# Question about splitting the decoy spread?



## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

What do you think about taking 500 snow goose decoys and dividing them into two groups of hunters, 2 to 3 hunters in each group? Do you think that would be more productive than hunting five guys in 500 decoys?

What if the two groups were in the same field separated by say 300 yards and not downwinding each other?

Any ideas or responses will be welcome.


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## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

Perry you know the answer better than I, but here it goes.

Yes, split the decoys into two separate groups. Then place the five hunters inbetween each spread and as far away from the decoys as you can get.

Then pass shoot the birds as the flare from either spread.

*Hey you just created a funnel. *

Should work for about one season. Then ....


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

What time of the year is this taking place, spring or fall? If it was in the fall I would just leave the spread, why ##### up your duck shoot when they come right on top of you in the snow dekes. But as for spring you can try it but that pass shooting of the decoy spread only works whe it is really windy and crappy out. On a nice day you wouldnt have a chance.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Perry, I'm a HUGE advocate of spreading out the decoys. A relaxed feed will allow birds to move about and feed away from the flock where food is more abundant. When a feed is unharassed for hours, you'll find birds feeding along the road. When they feel stressed they stick to the bunch and hold towards the middle, despite lower amounts of food.

The only problem with spreading the decoys is having enough hunters to cover the whole spread. I grew up hunting with 8 guys spread in singles all over a large spread. With no communication, one hunter would pull up and shoot..and 7 others would follow up with poor, flaring shots. The result was fewer harvests and too many cripples.

I like to have at least a group of 3, and when the shot is called, all three barrels go up at once. I think next year I'm going to split up the groups more and use all-way radios to communicate among the pit bosses. So there's no surprises and everyone can take quality shots.

Plus if you're hunting with rookies...nobody really wants them with guns pointing at them at all times from behind. That's one of the first things I take into account in the field. I was almost shot 2 springs ago.


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## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

Oh boy, some more food for thought. Thanks guys for responding. I am talking mostly about fall hunting.

I like the big funnel idea when you spread 500 decoys into two groups of 250 and place them 300 yards apart. We often spread our deeks into two parts with about 50 to 60 yards in between them. Singles and small groups like to fly up the funnel between the two groups.

The 300 yard separation might just get those flaring flocks to try to sneak up the middle of the big funnel. We just might get some shooting if we are in low profile blinds or camouflage really well out there in the open between the two big bunches of decoys.

BUT, I have to agree with Goosebuster3. I think we would sacrifice our duck shooting. It is a tradeoff. ---- The whole darned world is about tradeoffs.

Chris. You bring up another point. Shooters do need to be coordinated. However, how far can we go in using walkie-talkies? I do not have a problem talking back and forth about what just happened. But, I would think the game wardens might not look kindly on me getting on the walkie-talkie- and telling my buddies 300 yards away that a single is coming in from behind them. I think that would be illegal.


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## Qwack (May 25, 2002)

Walkie talkies are illegal for waterfowl (and all other?) hunting in MN. Not sure about ND.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Sorry for my ignorance...I wasn't aware it was illegal for waterfowl.


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