Outfitter Review On Top Gun Guide Service
HuntTheNorth.com Outfitter Review On
Top Gun Guide Service
Chasing Rochester’s Canada Geese With Top Gun Guide Service
by Dan Wennerlind
As we pulled into the Kwikie Mart located off of 55th Street in Rochester, Minnesota at 6:30 am (Top Gun’s official meeting place) on this the last weekend of the 2006 Canada goose season in late December, my co-partner for the day Jonathon Sampson and I eagerly met with head guide and outfitter Matt Kostka of Top Gun Guide Service and his “Posse” of goose hunting guides. This would be my first opportunity to try-out, first hand the services of Top Gun Guide Service, one of HuntTheNorth.com’s newest waterfowl hunting outfitters- and the last chance of the year to bag one of Minnesota’s Giant honkers……
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Huntig Early Season Geese….
For the month of February we will be reviewing the services of Top Gun Guide Service. Based out of Rochester, Minnesota- Top Gun Guide Service offers Premier Fall Canada Goose Hunts in Rochester, Minnesota and Guided Spring Snow Goose Hunts in northwest Missouri and South Dakota. Outfitter Matt Kostka strives to put their clients on game day in and day out. For the 2007 fall waterfowl Season they will also be offering fully guided waterfowl hunts in Missouri as well.
About The Outfitter
TOP GUN GUIDE SERVICE is based out of Rochester MN; in addition, Matt recently expanded into six states. Owner Matt Kostka is dedicated to being a guide service that can offer every kind of waterfowl hunting experience that you desire. In addition, the Top Gun guides are the most experienced guides in the country, most of the guides grew up in the area hunting the fields and calling and hunting ducks and geese. Successful waterfowl hunting requires hard work, hours of scouting and determination – these are the qualities that Top Gun strives for.
Hunting Accommodations
Holiday Inn South- Rochester
Altough not included in your daily rate, the Holiday Inn South is now offering a Special Goose Hunter Discount! Mention the “Goose Hunter Special” and receive 30% off of your room for a total of $59.00 a night!
The Holiday Inn South is located approximently 15 minutes from the field and they offer very clean, affordable rooms. Each room comes standard with a microwave and fridge, and your Hunting Dogs are welcome. They also have a Full Service Sports Bar and a Fine Dining Resteraunt as well. After the hunt be sure to relax in their Hot Tub and Sauna.
Driving Directions:
The Holiday Inn South is located at the intersection of 16th St. and Hwy. 63. Take the 16th St. exit off Highway 52.
Holiday Inn south- Rochester
1630 South Braodway, Rochester, MN
Contact us at 507.288.1844
www.hisouthrochester.com
Custom Hunts Available
Guided Fall Waterfowl Hunts
Top Gun states that their Rochester Canada goose hunts consist of 20 prime Canada goose hunting fields. Their fields completely surround Rochester to offer consistent goose hunting day in and day out. Most of our fields have 7 two-man pits that are individually wired with buzzers. During the coldest months, all of their pits are heated for your comfort. Top Gun field pits boast a unique pit-lid system which allows you to be totally concealed but have full visibility of decoying geese in your face.
A typical Top Gun Rochester goose hunt begins an hour before shooting time at a designated location. Hunters follow the guides to one of our select fields, where they proceed to set up anywhere from 150-200 full body Canada goose decoys.
Calling experience is not required, as they generally have a minimum of 2+ excellent goose callers on each guided hunt. Hunters are required to bring their own guns/shells and a strong desire to shoot their limit of geese!
Guided Fall Missouri Duck Hunts
Come and enjoy hunting big greenheads, pintails and every other duck in the central flyway in flooded standing corn along the refuge lines of Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in NW Missouri. Here our hunters have the opportunity to hunt ducks in Missouri out of steel sink pits, where it is flooded to the ears of flooded standing corn, during the peak of the migration. The 30 acre flooded duck lake is a stones throw from the levy of the refuge itself. There is refuge on both sides of the lake giving it an ideal location for decoying birds when they are not actually leaving the refuge. The property was used for market hunting before the refuge was established in the mid 1900’s. The land was never sold to the refuge so the actual refuge had to make its boundary around it leaving the lake basically right smack dab in the middle of the refuge itself!
There is four steel pits total that can hold three hunters and one guide. This refuge is the next staging area for thousands of ducks and geese migrating through North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. It can stage anywhere from 200,000 mallards alone not including all of the other puddlers. You also have an opportunity to shoot Snows, Specks, and Canadas depending on what time of the fall you book your duck hunt. They have several dry fields also we can hunt if needed with field decoys and layout blinds. They can accommodate up to 9 hunters daily with lodging and meals close by.
Guided Spring Snow Goose Hunts
Top Gun Guide Service starts their spring snow goose hunting in NW Missouri on February 15th each year. They stay in Missouri and hunt snow geese until approximately March 10th, depending on the weather and the snow goose migration. Then they travel with the snow geese, moving into central Nebraska, arriving in South Dakota / North Dakota around March 15th. They finish the snow goose hunting season around April 15th, ending in North Dakota.
Each snow goose hunt consists of hunting behind 2,000 snow goose decoys, electronic callers, and a maximum of 6 hunters per field. Hunters will benefit from dedicated snow goose hunting guides who scout fields daily and are willing to relocate in an effort to stay on top of feeding and migrating snows.
During the spring snow goose hunting season, most states have very liberal bag limits and no plug laws. The average daily harvest ranges anywhere from 20-40 birds, with the exceptional days exceeding 100+ birds. On a 3 day hunt we ask that hunters bring a case of shells (12 gauge 3” BB or BBB). They hunt out of Final Approach layout blinds. They are comfortable and keep you dry. Warm, waterproof clothing helps when you hunt sunrise to sunset. Bird cleaning and lodging are also available.
Hunting Rates
Rochester Canada Goose Hunting Rates & Packages
- Regular Season Hunt $75.00
- Regular Season Weekday ( Monday-Thurs) $50.00
- Late Season Hunt $100.00
- Youth 16 & under half price
Missouri Duck Hunting Packages
- 1/2 Day Duck Hunts- $150
- Non-resident license $11 / day
Spring Snow Goose Hunting Packages
- 1/2 Day Snow Goose Hunt- $125
- Full Day Snow Goose Hunt- $200
- 3 Day Snow Goose Hunt- $500
- Gratuity not included
Additional Policies
Fall Canada Goose Hunting Information
- Due to the high success in 2005 and 2006 no bluebird policy has been needed.
- Gratuity not included.
Spring Snow Goose Hunting License Information
- Missouri Non-resident License $6 Firearms safety required if born on/after 1-1-1967
- South Dakota Non-resident License $45
- South Dakota Youth under 16 $25 plus hunter safety
- 50% non-refundable deposit required per hunter.
Top Gun Guide Service Outfitter Rating
| Catagories | Comments | Ranking 1-5 best |
|---|---|---|
| Outfitter Knowledge/Personality | Matt Kostka and his crew were exceptional callers and were expert goose hunters. Matt was able to show us a good time even though the hunting conditions were tough | 5 |
| Quality Of Equipment Used | The equipment used and quality of the pits that we hunted out of were excellent. We hunted over 350 full body decoys and the pits were very comfortable and easy to hunt out of | 5 |
| Opportunity To Take Game | During our hunt we saw over 500 geese and were in the direct flyway of the majority of those birds. Although conditions were tough and we only had two flocks of birds come into gun range, every attempt was made to give us the best opportunity to harvest our limit of birds | 4 |
| Ability To Tailor Trip To Customer’s Needs | We all met at one set location and were taken to the field. All of the guides were friendly and knowledgeable. The pits were very easy to hunt out of and there was plenty of room for each hunter and our dogs were welcome as well | 5 |
| Quality Of Lodging & Meals | Although meals and lodging are not included in your daily rate, Matt and the guys were able to recommend several restaurant options with in close proximity of the field. The are also able to make recommendations for area motels | 3 |
| Pricing Of Hunt & Additional Costs Of Trip | With standard daily fall rates at $75.00 / gun and weekday specials as low as $50 / gun this is a hunt that can’t be beat | 5 |
| Overall Quality Of The Trip | Matt and his crew worked together as a team to put together a quality hunt with exceptional calling, an incredible spread of decoys and an overall enjoyable experience. Hunting late season birds is always tough but these guys gave their all to put us under the birds | 5 |
| Overall Top Gun Guide Service Scored 32 Out Of 35 Giving Them An “A” Rating. We Would Not Hesitate To Refer Them For Their Excellent Guided Waterfowl Hunts! | 32/35 |
For More Information
Please contact Top Gun Guide Service
Owner: Matt Kostka
Phone: 507-696.0208
Email info@topgunguideservice.com
Website: www.topgunguideservice.com