# Tips on snow decoy spread



## tiki870 (Feb 27, 2006)

I'm new to the the snow goose hunting . I have 50 acers to hunt in delaware(corn & soybean). Are decoys inclued 100 rags, 24 windsocks, 24 carrylite shells, 12 green head oversized shells. We use lay down feild blinds. We also use a flag which will get the birds heading are way but they don't come in they just fly over to high to shoot. We have been out the last two weekends got 3 one weekend and 1 this past weekend. We see thousands of snows but can't get that many birds to decoy in. If anybody has any tips? I would like know what they are .


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## bowhuntr4ever (Oct 12, 2005)

is there anything shiny that the snows see


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

sounds to me like you need to do a bit more scouting


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## tiki870 (Feb 27, 2006)

It is a 3 hour drive, I live in virginia and hunt snows in delaware and do not have the ability to scout and have no other property to hunt yet. As for the decoys there is nothing that shines that the geese can see.


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## wisconsingoosehunter (Feb 13, 2006)

You could try a spread like this and see if they come in!!!

http://forum.averyoutdoors.com/showthread.php?t=15724


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## tiki870 (Feb 27, 2006)

I would love to have a spread like that . It would take alot of money. What if I added about 50 full bodies along with the decoys I already have? Would that make a bigger impact than adding more windsocks and rags and shells? In your opinon what do you think are the best decoys besides the full body ? thanks for the link.


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## wisconsingoosehunter (Feb 13, 2006)

In my opinion (and that is solely based on studying and reading), I would say that silosocks are the way to go. Get as many of them as you can. From what i've read, they have all the pros of other decoys without the cons (realism, motion, storage space, cost). They will be the next thing I will add to my spread. You probably need more quantity to bring bigger flocks in for a look. And put the more realistic decoys on the downwind side of your spread (where the geese will have the closest look as they land). You might also want to get a couple hundred more socks to get some cheap quantity.

Here's a link where you can get the sillosocks:
http://www.nodakoutdoors.net/index.asp? ... ategory=17


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## tiki870 (Feb 27, 2006)

I have 100 more rags on the way they will be here on tues . Do you think rags are are as effective as the silosock? Do you think it is more quanity or quality?


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## wisconsingoosehunter (Feb 13, 2006)

I think that your problem is quantity if they're staying that high. You need to get more quantity in order to get them lower. And just by looking at silosocks vs. rags, I think that the silos will be a better all around choice because they stay "inflated" even in low-wind situations where your rags are useless. For our spread (which we bought last summer), we got like 600 socks (400white and 200blue) and found a guy that was selling some 700 silouhettes for $50! We also got a few dozen shells to add some more realism. We had 5 guys pitch in so it didn't cost us that much. For next year, we will probably add 5-10 dozen silosocks. It all depends on your budget i guess. If you have $1,000 to spend (which is what 50 fb's would cost), I guess I would throw it all into silosocks. Just my $.02 though.


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## tiki870 (Feb 27, 2006)

The season is almost over in delaware only 2 weeks left so I will work on my decoy spread over the summer. Do have tips on how u should set up the decoys? I have found some web sites that say a v shape or a tear drop shape or even an x shape on windy days 25mph plus. Thanks for tips


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## wisconsingoosehunter (Feb 13, 2006)

If you were to draw a J, with the curve of the J facing into the wind, that's the style we're going to be using. There are so many different options out there, I think any one if them is as good as the other. But that's only going to affect "where" they land in your spread. It seems like your problem is more getting them to come in than anything else. And unless you can get permission to hunt other areas where the geese are actively landing, you are limited to increasing the size of your spread as your only option.


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## tiki870 (Feb 27, 2006)

thanks for all the tips I will try the j set up this saturday.


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## BandHunter (Dec 17, 2003)

I think rather then having a pattern in mind..When your doing your scouting watch what the geese are doing..Just a thought....
Bandhunter


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## JoshP223 (Feb 27, 2006)

what would be the best way to set up 2 dozen candadian shells, a couple of standing snow decoys, and 100 rags. I've got a pretty nice electronic call, and a little bit of land to hunt on right in the middle of the flyway in SD. Or if you know any tricks to make things less expensive. Because i'm on a tight budget


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## cranebuster (Nov 2, 2004)

I'd say that your decoys aren't the problem, short of spending 1000's on a huge spread (void of rags) your better off biting the bullet and hoping for sh*ty weather. I really don't care how good of a spread you have, if you have to hunt one field that the birds aren't regularly using in nice weather, they're not going to decoy with any regularity.


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## adam (Mar 17, 2005)

how far apart do you place your decoys?


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## Lance_M. (Feb 3, 2006)

I like to put my dekes 2 to 3 steps apart unless by water then I pile them together up close to the water and taper them back


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## joebobhunter4 (Jul 19, 2005)

well idk if it just works for us or not but we usually put 8-12 decoys in a little patch... and make a whole bunch of little circles of decoys with maybe 10 feet part... it spreads your flock way out makes it look bigger and there is space to set your blinds in and space for the snow geese to come land in... thats just what we do... in 5 days we got like 700 some birds i think like that....


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## tiki870 (Feb 27, 2006)

we put the decoys about 2 - 3 feet in a tear drop shape. the only birds that will come in to the decoys are singles.


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## benelligoosegetter (Feb 23, 2006)

I am hunting 5 miles north from Squaw Creek Refuge in Mound City, Mo.
I have 5 different corn fields to hunt. I have 6 dozen shell, 4 dozen windsocks 3 dozen waddlers and 150 homemade tyvek windsocks (like sillosocks). I am hunting where the geese are, I see anywhere from 5000 to 25,000 geese a day (it was saturday & sunday) and all they did was fly straight over top at 100 to 200 yards up. I cant figure out whats wrong. We're hunting in fields they have landed in, in the past couple weeks. We're using avery finishers and are completly covered up. we have a hell of a e caller. I just can't get them down. I have hunted them in the last few years with not even half as good stuff as i have now and i had killed more geese. Would adding fullbody mallard decoys and a mojo help as confidence decoys or even canadian decoys help????? I know i dont have the shear numbers but i got the location and decent equipment. Would appericiate any feedback. Thanks


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## Chris Schulz (Sep 7, 2004)

Benelli,
Read Hustad's article on the front of the home page. I think this will answer your question? In short, snow geese (in the spring) dont usually feed in the same feild everyday....They want to migrate!!!!


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

> Would adding fullbody mallard decoys and a mojo help as confidence decoys or even canadian decoys help?????


No


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

Heres what im going to tell you about what i know of snow goose hunting. Although you probabaly wont even care i responded or took the time to type this(haha :lol: ) here it is

With the amount of decoys that you have i think you need a little bit help. The snow goose flys in a huge flocks unlike the canada which flys in little flocks unless migrating.

Heres what i suggest:
Your decoys(what you already have)

Carry-Lite Economy Snow Goose Shells - Per 10 Dozen 
These decoys have an amazing price tag on them and are farley cheap 529 for 10 dozen.

If you are looking to just add a little bit of decoys i suggest adding about 2 dozen full bodies
Carry-Lite Deluxe Full-Body Field Snow & Blue Decoys - Per 3 
Those are not as cheap but very good looking here is the price 59.99 per 3. 
Also get come eletronic calls they will help you bring them in because geese dont usually not talk!


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## jerad (Feb 4, 2005)

heres my .02 cents, i believe it is the area you are hunting, i think that squaw creek recieves the most pressure in the country as far as snow geese go, by the time they made it to your spread which was 5 miles north they have already seen maybe 15 spreads or more, ive hunted around there for the last 4 years and it seems every year gets tougher, my suggestion would be to hunt somewhere else


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

^^from what he said i would suggest buying those 10 dozen decoys and the full bodies ^^!


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## benelligoosegetter (Feb 23, 2006)

I think all of you are right. From looking at all the speads around, mine dose'nt even compare. my 300 to there 1500 plus. Also in the past 4 years i have hunted snows the speads around have increased 10 times over. There is alot of hunting preassue. My hunting buddies gave up snow hunting years ago when all the guide services started taking all the fields around. Wehuntrd a field about 100yards off the refuge and killed 175 honkers in about 3 weeks, in january, now that field a guide has about 2000 snow goose decoys. As the years go by i have killed less geese every year. So yeah there is alot of pressure on them. Thanks for the input. keep it coming.
thanks


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