# Decoy setup.



## cbartm3 (Jan 11, 2013)

Long time hover first time post er. I feel like I have searched almost everything online about snow goose spreads. To date the cigar shape (long and narrow) seems to be the best option. 2 quick questions for the guys who use this style.

1) Do you leave a kill hole or just loosley packed decoys where you want them to finish?

2) Do you run a lane with no decoys for the geese to come up to where you want them to finish?

Hunted ducks and honks my whole life and am aware you want to be on the upwind side of deeks opposed to downwind side.

With the migration shifting to the east were getting more and more snows. With this being my first spring to decoy snows any help would be appreciated.were running a 1000 homemade socks and 350 silos.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

There is no "set" rule. I have ran tear drops, a big donut, a long line, a large blob with no landing hole, a large L, a U, you name it it has been done. Sometimes something works and other times it doesn't. Most people have a loosely set pattern that they use because they feel comfortable with. And that is a the key. Just start trying different things and find something your comforable with. I generally try to set the decoys how the birds have been sitting in the fields the day before.

The biggest thing I think is to don't be afraid to get up and move your blinds or your decoys if birds are not finishing. Sometimes even taking decoys down so you have a smaller spread works too.


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## NC Ducker (Feb 17, 2010)

1- I do both, but tend to lean more twarg lose decoys in the kill hole. 2- Snows do not need a runway. Unless the wind is 25mph plus, they work down vertically. In high winds you want to be on the down wind edge. Just remember to keep the bulk of your sound around the blinds.


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## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

to answer your questions....1) yes on the kill hole 2) yes, wish I could do a drawing on here to show ya what's worked very well for us for the last 6+years. I run traffic and never scout for the X even tho our field ends up being an X a couple times each spring.

Alex


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## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

The left side .....









The right side.....









The birds come up the open area in front of the decoys and then work over the mass where the blinds are looking at the hole right behind the blinds. I don't call the shot unless they are within 25yds. and most of the time they are much closer. They key on that hole and the sounds and don't even pay attention to the blinds. Hiding the blinds is a huge factor.

Alex


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## J.D. (Oct 14, 2002)

Nice pics Alex - looks pretty natural. :beer:


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## southLA (Aug 12, 2011)

So it's kind of an opened up "u". ?


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## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

> So it's kind of an opened up "u". ?


 Yep,kinda. I'd say more like a Nike Swoosh cause one of the "fingers" is alot longer than the other. Plus, I normally put a few decoys in little groups(a decoy here,a couple there,etc.) out in front of the main spread(no closer than 30yds to the main mass). The key(and the part the birds key on) is that hole right behind the blinds(and sometimes right in front of the blind but usually behind). The birds will literally hang there and look it over giving you shots that are either right out in front or straight up. I don't think they like to fly over the dekes as they come up the spread and when we've had the open area in front filled with decoys or the "fingers" to tight together, the birds will hardly work. The spread is probably 150yds. long on the one finger and it's probably 50-75yds. wide at the farthest downwind edge. The area where the decoys are is probably only 40yds.(if that) wide so someone in the spread can shoot the edges if needed. It takes a little tweeking of decoys and speaker placement each day to get the birds to work right with the wind but it works very well for us and we only shoot decoying birds that are 25yds. or closer(I prefer their feet on the blind doors). Over the last 6 years or so,we averaged 25-35 birds per day for the season. Sure we have some zero days but they are usually when I can't take sitting in the house and it's very early in the season or at the very end when the birds are 99.9% north of us. Those pics were taken after 3 of us hunted and shot 58. Good luck to everyone this spring.

Alex


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## southLA (Aug 12, 2011)

Awesome write up! Thanks.


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## cbartm3 (Jan 11, 2013)

Hey thanks a lot guys for your feedback, it helps. I am fully aware its trial and error however its nice to go into something with some kind of an idea of how to initially start up. I just need to not over think it, just keep it simple, and goosey.

Good luck to everyone this year.


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## GoSnow (Feb 20, 2011)

Goosegrinder,I'll be trying your setup in the next 2 weeks in Ark. I have a couple doz. flyers & 2 rotaries, where would you place these? Thanks for the info.


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## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

GoSnow,
I don't use any flags,fliers,rotaries,etc. However, a friend of mine does(rotary) and when I have hunted with him, he has it setup right out in front of the blinds. I would think that you would put fliers right by the blinds or just behind them and rotaries would go out in front like a duck spinner. I really so no need for any of that stuff but some guys swear by it. My philosophy on them is if the birds aren't attracted to the hundreds of white decoys then the flappin' thing ain't gonna help anymore. And what's the first thing guys take down if birds aren't working....the fliers,rotary,etc. You don't see guys leaving the fliers up and taking down 300 decoys to help finish birds. Just my take on it. I will say the one thing we do(and I see alot of guys don't) that I think helps alot is we are not out of our blinds very much. We don't even keep the doors open on them. I've seen guys out standing in their spread and then running to get in the blinds,flipping blind doors closed,etc. when they see/hear birds and it looks bad and very unnatural. I hunted with a guide(Shawn Bowen in Missouri,not sure if he guides anymore or not) years ago when I first really got the snow goose fever and his words(advice) have really stuck with me thruout the seasons. Basically, "go to sleep,the birds will wake you up." In other words(and the way I took it), don't move around and blend into the spread. Sure we get up to adjust decoys cause of wind,pick up dead birds,etc. But I bet in a 12hr. day of goosin' we are not out the blinds for more than 90minutes total,if that. As we see/hear birds, someone just says...."birds" and I flip the ecaller on. If you ever see a true feeding group of snows(not the huge masses that always have birds coming into it like most of us see) in a field, they are not making alot of noise or flying around alot....they are continually moving thru the field devouring everything in site. I keep it as basic/simple as possible like a true feeding group of snow geese that I witnessed a few years back and that I've seen a few times since.

Good luck,
Alex


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## Trapper Trav (Feb 3, 2013)

I am moving to ND this month, I have too many Snow/Spec decoy shells and no Canada's. I am looking to trade for some Canada Full Body, Shells, or Socks. Anyone interested? I will also sell 4 dozen ghg snow shells for $200.


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## TKM goose slayin (Feb 18, 2011)

Pm sent about the trade.


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## Firehunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Good info. Pm sent about decoy.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

goosegrinder said:


> > So it's kind of an opened up "u". ?
> 
> 
> Yep,kinda. I'd say more like a Nike Swoosh cause one of the "fingers" is alot longer than the other. Plus, I normally put a few decoys in little groups(a decoy here,a couple there,etc.) out in front of the main spread(no closer than 30yds to the main mass). The key(and the part the birds key on) is that hole right behind the blinds(and sometimes right in front of the blind but usually behind). The birds will literally hang there and look it over giving you shots that are either right out in front or straight up. I don't think they like to fly over the dekes as they come up the spread and when we've had the open area in front filled with decoys or the "fingers" to tight together, the birds will hardly work. The spread is probably 150yds. long on the one finger and it's probably 50-75yds. wide at the farthest downwind edge. The area where the decoys are is probably only 40yds.(if that) wide so someone in the spread can shoot the edges if needed. It takes a little tweeking of decoys and speaker placement each day to get the birds to work right with the wind but it works very well for us and we only shoot decoying birds that are 25yds. or closer(I prefer their feet on the blind doors). Over the last 6 years or so,we averaged 25-35 birds per day for the season. Sure we have some zero days but they are usually when I can't take sitting in the house and it's very early in the season or at the very end when the birds are 99.9% north of us. Those pics were taken after 3 of us hunted and shot 58. Good luck to everyone this spring.
> ...


Alex et al.

How many decoys in that picture and do you normally use??

Thanks!

PS. Do you always lay in layouts or do you wear whites and get dirty?

I ask because we go with whites here in Illinois....


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## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

I'm guessing we normally have 800-1000 decoys out, not really sure. I have always used layouts but we're trying whites more this year.

Alex


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