# whats better, decoying or cow decoys???



## Zeek (Mar 16, 2005)

Hi im Zac and im kinda new to this. Ive been snow goose hunting now for about 4 yrs.....ive tried decoying which you would shoot a few, but using a cow decoy really worked wonders. I recently had a buddy down in nebraska. He told me that people or the locals now use a mirrored plexi-glass, so when you walk up on a flock, all they see is more geese, and the natural surroundings. What do you all think works best, I have a planned trip to either north or south dakota, coming up the 22nd of this month.


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

I would stick with the cow then the mirror.


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## Draker16 (Nov 23, 2004)

This guy i dont know so he might have been full of it told me he uses a mirror and it works great, I am skeptical though.


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## snowkiller (Mar 19, 2005)

I didnt know you could hunt cows :lol:


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## adokken (Jan 28, 2003)

Snowkiller Come to Towner to hunt, Cattle capital of North Dakota :beer:


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## jumper (Mar 20, 2005)

why would any one want to massacre a bunch of geese with a couple of shots. any one can stick there gun barrel through the grass and make a flock of geese wild.


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## Goose Bandit (Mar 17, 2004)

they are just doing their part to help control the population of the snow geese, any legal way what the hell, kill the $hit out of them. I am sure you have JUMPED a few with a name like jumper. I would rather massacre thousands jumping them vs. seeing them die of disease, and then not have any to shoot after they die of disease. we jump them in the spring and decoy them in the fall around here.......


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## Draker16 (Nov 23, 2004)

jumper said:


> why would any one want to massacre a bunch of geese with a couple of shots. any one can stick there gun barrel through the grass and make a flock of geese wild.


this coming from a guy whos name is jumper :lol:


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## Goose Bandit (Mar 17, 2004)

exactly what i said


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## goosekilla (Oct 31, 2005)

hey im david and i used to live in kansas where the cow decoy works great. I recently moved up to south dakota where i also use the cow decoy. i think that the mirror would work great if you could get it so it wouldnt glare because if those geese see somethgin shinny there going to fly the other way. decoying them also works good but you cant set to many out


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## Travery (Mar 15, 2005)

The better question is..... Are you a goose *hunter* or a goose *shooter?*


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## cayman (Nov 18, 2002)

My God, it would be real nice if people actually just tried decoying these birds rather than jumping, cowing or using a mirror. :withstupid: You'd be amazed the birds would probably end up staying in Nodak a lot longer! :beer:


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## Phil The Thrill (Oct 21, 2005)

What would be nice is if people would lay off of the guys who dont have decoys. not everybody can afford to buy 500+ snow goose decoys. Plus the birds need to be shot before they ruin even more of their habitat. Until I can afford some decoys I guess I am not a snow goose hunter I am goose "shooter".


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Travery said:


> The better question is..... Are you a goose *hunter* or a goose *shooter?*


Damned straight!

Decoying birds is hunting. Even pass shooting by wisely setting yourself up betweena roost and the feed field is hunting. Ditch shooting, run and gunning, et all is nothing more than shooting. As for the jumpers, they really screw it up for the hunters for sure. Get a life and become a hunter or quit shooting the snows IMO.

The idiot jumpers have already pushed the Snows back into MB! Now from reports they are using the same tactics on the Mallards. That is the #1 reason why the Snows do not migrate into ND like they used to. It's the lazy shooters that have ruined ND Snow hunting by their roost shooting and constant pressure on the flocks as they try to feed. :******:


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## jb (Feb 8, 2005)

Jumping happens in every state, heck I like when we have people jumping the birds when I have decoys out keeps the birds moving and can provide a better decoy hunt. IMO Yea, true they will not stay around to long with all the pressure ;but that just gives the next guy a shot at them and keeps the birds moving. Im sure we all have hunted a flight day why is it so good......I know their is a lot of reasons but a few of them is because they are hungry and worn out. If you have the same birds in a area for 2-3 weeks they get real smart real quick and makes it hard to hunt them


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

> Now from reports they are using the same tactics on the Mallards.


Thats right I saw some idiots trying to jump a pea field with acouple thousands mallards using it 2 weeks ago


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> The idiot jumpers have already pushed the Snows back into MB! Now from reports they are using the same tactics on the Mallards. That is the #1 reason why the Snows do not migrate into ND like they used to. It's the lazy shooters that have ruined ND Snow hunting by their roost shooting and constant pressure on the flocks as they try to feed.


You couldn't be more wrong h20fwlr.... it's all about food to the birds 8)


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## goosekilla (Oct 31, 2005)

im a hunter i put in the time and effort for canadian geese but not for snows. you need way to many decoys and here in south dakota there are so many that come through that you can just shoot at them and they will come back it is all about the food to them they only stay in one area until the foood is gone. and i think its wrong to just waterfowl off of water cause then they wont come back. at least thats the way it is in sd. there are ways around not having enough decoys but you need alot of time to put w.e it is your using out in the field and then pick them up.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

If you want to sneak um, sneak um. It's legal as long as it isn't a roost but even that is legal. We used to sneak geese and ducks all the time when I was a kid and it was a lot of fun. 4 buck did wonders and yes there were a few cripples but decoy hunters have cripples too. Enjoy, for I will not pass judgement. But stay away from the roost.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Oh, and hunting makes geese wild not just sneaking!


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## muskat (Mar 5, 2002)

> That is the #1 reason why the Snows do not migrate into ND like they used to.


That would be incorrect.

A combination of factors, which includes but not limited to:
1. 60,000 waterfowl hunters in late 90's, compared to 30,000 in the early 90's.
2. A lack of hunters in Canada.
3. Availability of food in Canada.
4. Availability of large roost water in Canada.

Food and pressure (this includes both decoy AND jump shooters AND pass shooters). Its just that simple.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

And I would add the weather because when the weather is right they still come by the millions. Seems like forever since it froze up north to push the birds down without sending them south.


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## Travery (Mar 15, 2005)

Phil The Thrill said:


> Until I can afford some decoys I guess I am not a snow goose hunter I am goose "shooter".


I am more than willing to share the thrill of decoying snows with anyone. Get in contact with me and i will gladly put you in my spread this spring.


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## muskat (Mar 5, 2002)

> I am more than willing to share the thrill of decoying snows with anyone. Get in contact with me and i will gladly put you in my spread this spring.


If you look anything like your avatar, count me in :thumb:


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## greenheadfallon (Oct 19, 2005)

It's alot cooler when a flock comes into the dekes then just jumpin them.


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## pointblankshot (Nov 2, 2005)

We're heading out to the Devils Lake area tomorrow to watch the geese fly around (would love to shoot them but everything's posted :eyeroll: ) Actually have a couple spots but amazed at how much is posted, no wonder they're overpopulated!

Travery, If you are serious about the spring decoy hunt, I'd be interested. Never done the spring hunt and would love to give it a shot.


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