# fall snows



## dogdigger (Jan 26, 2004)

i am jsut wondering if snows would even decoy into 3 dozen canada decoys.

mark


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## Goosepride (Sep 29, 2003)

I would highly doubt you would get any big numbers but there's always a chance a few singles may take enough of a peek (if they are desperate) to get a shot. But I wouldn't hold my breath from all the experiences I've had.

But you never know -


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## dogdigger (Jan 26, 2004)

yeah thats what i figured, owell i guess i will stick to slamming canadas 

thanks

mark


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## honker3 (Sep 22, 2004)

My experience has been that it may depend on the populations of dark geese in that area. In areas of larger amts of dark geese I have has good luck bringing in snows--even some medium sized flocks. The area I was hunting does not hold alot of snows so maybe that was also a factor.


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## dogdigger (Jan 26, 2004)

ok now my question is can u put 4 dozen northwinds out with your canada decoys and decoy snows and canada geese?


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Sure add a few dozen white windsocks and you should pull a few birds. If you have a few old white sweatsocks you might wany to pull a few over the heads on your Canada decoys to make them look like blues and mix them with the windsocks. I personally buy the "economy" windsocks, repaint the heads with a flat white paint, paint the beaks with pink craft paint and stencil some wing/feather detail. I also buy the "economy" canada decoys repaint the heads white (or you could use the sock again) stencil some white on the body to resemble blue geese which seem to be becoming more predominant.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

yeah it seemed like this spring that the flocks were almost 50/50.


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## mngooser (Mar 27, 2003)

What size spread to most people use for Fall snows?


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## Decoyer (Mar 2, 2002)

500 minimum in the fall. Juvies eat up the big white blobs.


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## PASS SHOOTEM (Sep 29, 2004)

It takes a long time to set up, but if you have 8 to 10 people we do have a possible 1200 spread. (Shells, papers, windsocks, flyers) Also new to my spread this year, balloons. I know it sounds weird but white balloons give a great movement on the ground. I plan to have tent stakes and have the balloons tied with about 3-4 feet of line. I'm sure a few will pop, but if you find a great deal on 100 balloons I figured why not thats cheap??? You just pop them when your done. $5 for 100 balloons is worth a mess of geese!

Any feedback on this would be great!


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## dogdigger (Jan 26, 2004)

HOLY CRAP!!! 500 !!! maybe thats y my 3 dozen wont bring them in


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## goose0613 (Oct 24, 2003)

:rollin: 1200 'coys!!! wow that would take a long time to set out. I guess there are 600 or so home made silos in my trailer. However I have only set them all out twice. Last fall, our best snow goose shoot was over our 3 doz big foot canadas and a couple doz home made snow silos mixed in. I think the key is where you are set up, not the amount of 'coys. Do your homework before you set out in the A.M. and it will pay off. I think scouting for a couple hours in the evening is a lot less work than setting up 1200 at 3:00 A.M. Don't you think so?


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## goose0613 (Oct 24, 2003)

:lol: -- what if you put helium in the balloons and painted wings on them?


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

In the spring we put out at least 400 everytime and sometimes as many as 1500. Windsocks don't take long to set up.

If you can consistently kill snows in the fall with honker decoys and a few silos you have my admiration but I am skeptical.


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## kody (Jun 27, 2003)

These are just my personal experience with setting up 2 species in 1 spread. I am sure there are many other right ways to do this. This is what I found to work the best. Typically, Dark geese will not sit with light geese. In Canada you might find it more common to have the EPP dark geese to sit with light geese. I have had a lot of experience in this and have found if you are going to put out both species in a decoy spread seperate them. I will put about 200 yards to 300 yards between spreads. I usually put by dark geese up front and with the snow geese 200 to 300 yards up wind of the dark goose spread. What I have found is that the dark geese will not commit as easily if the light geese decoys are to close to there spread. You will get a few to commit but not consistantly. My other thought is the light geese are so educated and it is very difficult to get them with their landing gears down. Usually you have one good chance at the birds.(first pass and they know they are decoys) By sitting down wind in your dark geese you have a chance as they are setting up to land in the light goose decoys.


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## PASS SHOOTEM (Sep 29, 2004)

Like I said it takes a while, but I do beilive it has been worth it. When we sit in a spread of 300 - 500 which is probably more often due to the time I want to wake up... We do fine with good scouting. We'll have a few come down and end up shooting 10 to 25 birds or so. However at least once or twice a year we will set our spread and we pull larger flocks down. And it seems like we have had a lot more "tornados" where all you can see and hear is snow geese. 
I did think about helium and buying one of those portable containers.
?
Cant Wait!


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## Drew Willemsen (Sep 29, 2003)

That takes a heck of a lot of callin to sound like 1200 geese when you sitting in your blind


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## brobones (Mar 10, 2004)

It sure does that is why you have the volume button on the e-caller..


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## mngooser (Mar 27, 2003)

Yeah, I wish we could use an ecaller in the states in the Fall.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

mngooser said:


> Yeah, I wish we could use an ecaller in the states in the Fall.


Oh, you can use one alright but it will cost you!

:lol:


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

Nah, the game wardens don't really care if you use them. I'd use it if I were you, but before you do, tell me when and where so I can look for the next gov. seizure auction! :rollin:


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## brobones (Mar 10, 2004)

As long as you have all white spread here in Sask you can run one.. Yahoo baby it does make a huge difference that is for sure   . I would give that e-caller up to shoot ross in the spring though. Now that is a very dumb law here in the spring..


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## mngooser (Mar 27, 2003)

How does a guy not shoot Ross's? That is like only taking the gander Canada geese (no hens). How can you tell the difference in the air?


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## brobones (Mar 10, 2004)

The only way to not shoot a ross goose is to shoot only blues, that is what makes that law so stupid. They need to change that for sure


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## mngooser (Mar 27, 2003)

That kinda blows.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

that is very stupid. isn't the ross goose population very high as well?


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

Had two snows come into the honker decoys this weekend.I consider it being lucky because it dosnt happen that often.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

brobones said:


> As long as you have all white spread here in Sask you can run one.. Yahoo baby it does make a huge difference that is for sure   . I would give that e-caller up to shoot ross in the spring though. Now that is a very dumb law here in the spring..


brobones,

Is that you on Flocknockers too?

Stay safe!


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

dean i saw some snows on monday last week over on my side of the border. couldn't get any of them to come in though.


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## BRYAN_REMER (Sep 24, 2003)

I shot a blue in MN last week and we saw a dozen or so feeding in the field yesterday. But for some reason they didn't come our way this morning. The little geese were thicker than ever this morning though and they were up buzzing the decoys 15 min. before shooting time. We took one little guy that is going on the wall because he looked so good.


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## brobones (Mar 10, 2004)

Zettler it is me there too.


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

I had the two come in while I was working on the robo while on my knees.The total I seen was maybe 10.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

working _*what *_while on your knees???? Sorry Dean, I couldn't resist!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

:rollin:


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## PASS SHOOTEM (Sep 29, 2004)

oke: :toofunny: Thats funny!!!


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

I guess I could have told how that happened differently  .Ya gotta watch how you say things around this bunch :beer: .


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## duckslayer (Oct 30, 2003)

:sniper:


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

duckslayer said:


> Packing the snow dekes and heading north this weekend. Took a long scouting trip last nite and found 3 feeds that were stacked pretty good. They are definetely starting to come across the border. Lots of lesser canadas in the mix but a pile of SOB's too. 8)


That is great to hear!

I am headed up on Friday for the Minot/Granville/Kenmare area for a week of pure joy!

PM me ASAP if anyone has a spare spot for a future Resident hunter from Illinois on Friday or Saturday in the Grand Forks/Fargo area, as I like to hit the fields as soon as I get there - just ask Chris.

:beer:


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