# Geese Landing 200 yards away?



## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

I am new to field hunting for Geese. Last year I shot a few, but still don't really know what I'm doing. Yesterday I went out and scouted a disced corn field that held good numbers of Canada geese. I came back today sat up and waited. I had several groups come right at me, but would flare and then land 100-200 yards away and stare at me. What does this mean? Does it mean my spread looked kind of good, but not good enough? I was using a lay out blind and there wasn't much cover since the field had been worked. I usually like to dig a hole and get the blind as low as possible. Today the ground was to frozen. Also what is the best goose call on the market for a beginner? Any advice would be appreciated.


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## Decoyer (Mar 2, 2002)

The biggest thing I see new goose hunters doing is putting decoys too close together. Even though they may look piled up on top of each other from the road, they probably have a lot of space inbetween them. Take your decoys and spread them out.

Also concentrate on concealment. A disked field is hard to hide in, so pay extra attention to your blinds. If you have a field blind, try digging it down a little bit and make sure it is mudded and stuffed to match the field. It is very easy to over stuff your blind in a disked field.

If you are calling, try backing off where the geese are flairing at. Geese this time of year can be hard. This is what separates the men from the boys in the world of goose calling. There are a lot of good callers that can call at geese and sound very realistic, but they have heard that before. You need to learn how to read the geese and understand their body language. Then call accordingly.

If this all sounds overwhelming, it is. This stuff takes a long time to get down. Our group has been hunting hard together for a number of years, and we are still constantly changing our tactics and sounds we make. It may sound like a science, but it is more of an art with no right answers. Bottom line is just experiement to find out what works for you and stick with it. These are just some guidelines that we have learned over the years.


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## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

> There are a lot of good callers that can call at geese and sound very realistic, but they have heard that before. You need to learn how to read the geese and understand their body language. Then call accordingly


As Emeril would say....BAM......
If you are by yourself in a worked field space the decoys out and put your self in (what you think is the right spot) and build it up a little more there. Concealment....


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## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

I did have my decoys to close together, but I was by myself and I am worried about having my decoys to spread out and having geese land out of rang. Is there are certain pattern that works better and where should I place my blind? Away from where I think the geese will land, or right where I think they will land.


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## mike cerny (Mar 9, 2005)

what kind of decoys ya using and how many?


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## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

Make sure to create a landing zone in your spread. Start out with your basic "C" pattern with the opening pointed into the wind. Dont try to make it look perfect you just need dekes on either side to guide them in to you and a group right behind you stop them and hopefully landing on your feet. There are endless decoy spreads you can use but this should work as a starting point
Good luck


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## ADN (Sep 27, 2005)

If you are worried about the decoys being too spread out then cut down on the number you are using. Two dozen well-placed decoys can be the ticket at times. The day after Thanksgiving I used just 12 silos. I also used a pick axe to get my blind sunk into a chisel plowed field. The birds worked amazingly well.

Birds will land short if they see something they don't quite like. This could be the spread, concealment, or calling. Even a lack of proper motin at times.

I would personally use a smaller spread and simple, realistic calling. Make sure you have a flag or some other type of motion. With a smaller spread, no matter what side of the spread they land on they will still be within 15-20 yards. If it works right they will be landing right on you.

Also, check decoys for glare or shine, decoys are meant to imitate birds in the field so study how they look.


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## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

I was using 36 G&H Shells, 6 Bigfoots, 4 Bigfoot floaters, 16 mallard decoys, and 4 snow goose shells just in case I saw some snows.


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## snowsforlife (Mar 27, 2005)

If they were local geese not migrators the snow goose shells might have pushed them away. We always place our blinds towards the downwind edge of the deeks.. that way you are right in range.. if they are wanting to land behind you they will fly right over..


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## Draker16 (Nov 23, 2004)

when geese land away from your spread one thing you have to do for sure is scare them out of their as quickly as possible because they will suck every other goose coming to your field into them.


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## WTFNMJKHAHA (Nov 30, 2005)

ditch the snows.

1. they are shells.
2. they are snows. 
and 
3. there is 4 of em.


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## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

Draker16 said:


> when geese land away from your spread one thing you have to do for sure is scare them out of their as quickly as possible because they will suck every other goose coming to your field into them.


 that's a very important piece of advice draker 16, somthing I always hate to do. but it's a must


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## Storm (Dec 8, 2004)

I hope that I get a chance to hunt the field again. It has been -4 at night and we have several inches of snow on the ground. Not much left for birds. This year is shaping up to be a good one for the guys down south.


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## Takem7 (Jan 17, 2005)

Ive heard that if you put a decoy bag out were they are landing they will see the bag and flare away from it and land were your at


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