# spread set up question



## aboller (Dec 24, 2006)

hey guys I am kind of new to snow hunting, went out a few times last spring and I am hooked! Some guys say to set up your more realistic deeks down wind and your less realistic ones behind you . However I have heard it the other way around as well. Do you make landing zones or landing holes ? What deeks go near thoes holes ? can I mix my 3 different styles of deeks or do you try to keep them some what seperated ? Just looking for some advice on how you guys would set up this spread, I have

550 sillosocks
400 Northwinds
110 bigfoot snows

Any advice would be much appreciated !


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## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

You're just new to hunting snows and you have a thousand decoys including a hundred Big Foots????? Wow, must be tough. I'm just a little jealous.

I'd put the Big Foots downwind so that they would be the first decoys that the flock would see. Sprinkle some motion decoys in with the Big Foots. After that I guess it wouldn't make much difference how you place the NWs and the SS. Normally, I try to get the biggest motion and activity upwind so that the geese see all that motion and quit searching for the hunters who are in the middle or downwind portion of the spread. But, you are going to have 90% of your decoys in motion anyway. So, they are going to have a lot of motion to deal with.

Leave a hole or two of 20 yards in diameter along the main axis of your decoys so that birds have some place to think about landing. Then blast them as they go over your heads on their way to the landing zone.


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## timber hunter (Aug 27, 2004)

With a quality spread like that I would have my NW's strung out downwind and my SS's and 'foots massed at the upwind end where I would shoot from.


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## wyogoose (Feb 11, 2006)

I agree timber hunter. Put the most realistic decoys where the birds will want to finish.


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## goose (Jul 19, 2003)

I agree with timber hunter but I would still have a few of your full bodies on the down wind side then all your windsocks and then work them into your silosocks and full bodies on the up wind side of your spread where you are hidden. Also with your decoys create little pockets in your spread and tighten it up the farther up wind you go.


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## brobones (Mar 10, 2004)

I am with Perry on this one you want to do just what Perry said. Serve up your best first that will either make them commit or not. Everyone knows what they say about first impressions. That is exactly what you are doing if you have your best decoys on the downwind side.. :lol:


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## jgat (Oct 27, 2006)

Bones and Perry are right on the money imo . I always try to put my best decoys downwind. They see the pretty decoys and just can't resist!  
I usually sit just upwind of my landing zone. Never tried it 
Perry's way, maybe it would work better. Nice spread by the way. I am sure you will have fun.


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## aboller (Dec 24, 2006)

hey guys thanks for all the tips!


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## Ref (Jul 21, 2003)

I agree with Brobones and Perry. We put our best decoys in the front of the spread. That is what they will see first and commit to. But we sit in the back of the spread. Snow geese will almost always try to land toward the head of the flock. Maybe it's because they know that the food has been picked over at the front of the spread just because of sheer numbers. Honkers will land at the front of a spread.

Another reason that we sit at the back of the spread is because snow geese will "slip" or "tip" or whatever you want to call it, as they get to a spread. When we sat at the front of the spread, they would be going 100 mph as they went over us because they were looking at landing toward the back of the spread.

When you are scouting, watch the birds as they come in. Watch where they land. When there is a big flock on the ground, there are always some jumping ahead to find new food unless it's a new field that has alot of feed in it.


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## bird crumpler (Mar 28, 2006)

Ive been very succesful with my paper plate trick. If you get a bout 7,000 paper plates and set them in a x and a o around it and lay out with hunters orange on and they think that your a ****** and cant hunt so they come in. K :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:


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