# Mixing



## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

Well lets see how long this post can go! For the last couple year our spread has consisted of 1200 decoys deadlies and snows. Here is the kick we have been running an exclusivley white spread. The only reason we have been is so when we go to Canada we have the spread we want for hunting snows with an ecaller up in Canada. The spread we have has been working very well we have had no problems killing our share birds just wondering if it can get better mainly in the spring. We have killed geese in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Canada.

So what do you guys think? Do we need blues? What do you guys think? What are you guys doing for a blue ratio?


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## bluebird (Feb 28, 2008)

60/40 Snows. But I have hunted snows in Eastern CO and those flocks don't have a lot of blues in them. We do about 80/20 Snows When hunting in CO which doesnt happen a lot. Just try to copy the flocks in the area, in NE it almost seems those flocks are 50/50 so we use as many blues as we got.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

We run 50/50 now, for several years were running over half blues. In most of ND, I think it helps. There just seems to be more blues every year.


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## brobones (Mar 10, 2004)

Were I have seen a difference in using dark decoys in the spread is not on snows, but canada geese and specks. In the spring when I have dark decoys in the spread with the e-caller the specks and canadas decoy into the spread much better than the fall with a all white spread. It might be that in the spring they are less wary and decoy more readily. If I was you I would add some blues and juvies for your spread to make it more realistic for the areas that you went were you are allowed to use such decoys.
my 2 cents worth.


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

I run about 40% blues, and if we have another spring like this last one I had to hunt in the snow a few times and white decoys don't really pop over snow cover. I'd add some blues if I were you


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## J.F. L Ecuyer (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi !

In Canada, you can use a e-call for snow geese only.

By law, it is not allowed to mix other species of geese (blue or canadian) in the set-up when you use a e-call.

I use a e-call for snow geese (greater) set-up only.

LEcuyer


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

J.F. L Ecuyer said:


> Hi !
> 
> In Canada, you can use a e-call for snow geese only.
> 
> ...


except for Manitoba you can use snow and blues with an ecaller.

We use about 60 40 sometimes more, I'd like to think it makes a difference, heck we shoot 80 percent blues or even more in the fall, so I'm guessing having more blues in the dekes would look more realistic. But heck they are snows so no one prolly knows.


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

Goosebuster you shoot that many blues cause your a good shot and pick blues out of the flock! Not because of the color of the decoys!


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Ah shucks Mike, no we shoot that many blues because we only shoot juvies and it seems like all the juvies lately have been the slate grays!

The only birds that don't leave the spread are the white-breasted blues.


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

Atleast we have that in common! The white breasted ones never leave our spread either. Especially the big breasted ones!! :beer:


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## brobones (Mar 10, 2004)

J.F. L Ecuyer said:


> Hi !
> 
> In Canada, you can use a e-call for snow geese only.
> 
> ...


In Manitoba and Alberta you can use blues and juvies in your spread with a e-caller in the fall and spring(MB. has a spring season,Alt. doesn't have a spring season). You can use blues and juvies in your spread only in the spring in Saskatchewan and not in the fall. You are not allowed to use any other decoy in your spread other than snow goose decoys (blue phase, juveniles and white phase) with the e-caller. I am not sure how it reads for Quebec?
This is how I understand the law for these 3 provinces.


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## Honker Hunter 1 (Jun 24, 2007)

Last fall in ND we saw 85 -90 % Blues in the central part of the state and a number of flocks of 100 + birds only 1 or 2 whites.


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

Well I hunt in the central fly way and I dont see near as many blues in the flocks as I do white! Look at a tornado going down to the ground or a bunch sitting on the ground the majority is white. So all though you may have seen a few flocks that are all blue I think the 85% is a little high!


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Mike, no joke when we hunted last fall we would have flocks of 50 plus fly over all blues. We went out one day and didn't have a single non-blue decoy. That's around DL though so still technically Mississippi.










All blues... I just went through the gallery and we have like 4 hunts from last year with bonus S&B's and they were all blues.



















Last fall, all but 6 were blues.

O and some white breasters.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

goosebusters said:


> That's around DL though so still technically Mississippi.


Detroit Lakes? Are you talking Mississippi Flyway?


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

DL = Devils Lake

The S&Bs that go through MB are MS flyway.

The ones going through SK are Central flyway.

So ND has 2 flways of birds going over it.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I was under the impression that the Mississippi Flyway/Central Flyway was parted by the MN/ND border. Which I suppose may not be the case for snow geese.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

I dont think the geese have a set line. The Devils Lake area, and probably alot of other parts of the state probably see birds from both "flyways". Its not like the birds hit the "line" and say "oh wait a minute guys, we're central flyway birds, we cant cross this line".


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## brobones (Mar 10, 2004)

barebackjack said:


> I dont think the geese have a set line. The Devils Lake area, and probably alot of other parts of the state probably see birds from both "flyways". Its not like the birds hit the "line" and say "oh wait a minute guys, we're central flyway birds, we cant cross this line".


I agree, weather plays a big role in were the birds migrate. Snow storms and snow line dictate migration paths and they vary from year to year or week to week for that matter.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I was just saying that MN is in the Mississippi flyway, per the Fed guidelines and ND is in the Central flyway per Fed guidelines. ie Devils Lake = Central flyway.


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

PJ said:


> I was just saying that MN is in the Mississippi flyway, per the Fed guidelines and ND is in the Central flyway per Fed guidelines. ie Devils Lake = Central flyway.


Yes, but when you think about it there are two distinct flyways of snows and both of them travel through ND. I've always thought that 281 was kind of the cutoff, but like it was said earlier its not like its always clear cut that a duck or goose East of wherever is going to go here. Even the Mississippi for ducks goes into ND, we are just kind of a bicurious flyway state.


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

> we are just kind of a bicurious


That just does not sound right, We all know your bi-curious Mertz but you dont have to include the whole state, You drunk again? :beer:


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

No crap! I dont get it Mertz fondles one steaming pile of moose balls and the decides to lick giant ross goose warts. And for some odd reason he becomes Bi-courious. I guess I never would have seen that coming.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

How's this look??


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

Looks like a flock of geese to me! Nice pimp ride too!


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

> How's this look??


Looks like it would have been a hell of alot of work to setup on both sides of the water, but also looks very nice, Nice work! :beer:


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## bluebird (Feb 28, 2008)

I like it :beer:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Thanks guys... we've had our lucky days. You gotta think like a goose... :lol:


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