Northern Skies Outfitters

Northern Skies Outfitters guides hunters through one of North America's most incredible natural events—the spring waterfowl migration. When flocks of snow geese stretch for miles across the sky and cover entire fields, you need guides who know how to position you in the middle of it.

Three concrete advantages separate Northern Skies from other outfitters:

• •Staff Advantage: They employ twice as many guides as competitors. That means fields get scouted daily, e-callers stay positioned optimally, and tactics adjust in real-time as conditions change. No waiting out slow days.

• •Equipment: Top-of-the-line across the board. Decoy spreads mix Sillosocks, full-bodied Avian X/SX decoys, and Deadly Decoys in counts of 450-2,500 birds depending on conditions. Custom e-caller systems (described as the best on the market). Layout blinds maintained to exacting standards. ATVs for field transport.

• •Hunting Strategy: Unlike competitors who run either massive permanent spreads OR small spreads chasing the "X field" daily, Northern Skies deploys both. They position six semi-permanent 1500-2500 decoy spreads in migration funnels they've identified over years of operation, then keep six smaller 450-1200 spreads ready in trailers for flexibility. Scouts maintain connections with Fish & Game, local farmers, and biologists to stay ahead of the migration.

Your day starts before legal shooting hours when your guide picks you up at your hotel. Brief safety briefing, then out to pre-set fields with decoys and blinds already positioned and brushed. You hunt from 1200-2500 decoy spreads. As legal shooting hours open, e-callers activate. Your guide calls the shots, adjusts decoys for wind changes, and repositions blinds as necessary.

Midday break around lunch—guides get 4 hours to eat and rest (necessary given the grueling hours of spring season and moving massive amounts of decoys overnight). You can stay in the field or take a break. Hunt resumes after lunch until ½ hour after sunset.

"I've never had snow geese in the decoys on such a consistent basis... Mat knows how to decoy birds." — Dave Walsh, Blaine, MN, 30-year waterfowl veteran

Their Saskatchewan lodge overlooks a major waterfowl sanctuary holding over 1,000,000 birds at peak times. They have access to nearly 40,000 square miles of hunting territory. Fall combo hunts run two hunts daily—morning and afternoon with choice of species. Spring focuses on snow geese.

Canada Fall (Duck & Goose) - 3-day: $3,400 - 4-day: $4,500 - 5-day: $5,600 - 6-day: $6,700

Prices per person. Minimum two hunters. Groups of 11+ get private lodge and fields.

50% non-refundable deposit required within 2 weeks of booking. All payments non-refundable (weather cancellations by outfitter = reschedule or refund). Visa, MasterCard, personal checks, cashier's checks accepted.

• •Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult
• •Zero alcohol in the field
• •Groups under 6 combined with other small parties
• •Bring a camera—these hunts generate stories for years
• •Hotel, food, licenses, guns, ammo, bird cleaning NOT included for US hunts (but assistance finding accommodations available)
• •Prepare for all weather

Hunters consistently report seeing birds in the decoys at ranges they've never experienced. One party shot 27 geese in a day while locals nearby had three. Another hunter—30-year waterfowl veteran—said he'd never had snow geese commit to decoys so consistently. When weather hurt conditions, the outfitter guided clients for free the next day to guarantee a quality hunt.

• •Contact: Mat Schauer
• •Phone: 952-212-4828
• •Email: [email protected]
• •License: E2020