# Decoys spread positioning



## duck-band (Feb 25, 2009)

I'm sure this has been brought up before but just wondering how you guys set up your decoys in the field and what you've had the most success with. Also do you face your decoys all into the wind or against the wind or do you just face them in totally all different directions.


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## Blue Plate (Jul 31, 2006)

I face my decoys all different directions.

What pattern depends on: time of year, wind, number of birds in the area, hunting pressure in the area, or other factors. I've never been a big "X" or "U" or "J" guy. I've never seen geese in a field feeding in a U pattern. Some decoy sets ups like a "U" help center up the birds I guess.


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## Buck25 (Mar 27, 2008)

Blue Plate said:


> I face my decoys all different directions.
> 
> What pattern depends on: time of year, wind, number of birds in the area, hunting pressure in the area, or other factors. I've never been a big "X" or "U" or "J" guy. I've never seen geese in a field feeding in a U pattern. Some decoy sets ups like a "U" help center up the birds I guess.


So you don't have a landing zone? You just let the geese set up and land where ever? or just not land at all..


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

If you want a good book it is called.....Blind Placement and Decoy Strategies.

It is put out by I think gooseview. It shows you all sorts of decoy placement for each time of year, to size of spreads, etc.

I use this as a loose guide line. But the best is to just replicate what you see them do in the field.

We us anything from a U, C, J, V, S, palm tree, Arrow head (a V but then a stem like a palm tree), a blob with a kill hole, etc.

We hunt in a high pressured area so we are constantly moving decoys. I think most of the time it is just a waste of time because one group may like your spread and the next might not. But it gives us things to do when the birds are not co-operating. I hope this helps.

But I highly recommend the book. I also think cabela's has it online.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Here is the link to cabela's...

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... ISO-8859-1


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## hunter121390 (Nov 7, 2006)

i usually set up my decoys in a C, V, J, or U pattern. the decoys i will have most of them face into the wind with some facing other directions.

thanks chuck, i might have to get that, or atleast rent it


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

Try to replicate what you see the geese doing in the field, if your hunting the X. If your running traffic I guess IMO you want to make your spread look realistic as possible, and also try to make it look bigger than it actually is by spreading your decoys out more. Seems to work for us. We've made a C, U J, ___ ____, blob etc. We had great success with the J shaped spread in the late season this year, and also if the geese don't want to work your spread alot of times its because of your blinds, try putting your blinds 20-30 yards away from the nearest decoy to the kill hole instead of trying to hide them within the spread. Just my opinion though


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

I just put em in a blob, couple spots packed in good like theres good feed and the rest with LOTS of space in between dekes.

I think most seriously overthink the whole thing. Doing a good job hiding the blinds will work far better than any particular "shape" of spread will.


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## hunter121390 (Nov 7, 2006)

barebackjack said:


> I think most seriously overthink the whole thing. Doing a good job hiding the blinds will work far better than any particular "shape" of spread will.


 agreed


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## Buck25 (Mar 27, 2008)

the purpose of a landing zone is to try to get the geese to land in an ideal spot for the shooters...if you just have a blob of decoys with some space in between yeah the geese will land in the spaces but i think your gonna have less of a chance of an ideal shot..

There's more then one way to kill a goose but i think i'd stick to a U J or V or something with a landing zone so i could try to finish birds at my feet :wink:


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## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

One thing I like to do is put a group of full actives one step ahead of the landing zone. These are the birds that just touched down and are asessing the others. As you get farther away from the LZ go heavier on the feeders. These have been there for awhile and are content and feel safe feeding. I maybe overthinking it a bit but I've spent days just watching birds land and react to each other. As far as the wind goes, if it's a strong steady wind, say from the north, birds most likely will enter your spread from the south into the wind. Most times they'll feed into the wind as newer birds pile in behind them and push the feeders ahead. I like to turn a few active heads towards the approaching birds and maybe place a few full alerts amoungst the group looking at the landing zone. Don't forget to place an active caller deke next to your blind.


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## Blue Plate (Jul 31, 2006)

Buck25 said:


> So you don't have a landing zone? You just let the geese set up and land where ever? or just not land at all..


I like to shoot my geese at 75 yards. :wink:

When you run between 150-300 decoys it's hard to have a set pattern. Sometimes we run groups of decoys as far away as 100 yards away on the up wind side of the pits. It really just depends on the spread. In the late season geese will spread out all over a field in groups of 15-20. We try an replicate that as much as possible.


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## Buck25 (Mar 27, 2008)

cut'em said:


> One thing I like to do is put a group of full actives one step ahead of the landing zone. These are the birds that just touched down and are asessing the others. As you get farther away from the LZ go heavier on the feeders. These have been there for awhile and are content and feel safe feeding. I maybe overthinking it a bit but I've spent days just watching birds land and react to each other. As far as the wind goes, if it's a strong steady wind, say from the north, birds most likely will enter your spread from the south into the wind. Most times they'll feed into the wind as newer birds pile in behind them and push the feeders ahead. I like to turn a few active heads towards the approaching birds and maybe place a few full alerts amoungst the group looking at the landing zone. Don't forget to place an active caller deke next to your blind.


this is def. an in depth thought on a decoy setup but i don't think its gonna hurt anything and whatever works for you works for you.

I like a U or a J personally with a strong wind i like to put the blinds a few feet in front of the landing zone to hopefully get really close shots.. also i think if you put the major bulk of your deeks in the back thats what the birds will focus on..but mainly you just NEED TO HIDE YOUR BLINDS.


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## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

I'm not picking on anyones style and multiple techniques work, IF and I say IF you have ample material to hide the blinds with. I agree when geese are coming in for the landing, they are looking at the flock or dekes. But when they commit, they like all the rest of us, look where their feet are going to be. That's the landing zone. If your blind is there or anywhere in the incoming path, then you'd better be invisible with camo. (Tough to do in all conditions).I don't like this approach as 99% of the shots are breast shots and you've peppered your meat. Place the blinds to the side with the sun to your back if possiable and lead your shot, head and neck. Eat what you kill. We've all had to throw a bird away because of a close up breast shot. Sit to the side make the birds look into the rising sun to see you on their approach. And you'll put more meat in the freezer due to better shot placement. Again I'm not knocking anybodies style I just hate to see guys taking straight incoming bird shots as most of us will aim for center of mass and destroy the bird. Straight on in coming shots are the toughest out there to lead and hit only the head.
just my two pennies


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## Buck25 (Mar 27, 2008)

Sometimes a bird is gonna get shot up no matter where you set your blinds. Making good clean shots and ethical kills seems more important to me.

Just my opinion


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## TheDrake (Apr 20, 2009)

I usually run a modified V pattern,put majority of the feeders out front and actives to the rear portion of the V,set up into he wind.Center of the V usually about 15-20 from the layout.


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## clauwers523 (Aug 8, 2009)

i like to use a J or V pattern or many small groups in the early season
just make sure it still looks natural


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## water_swater (Sep 19, 2006)

With decoys the more you think the more you mess up your decoy spread. Go find a field set your stuff up and go look at it from the road, does it look like geese or decoys? Once you figure out spacing it gets alot easier. The only opinion of of your spread that counts are the guys with wings and a beak.


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## wit (Feb 4, 2008)

I use so few most of the time i dont have to think of them looking like a shape or a pattern, just geese in a field. I am talking under 10 for sure just use the most realistic decoys you want to pay for.

Worry about your blind more, take the time you saved by setting less decoys to work on that blind and make it as invisible as you can. You dont need it in your decoys if it is good.

I am assuming you have scouted the birds as well so they should be coming your way.

My 2 cents

Wit


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