Behind the Badge

The Illusive Snipe

District Game Warden Greg Hastings

Have you ever been on a snipe hunt? Some refer to a snipe hunt as a prank, or a practical joke, but snipe hunting can be an enjoyable pastime.

The 2022 North Dakota snipe season runs September 10 through December 4, with a daily bag limit of eight. 

Some hunters refer to snipe hunting as a cross between waterfowl and upland bird hunting.

Snipes like to be in the shallow edges of wetlands, using their bills to dig in the mud for food.

Now if you’re thinking of trying snipe hunting, I strongly encourage you to do some homework.

I’ve checked multiple waterfowl hunters in the field excited to inform me they shot a snipe.

Unfortunately, in my over 10 years of being a game warden, I have yet to check a snipe.

These hunters who thought they harvested a snipe, actually took yellowlegs or dowitchers.

Yellowlegs and dowitchers, both protected species, are other types of shorebirds that are commonly mistaken for snipe.

So, if you’re unsure of your target be sure not to shoot.

Snipe can be identified by their long straight bills, three long buffy streaks down their backs and a striped head.