# New to spring snow goose hunting



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok guys, I am new to hunting springs snows being this is really my 3 season hunting them. I am already hooked. I can't get over the fact that they are one of the most difficult birds to hunt and the numbers. It just makes them entice me even more. I am addicted. I have about 4 dozen shells, 14 dozen fatal flashers ( I added back supports to them so they stay up with no wind and then added 24 alert heads), 2 dozen sillosock feeders. I have a friend who has about 10 dozen shells, and 5 dozen sillosocks. We have hunted together, and have had little luck. We had a great field this season and had geese fly over tons of them some try to commit and just flared off. I know that you don't want to hear about me asking like a lot of people do what should I do. Instead I am wondering if I can get some tips for a newcomer to hunting the spring snows. I have read through a bunch of great information on this site. I am just wondering on is there problems mixing shells and sillosocks, since shells are closer to the ground? What are some things to look for when scouting, I am not expecting you guys to give me all your secrets, but just some tips for the beginner. How does scouting for spring snows work, since they can be in one are the one day and a completely different area further north another? If you have any other links or information you can add to help out a beginner I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks guys


----------



## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

Couple things right off the bat that come to mind is, how was your hide? Were you using an E-Caller? Do you have any pictures of your spread?


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

I was not using an ecaller and I do not have any pics of my spread. As far as hiding that could be part of it maybe, my friends anger me when I hunt. They lay in there blinds and lay there with there faces out and the birds are pretty close. I am sure the birds see there faces. So that might be part of it. And our spread was in the shape of an egg. we had the front portion kind of normal packed with decoys then the sides were thinner and the back where our blinds were was packed pretty heavily. We left the middle open and had a couple flyers and some groups mixed in. The spread was probably 50 yards long by about 20 ish wide.

Ok, the ecaller was another question I was going to ask more about. It was two of us calling. We are I would say average callers, we are by no means pros.


----------



## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

I would invest into an E-Caller if I were you, there is no way two people mouth calling can sound better than live recordings of birds. Not sure what to say on the decoy part, haven't had much luck with the whole snow goose decoying thing yet but those were just things I picked out I'm sure more people will help you out


----------



## popo (Jul 20, 2003)

I wouldn't hunt snows without a e-caller. Either buy one or build your own. I haven't found mixing decoys hurts, and I think
it even helps.


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

1) Get an ecaller.
2) open up your spread. Give the birds plenty of open areas to work up to you without having to fly over too many decoys to do it. 
3) concealment. take the time to stubble your blinds.Then,stubble them some more.You can't over conceal your blind.If your buddies are sticking their heads out(my #2 pet peeve in hunting snows),tell them to stop.If they don't,they don't come back to hunt.
4) place your shells downwind of where you are hiding and the Sillosocks around you. Not sure what Fatal Flashers are. Stick with buying quality decoys over quantity in the future. IMO,"garage sale"(a mix of all kinds of decoys) spreads look horrible and gives the birds more things to pick out wrong with your setup.
5) Stay in the blinds with the doors closed(my #1 pet peeve when hunting snows). Once you see/hear the birds,they have already seen you. Running to your blind and jumping in just doesn't help your chances at all IMO.I know it sucks just laying there for hours but IMO it helps a ton. 
6) if hunting in an area with huge numbers of staged birds,ya better be on the X and not just close to it and good luck. I usually never hunt the X;I run traffic under their natural flight paths.We get some locally roosted birds each morning/evening and migrators during the day. 
7) stay in the field. Alot of guys hunt the morning and then come back for the afternoon hunt. IMO,hunting from 10:00-4:00 is key if ya want migrators. You're missing ALOT of birds if you aren't there during midday.
8) concealment again. you can't hide enough. Got dogs? Get them in blinds.Personally,I don't allow dogs unless they lay in the laydown blind with their owner.Got blind bags that you've been laying outside your blind thinking it's good enough? Throw a bunch of stalks over it or put it under a goose shell. Pick up your empty shells after each volley. The little things will make a big difference.

Alex


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Thanks a bunch guys for all of the help. I have been reading all of your information. And I know what you mean on the people stayin in the blinds. It makes me so so so mad. I kept chewing them out for it. And there are like they can't see us. I was like I am pretty sure they have better vision than us and we can see them, so I am sure they can see you. So it is just going to be me and my dad from now on, giving up on the friends wrecking my hunting trips. I am considering making an ecaller, I know that would make a huge difference. It is tough you guys are right for two people to try to imitate the sound of a flock of geese on the ground. I am looking at upgrading my spread so I do not have to rely on my friends. I am going to by 20 dozen econo sillosocks and paint them and then maybe by some decoys that look like flyers to add. Any opinions on these? And as far as the fatal flashers, they are almost like a sillosock without a head. People had problems with them hangin limp with little wind, but mine I added back supports to all of them and they look great. I also added 24 alert heads to the 14 dozen of them that I have.

Ok, so here is what I learned and correct me if I am wrong
1. Concealment is huge
2. Spread out the spread to make a bigger area
3. Try to use decoys that work togehter instead of throwing a bunch of different decoys together
4. Try investing in a ecaller or making my own
5. Don't take my stupid friends with me
6. Stay in the decoys until almost dusk, throughout the whole day

I think that is about it.
Ok now when it comes to scouting, I know that one of you said it is hard to find the X and I know what you mean. Then you said something about figuring out a spot for the migrators? Could you elaborate more on that? Thanks


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

It's not hard to find an X. My point is......if you are hunting an area with huge numbers of birds and the X is your main target,it can be tough if those birds don't come to ya first thing. We hunted an X 2 weeks ago that had around 200,000 birds in it the day before. Birds got up the next morning and slid around the decoys and hit the field just north of us.Yes,we shot a few but not like I thought we would if the birds woulda worked like I thought they should with the wind/clouds we had that morning. Huge numbers of birds usually means they play follow the leader and if ya don't get the first couple of groups to work,it's gonna be a bird watching kinda day. However,when we run traffic between 2 staging areas,we get some early a.m. shooting from birds that roosted in the area that nite. Then,we get the migrators starting around 10:00 and lasting til about 4:00. Then,the local birds will come back out and we can get into them again. I'd much rather run traffic than target an X in a highly populated area. Running traffic under their natural flught "highways" can give ya shooting all day long on birds that decoy a whole lot better than being where the masses are.

Alex


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

OK, I get what you are saying at that makes a whole lot of sense actually. That is what happened to us. There was a decent amount of birds in the area. We had some flocks fly close early on but again my idiot friends had there faces up, and it could have been a mix of decoys and or calling but either way they flared. They did this a couple times. Until finally they just all flew high over us. So then we left the decoys to go look for them. And found several fields a couple miles south of us loaded. It is hard to compete with fields with 10,000 real snows when you only have 600 decoys and two people calling.

You are saying find a field between two of the roosts or fields where the majority of the birds are, and they fly threw in smaller groups and decoy there. That makes more sense, because you can get them to come down in smaller groups.

Ok, so here are my plans and let me know what you guys think.
1. improve concealment
2. scout more and try to find a location where the birds are migrating between
3. make a homemade ecaller and buy a cd from nodakoutdoors
4. then buy some more econo sillosocks and paint them

Of course I am not going to be able to finish the last one or maybe even number three before the end of this season, but I have the summer.


----------



## trey5150 (Oct 10, 2009)

I am also new to snow goose hunting. i have been told that by putting white socks on the heads of canada decs works to pass them off and blues. Does any one know if this works? Does any one recomend mixing in some canada decs?


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

I have also heard that putting the socks on the heads of canadas makes them look like blues. but then I thought, sometimes you see dark geese in with the snows and blues. So correct me if i am wrong, since I am new, but I think that you could put them in your arsenal but just put them kinda off the group of snows and blues and have them in there own little groups. I think that would work better than using them with the socks on there heads. I think the geese would see that something is up on the all white heads. If you could make some kind of tight fitting sleeve that you could slip over the heads and then paint a decent looking beak I think you could use them as blues then. If you do not have access to something like that and are skeptical on tryin the sock thing just do what I said above about setting them up with the snows and put them a little ways away and kind of in there own group.

You could maybe even mix them in, as long as the dark geese are all by each other because this year I have seen a lot of snows mixing in with canadians. These are just my opinions and ideas, and I am by no means a pro, I am a beginner such as you so hopefully someone more knowledgable can chime in


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

IMO, all you are doing by using canada decoys(with socks or without) in your snow goose spread is...1)making more work for yourself and 2) giving the birds something else to pick apart while they work the spread. Have I done it,yep. Have I noticed any benefit to using them,nope.Haven't taken a non-snow goose decoy into a field in probably 7 years. Save the hassle and use snow goose decoys.

Alex


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Alright thanks for clearing that up. And it makes sense, the geese are getting smarter and smarter on the decoys. Ok, so I have a question. I plan on buying 2 guide packs of econo sillos from nodak outdoors. I currently have around 14 dozen fatal flashers with back supports and 24 with alert heads, 3 dozen good snow goose shells, and 1 dozen econo sillosock. I am planning to paint the econo sillos using flat paint. My question is, I have been thinking about maybe adding 100 or so just silloheuttes. I could just cut them out I can get cheap chlorplast, my question is it worth it to cut them out and paint or would my spread be fine without the 100? I am also going to build a homemade e caller and buy the cds off here also. Any good info or tips on either the econo sillos or the plane silloheutte decoys I will appreciate

Thanks


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

IMO,don't bother with the silhouettes and just buy the windsock style decoys as money allows.

Alex


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok thanks. I would think that I should be able to get some geese to come in with 21 dozen econo sillos, 3 dozen shells, and 14 dozen fatalflashers. I wont have them this year but for next season and the fall I will be able to use them. And I definately think the homemade e caller will hellp a bunch. Along with better concealment hopefully I can get some to decoy. Thanks guys for all of the help

EDIT: Ok, so I am planning the order, but how do you guys paint your sillosocks? I understand for the sock part to do it before you assemble them. I am planning on drawing up and making a snow template and then just using flat black. Then looking at pics of blue decoys and make a blue template. Also, I might try after a couple of those making some juvy snows and blues. we will see. My question is how fancy do I have to get on the heads? Would simply painting the beak yellow and adding black eyes work, or should I look at some more pics and try to get a bit more detail? Sorry I have so many questions. But I am sick of not having them land in my decoys, so I decided to take the next step and scrap this year, maybe I might go and just try finding a ditch and pass shooting them. Back to the questions though, I appreciate all of the help, I am sure you get sick of the newb questions, but I just want to get all the facts before I deside to spend 600 bucks on econo sillosocks. Thanks


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

> Would simply painting the beak yellow and adding black eyes work, or should I look at some more pics and try to get a bit more detail? Sorry I have so many questions.


Paint the bill area a dusty rose,not yellow. I used a Sharpie for the eyes and got a can of spray paint(dusty rose) for the bills. Personally,I'd worry about getting numbers of white decoys and then just buy a few blue decoys as money allows. Get a spread of white first and then start adding in blues,juvies,etc. Ya need white for the mass of your spread and it's what the birds are gonna see better than blues anyway.

Alex


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok thank you. Ok I guess I have one more question I have been looking at decoys. No matter what I want to get the 20 dozen econo sillos. I am looking at some texas rags now also? Has anyone used them, I have heard that the sticks break? Is this true, if so besides the sticks how do they work? Thanks


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

If ya buy Texas rags,don't ask for any more help. Stick with the Sillosocks,Deadlys,Green Bay windsocks,Northwind windsocks....anything that is decent quality. You keep wanting to go the cheap route and all you're gonna end up doing is watching the birds like you have been,selling the crap decoys,and you'll end up buying the better decoys anyway. Trust me,been there and done that over the years. The better decoys cost more but will be worth it in the end.

Alex


----------



## triple A (Mar 14, 2010)

you can buy my spread 1350 snow/blue 400 headed 950 headless northwinds/photosocks' 12 silloflyers ,vortex by sillo,80-90 snow painted ducks easy to deal with waterspread<4-speaker e call c/d 3500.00 its a big deadly spread


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok thanks guys. And I guess it will probably be wiser and cheaper just to fess up and buy the more expensive decoys. They will last longer and actually work. Thanks. And I wish I could buy your spread, but I do not have that much money. And hmm, you said painted ducks? Do those actually work well for floaters? I understand you would have to go with magnums or bigger floaters, but still? I am pretty artistic.


----------



## trey5150 (Oct 10, 2009)

I just bought snows on the praire. When using an e-caller do you guys play just one track over and over or do you let it play through the whole cd. If you know of the best track to use I would appreciate it.


----------



## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

As too your question about what track to play? Good question? I have got snows on the prarie, snow bait, and snow reaper. I can honestly tell ya the tracks that work the best for me never seem to be the same one twice. I usually like a mixture of callers and feeders. I really like the loud and proud track on snowbait for the traffic/migrators. Seems to atlest get them to take a look at ya.

I can honestly say I don't think there is a certain track on th market thats going to make the geese cup **** up an drop in. If there is, certainly haven't found it yet. I have very very seldomly been able to use something that worked one day an duplicate it the next. Just never want the same thing twice.Versatility is key with SOB's IMO.


----------



## trey5150 (Oct 10, 2009)

Thats what I figured. I also have Eyes to the Sky. Has anyone had any luck with this cd?


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

We've been using 1 track(now on my IPOD) from 1 CD for the last 3-4 seasons. IMO, it's the only one that consistantly works. We've had it run out of time and go to the next track while birds were working. They would start to pull off when the next track started. Then,I'd get it back to the track we normally run and they would turn and come back and work nicely. Doesn't really sound like snow geese to me but the birds sure seem to like it. It does wear on your mind and ya start doing the sounds while at work,home,church,etc. IMO,LOTS of guys overthink snow goose hunting which in turn gives the birds lots of things to pick apart in a spread;which in turn makes them even smarter.

Alex


----------



## sore-shoulder (Mar 25, 2010)

Great info boyz. Appreciate this forum.
Dumb question: Is there much possibility for success in pass shooting between staging areas without a spread / E-Caller? Or is this futile? Not trying to be cheap ... or lazy. Lord knows I would never be accused of that. Just curious.


----------



## Sask hunter (Sep 11, 2008)

sore-shoulder,
If you could get a windy day with northish winds thens yes. But if it's windy and a southish wind then they will probably migrate.


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

> Is there much possibility for success in pass shooting between staging areas without a spread / E-Caller? Or is this futile?


Could be very good shooting. Not sure what ya mean by staging areas as those are usually not real close together if you're talking about places like Squaw Creek,Grand pass,etc. If you're talking about 2 big roost areas that are close to each other and you have the weather(high winds,clouds,rain,snow,etc.) to keep the birds low,then you could be in for a good shoot.Not my cup of tea as far as the style of hunting cause I'm there to watch them decoy into point blank range,but you can kill snows with pass shooting.Good Luck.

Alex


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

I agree with you that people are really over thinking snow goose hunting. Which in turn makes it more difficult for you and me. I remember my dad telling me stories of how they used to spray paint milk jugs white and just paint a little back on the tails and those would bring the geese in. Now it seems like you HAVE to have the top of the line ecaller, and if that is not enough, you have to have the best cd, and for decoys. I bet within a couple years the sillosocks of today will not be enough. There will be something new. You look at what some people use to hunt, they have full body spreads of 1000 decoys, rotary machines all over, ecallers, in ground blinds. I mean pretty soon it is going to be next to impossible to hunt these animals, because think about it, survival of the fitest which means that the strong will survive and these ones will be the ones that will know what all the decoy spreads look like. Idk if i am just rambling on. But these are just things that I have been noticing.


----------



## sore-shoulder (Mar 25, 2010)

Yes - I meant to say pass shooting between roosts (not staging). 
I agree - its better to watch them decoy. Thanks for the tip on the wind, etc.


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok, well since my season is over because I am back at school I can start building up my spread for the fall. I want to add some flyers and want some opinions on what you guys like best. I am buying 10 dozen more sillosocks and making an ecaller. And if funds hold hopefully buying 6-10 flyers. Then maybe in the fall I might buy 10 dozen more sillosocks.

What flyers you recommend?


----------



## goosegrinder (Mar 4, 2005)

I don't use any flyers,Vortex thingys,flags,etc. However,IMO,the Sillosock flyers look the best. Personally,since you don't have a very big spread,I'd buy more decoys and if ya need to get flyers,add them once you get a good sized spread built.

Alex


----------



## Codeman (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok, well here were kind of my thoughts on the flyers. Ok I plan on running an ecaller next spring I am building one over the summer and as far as number of decoys. By next spring I should have around 400 maybe 500 decoys depending on the money. I thought that if I had around 450 we will say that adding 3 or 4 flyers would help. I thought then it would look like birds were coming into the decoys and even though the spread is slightly small I thought it would make the birds more apt to come in since they would see what looks like geese landing in the decoys.


----------

