot from in the blind. Decoys and calls will be used to bring migrating snows into shooting range. The shot is ALWAYS called by the guide. The locations we have leased to hunt for snow geese will vary from water to fields. All hunters, anywhere from 6-12 (No private groups on snow goose hunts unless you have Bought the Blind ) and guides will be hunting on the best location deemed for the conditions on a daily basis. The blinds will be built to comfortably hold up large groups. Our blinds are made to conceal all movement and only allow a very limited space for viewing. This is to ensure that our hunters are hidden from the wary eyes of snow geese. Even though the blinds will
conceal our hunters for the most part, it is still important to bring camouflage clothing, stay quiet, and stay still while birds are working the decoys. You will be hunting a migration corridor where snow geese naturally fly through each season. We will set a massive spread of decoys, somewhere around 1500. Anything from sock-type motion decoys to flying decoys on strings. This massive spread is set up to attract high flying migrating birds as they travel through the area on their way north to the summer nesting grounds. Wounded birds should be dispatched by the guide or by a specifically designated hunter. If dogs are present and outside of the blind on a retrieve, NO ONE shoots without permission of the guide. It goes without saying that everyone s safety is top priority. Any behavior deemed unsafe by the guide is justification for ending a hunter s outing without refund. The most important thing to us is your safety. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Am I required to purchase my own licensing for the hunt? Yes. Every hunters requirements are different and therefore the full responsibility of the hunter. Is lodging and food provided by the outfitter? No. Lodging and food is not provided and is the responsibility of each hunter. We can recommend many places to contact in the area that have discounted rates. Those recommendations are attached to this document. Do I give my final payment to the guide before the hunt? No. Our guides our responsible for providing the best hunting experience possible. They are NOT responsible for any of the final payments for guiding fees. All final payments are due 48 hours before the hunt takes place through the Waterfowl Haven office. The only money that the guides handle is gratuity from their hunters. Am I required to bring my own shotgun and ammunition? Yes. All hunters must provide their own shotgun and corresponding ammunition in accordance with state and federal law. What type of shells should I buy and how many? 3 or 3.5 inch shells with shot ranging from size 2 to BB. FPS ranging from 1200 to 1600. Brand is a personal choice of each hunter. Many of the reputable brands will work great. As far as a count, a box a day should be more than enough for the average wing shooter. What type of choke should I use to shoot snow geese? Modified, Improved Modified, or Full. The most important factor is choosing a choke that can handle the ammunition that has/will be purchased for the hunt. Wind is a big factor in deciding how tight of choke to use as well.
Am I required to bring decoys or calls? No. The guides handle all decoy setting and calling on each hunt. How many hunters will be joining me/my group? Anywhere from 6 to 12 hunters will be in the blind. One or two guides will be there as well. Can I bring my own dog? Permission from Waterfowl Haven Outfitters office must be given before any hunter can bring their own dog. Well trained is relative to each hunter and in our experience it is usually much easier to have hunters leave their dogs at home. Any dog brought without permission will not hunt. Is blaze orange required? Is camo required? Orange is not required and even discouraged. Camo is highly encouraged. The most important part is how the clothing you bring functions. Hunters wearing clothing with orange showing are generally asked to remove the clothing with the bright color or shiny surface. Better to bring camo, or an earth tone or dark colored piece of clothing. Again, the most important thing to consider is the function of the garment. Pack clothes to properly layer. Check the weather forecast ahead of your hunt to ensure you have proper clothing. Are waders or waterproof boots required? Last season only 20 of around 2000 hunters were required to bring waders. If waders are needed, the guide or office will inform you well before the hunt. It is generally advised to bring a minimum of water resistant boots and highly encouraged to bring waterproof footwear. Many of the hunting situations may have you in mud or very shallow standing water on and off during a hunt. You won t be floating in the water in waders, but it is smart to have high quality footwear that will keep your feet dry. Will I be hunting out of layout/ground blinds? For both comfort and safety issues we try to stay away from layout blinds on all hunts. We never used them on a single hunt last season. Most of the blinds are standard box blinds that have been brushed in for concealment. There is a possibility of hunting a pit blind as well. What personal items should I bring to the blind? You will be sharing the blind with other people so minimizing the amount of baggage will make it more enjoyable for everyone. Blind bags or backpacks containing shells, headlamps, choke tubes, gun oil, medication, cameras, etc., can be brought to the blind/pit by each person. Many hunters will bring their own camo/black/brown colored folding chair for their personal comfort. Lunch coolers with water, sandwiches, fruit, etc. should be taken to the blind. Large plastic coolers are discouraged, unless packing full for a larger group. Will the guide(s) clean my birds? No. The guides will not be responsible for cleaning any game taken by the clients. It s is each hunters individual responsibility to harvest the meat and to bring tools and packaging to do so. It is against the law to leave taken game behind to rot because you do not want to clean it.
Guides can provide a general outline of how to clean a bird, but it is highly encouraged each hunter has this knowledge beforehand. A local processor is also another option, but it is the responsibility of the hunter to research this possibility before the hunt. When should I expect to hear from the guide? We ask our guides to contact their hunters a day in advance to introduce themselves and to ensure you know where and when you are meeting. Do not contact the guide before 6:00pm MST the day before the hunt. They are either guiding or scouting. If you haven t heard from them by 6:00pm MST, go ahead and give them a call. The office will provide their contact information via email. When should I expect to hear from the office? You will receive an email from the office with contact information and meeting information a day or so before the hunt. If you are looking for an email from the office, please allow until 3:00pm MST the day before your hunt before calling the office. Chances are we haven t forgotten you, but are trying to coordinate meeting time and location with your assigned guide. This will change from day to day based on scouting and bird movements and the office cannot relay this information to hunters a week ahead of time. Again, please allow until 3:00pm MST the day before the hunt to call the office if you haven t seen the meeting time & location email. DO NOT PANIC the day before your hunt if you are still waiting on the email from the office. We will call you if the meeting time & location email will be delivered later than normal. Where can I find information on the latest hunts and experiences at Waterfowl Haven? Our Facebook and Instagram pages are full of up to date information and photos on recent hunts. Looking for a scouting report on the upcoming migration or current hunting conditions, this is the place to find that information. Our website is also a great place to look for additional information. Recommended Lodging in SE Colorado Sending quite a few hunters down to the Lamar, CO area each year has allowed us to work with a few local businesses. Kevin Brown (719) 691-5642, Private ranch house lodging with meals for 4-5 People (15 mins from hunt) Rodeway Inn Cow Palace (719) 336-7753, 2017 Rate of $68 + Tax per Night (30 mins from hunt) LAMAR Cobblestone Inn (719) 336-7454, $100 + Tax per Night (15 mins from hunt) EADS As the main contact for the hunt I have taken time to review all pages of this information packet and provide this information to others in my party. I/We understand it is the responsibility of each hunter to acquire all proper licensing. I/We have reviewed the required reading and have established realistic expectations for the hunt based on the information provided. I/We have read through the FAQs provided. I/We have read through the recommended, but not required, lodging options. I/We agree to return a signed & dated copy of this page to waterfowlhavenoutfitters@gmail.com before the hunt.
Name: Signature: Date:
Required Reading for Each Hunter
Here is what can and should be expected on a typical day s snow goose hunt: Your guide should meet you on time at a pre-set meeting point. You should have an upbeat guide with a positive attitude. Your guide will carry a gun to help shoot cripples. You may request to take a mid-day break. You will hunt with a group from 6 to 12 hunters unless you have purchased all the seats in the blind for the day. What is expected of each hunter on the hunt: Payment should be made in advance, not upon arrival. Have your license pre-purchased and all personal equipment ready upon arrival. Drinking alcohol before/during the hunt is prohibited. Shooting other species of waterfowl is unacceptable. Complaining the snow geese will not decoy close enough is unacceptable. Shooting without the guide calling the shot is unacceptable. Having expectations of shooting 100 birds per day is unacceptable. Expecting the guide to dispose of your harvested birds in unacceptable. Being courteous to your fellow hunters & guide is expected. Having a positive attitude and enjoying the overall experience is expected. Tipping your guide for a job well done on factors within their control is expected.