Short Reed Goose Calls

Goose Decoy Spreads

When it comes to goose hunting there are some adages that last a lifetime.  The first and foremost concern is being in the right field when it comes time for the geese to be flying.  If you are in the wrong field I don't care if you have the top of the line calls and decoys you are going to be struggling to get birds in range.  Concealment is another key issue when hunting any animal.  If they see you before you have a good shot you are sunk.  Ensuring your camoflauge is up to snuff is imperative.  If you have both of those things covered and you are in a good spot with sufficient concealment then it is time to worry about the subject of this article, goose decoy spreads!

Let's break down what we are trying to accomplish with a goose decoy spread.  We are trying to convince the geese that the area is natural and bunch of their buddies are already there pigging out.  Therefore realism is very important when we are talking spreads.  In addition, have a pattern that is conducive to getting the birds to finish in a given area that is close to your layout blinds is very important also.  Quality shots, afterall, are the hallmark of successful goose hunters across the nation.  The final thing to consider is economics, as in yours.  If you can't afford to be out hunting because you spent too much on your spread than that is completely counterproductive.  Find ways to skimp where you can and still shoot a pile of birds is the idea here.

Goose decoys spreads and realism - putting it together

When it comes to hunting geese you need to make them feel at home.  I don't care if you are hunting snow geese, canada geese or specklebelly geese you are going to need to convey this message.  In fact, when it comes time to hunt those white fronted geese you had better play close attention to your specklebelly goose decoys!  These birds are notorious for their scrutiny of goose spreads.  You want your decoys to be high quality.  You want as many of your best decoys nearest the blind as possible to ensure when they get really close they will finish.  And on top of that, you want a bunch of decoys to calm their nerves that there is any trouble.  Stiking out for realism is important to any type of goose hunting.

Goose Decoy Spreads - Finding A Great Pattern

I think that patterns are somewhat over rated in goose hunting.  That being said, you need to have a way to funnel geese as close to your blinds as possible.  In this way perhaps it can't be stressed enough.  When it comes to spring light goose hunting the bigger the spread the better.  Just remember to keep those snow goose decoys with an "X" or a "V" which will funnel the birds as close to your blinds as possible.  Generally one very large line of decoys can be spread out even as far as a couple hundred yards.  The geese like to see a bunch of white in the fields and therefore the sign that there is a safe and ideal location for them to be.  Getting them to commit to a location that is in good shotgun range is the idea.

Goose Decoy Spreads - How Not To Break The Bank

Let's face it, goose decoys are expensive.  And there seems to be an insatiable need to keep accumulating them.  And truth be told, usually more is better in this game.  However, there has to be some cash limitations to just about every hunter, no matter how well heeled.  The idea here is to buy less expensive decoys and add them to areas where the geese look the least.  Think far away places.  Flambeau goose decoys are a great example of this.  Generally these are less expensive than their full body cousins and look ok, but not fantastic.  Simply put them at the outskirts of your spread to keep the size looking impressive, but saving some cash in the process.

So there you have it, a 3 step approach to building a great goose decoy spread and finding your game bag ever expanding.

Tags: Goose Decoy Spreads
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Why are their so many snow geese?

Why are their so many snow geese today compared to 20 years ago?  I was doing some research today on the Journal of Wildlife Management and I learned some interesting facts about snow geese and the size of their brood.

Many people suspect that the reason snow geese have grown so much in population is that the predators in the artic are less than ever, therefore no competiton yields more geese.  When in fact this is not true - today there are as many artic fox's as ever and now there is evidence that the polar bear due to a shrinking ice cap is adding snow geese to their diet.  So what then is causing the massive increase in snow geese?

The research indicates that the evidence is that related to the amount of fat reserves a goose has once breeding season starts.   The clutch size is directly related to the nutrient reserves after migration.  So what does this mean for a snow goose hunter.  A snow goose is going to feed heavily in migration to keep the nutrients high to produce high amounts of chicks.  Therefore it is important to hunt where food is abundant.  The geese will hang around a day or two where their is food.  Since snow geese eat vegitation naturally look for open areas around rivers and water in the north migration for feeding geese.

The use of many cheap snow goose decoys in your spread will entice the geese to think food is abundant.

Tags: brood, cheap snow goose decoys, ckicks, clutch size, Snow Geese
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Cheap Snow Goose Decoys

In an earlier post I talked about how many decoys to use in the spread and basically mentioned that many is a good thing when it comes to snow geese. However as someone noted in the comment section, who has several thousand dollars to buy snow goose decoys, especially given our current economic condition.

Here are some ideas for some very cheap snow geese decoys.
1) First the Texas Rag: basically a white rag tied to a dowel. Quick and easy to set up and really cheap. I have heard of people contacting linen companies and getting their throw out towels for this purpose. I must mention that the geese will fly closer with a big spread, however, their needs to be some realism to the decoy spread. So a few traditional decoys mixed in will help. The snow geese are looking for the contrast at high altitudes and the white specks are all that is needed. Something to remember is that snows are more community feeders than Canada geese, therefore a large bunch is very common for them. Canada's tend to be much more aggressive and will chase snows away and sometimes feed in smaller quantities.

2) The old Clorox bottle - drill a hole and place a dowel through the bottle and the it will remarkably resemble a decoy. In fact the body of the bottle strikingly resembles that of a goose body. Give it a shot and you might be surprised at how good it works.

3) If you are looking for a professional decoy that is pretty cheap - don't forget to look at the silosock decoys.  The simple design allows for a fast setup and take down.  In addition, it will give some very lifelike movement to your decoy spread.  Use in combination with your cheap free decoys and you can be successful without spending thousands.

Tags: cheap snow goose decoys, silosock
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Goose Stuffers – A real to your decoy spread

Having trouble getting geese to land in your decoy spread? One little used trick is to use goose stuffers in your decoy spread. What is a goose stuffer? A goose stuffer is a real Canadian goose that has been mounted by a taxidermist. These real birds will create the most life like presentation that is possible in a decoy spread since they are real birds.

The secret to goose stuffers! This is not taxidermy that is going on your wall - this just needs to be a okay job. Even with a do it yourself taxidermy video, anyone should be able to create a goose stuffer in a hour or two. It only takes a couple to add realism to the goose spread. If used with full bodied, flocked decoys you will suddenly have a tremendous life like goose spread.

When making a goose stuffer, keep in mind it needs to be fairly durable. This means you need to use some heavy wire for support on the wings and neck to give the stuffer an added dimension of durability.

Give this little used technique a try and you will not be disappointed.

Tags: full bodied goose, goose decoys, goose stuffers
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Using Snow Geese Decoys in your Field Hunt

When laying out your field hunt and you are looking to do a combination of Greater Canadians and Snow Goose hunting it is important to remember some rules when setting up your decoy spread. One of the cardinal rules to remember is that Canadians don't particularly like snow geese. I like to set up my spread with a small flock of snows just outside the main grouping of my Canadian spreads.

The use of snow goose decoys has become a very popular addition to decoy spreads. In addition, hunting snows in the late season is a great way to extend your goose hunting season. When the primary migration of snows heads south it is not uncommon to see several flocks of snows feeding in the same location. The Snow Sillosocks are a great way to build a huge decoy spread in very little time. The full bodied snow decoys add a sense of realism to the spread and will attract many more geese to your spread.

Tags: decoy spread, full bodied, Sillosock, snow goose decoy
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Sillosock Goose Video

This is a great example of a Sillosock goose decoy spread in action. This is the most effective goose decoy technique to add motion to your field hunt.

Tags: Sillosock, sillosock goose, silosock
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Sillosock Goose Decoys – a cheap way to add motion to your decoy spread

SilloSocks combine the best aspects of both the silhouette and windsocks decoys. No other motion decoy comes close to SilloSocks for lightweight compact portability with a full body appearance. Silosock goose decoys add motion to a decoy spread and make a very life like appearace in the field. The best part is that you can easily carry 5-6 dozen decoys by your self and set up a realistic decoy spread quickly in any field. You must develop some way to make your decoy spread look real to circling geese.

Tags: cheap decoys, Sillosock, sillosock goose
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Cheap Goose Decoys – A great way to enhance your spread

Let's face it, when it comes to building a goose spread almost always bigger is better.  Geese are more likely to see them and believe they are safe havens.  However, given the cost of decoys these days rarely is it easy to add to your spread on any reasonable budget!  So where to go to find cheap decoys?  Ebay is a great place to find used and cheap decoys.  Odds are the person found a steal at some going out of business sale, or found some in good shape at a local garage sale, or whatever.  Really it doesn't much matter to you.  What does matter is that they are a great way to add some cheap goose decoys.  Check them out for yourself.

Tags: goose decoys
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Deadly Goose Decoys

What are the most deadly goose decoys on the market today?

The answer to that is quite simple - Full Bodied Flocked Decoys.

Full bodied flocked decoys have a remarkable resemblance to real geese.  Some of the full bodied goose decoys look so real that even hunters can't tell the difference from as little as 20-30 feet.  The natural positioning and the addition of feet on these decoys have made all the difference in setting a decoy spread.  When setting a goose spread in the field the addition of a few well placed full bodied goose decoys turn a good goose decoy spread into a productive decoy spread.  The use of full bodied decoys in the water can be even more deadly.  Placing a few full bodied decoys near the waters edge, near your hunting blind can lure elusive geese all the way into great shooting range.

Take a look at the full bodied goose decoys from either bigfoot or avery.  They are extremely realistic and the addition of flocking makes this combination - Deadly Goose Decoys!

Tags: Deadly goose decoys, decoy spread, flocked goose
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Field Hunting Goose Spread Patterns

Below you will find a good video describing the X and Horseshoe field patterns for hunting geese. Notice how the patterns are designed to funnel the geese into a small area where you have your blinds. When setting your goose decoys always remember how the geese are going to react to the spread and allow for the best shots to take place right in front of your goose blind. If the geese are reacting to your spread in a way that doesn't produce high quality shots, don't be afraid to move your goose decoys around to encourage the birds to finish in good range. Sometimes it is only a small change that will concentrate the landing area that geese prefer.

Tags: Decoy Patterns, Goose Decoy Spreads, Horseshoe Pattern, X Pattern
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