How To Set Up A Snow Goose Decoy Spread

It'southward that time of yr for me. I'm washed with winter dejection and I'g starting to set up for hunting spring snow geese. I've been writing recently about the truths of snowfall goose hunting, as well as the 2nd installment…and information technology got me thinking about how the heck I'chiliad going to become it washed this spring??? Snow geese are kicking people'due south tails upwards and down the flyway this twelvemonth on a consistent basis, and I'one thousand seeing a blueprint to those having amend luck. They're usually having amend shoots in weather (such every bit fog) or hunting migrators over water.

Information technology got me thinking nearly what's worked for us in the past, and this year, we'll accept to be perfect to get any kind of measurable harvests for the smoker. And the respond is quite simply…WATER. The vast majority of my successful migrator hunts accept been over water in some style, shape, or form. As I've stated before, snow geese migrate over countless cornfields in search of h2o. When they find a roost, they usually then focus on food.

I like to hunt a water setup for multiple days at a time, and this makes it A LOT easier on your back then setting upward on X's every day. But don't settle for any water, take your time and Lookout the best-looking one. And make sure it'south in the flyway, cipher more than frustrating than being a mile or two OFF the main flying.

Here's the general rule of pollex for hunting water in the bound…Can you jump your spread? Seriously, accept a look at your setup and it should look natural. It should be far from whatsoever trees, roads, etc. If it doesn't expect legit, odds are, the snow geese won't buy it…

And then here are the various ways I hunt h2o for snow geese in the bound that has worked for us in the past.

Pasture Ponds

I've hunted a ton of various pasture pond setups in a handful of states. At get-go, it seems weird to approach this kind of decoy setup. But snow geese use these ponds, and it looks natural when yous pick the right one. The best office about pasture is the ability to drive in under nigh conditions. The hard ground makes it easy.

The timing of using pasture ponds is important. You want to hunt these on the right weather days, especially in warmer conditions. Midday is actually the best fourth dimension to hunt snows in these setups. That 10 a.m. to 3 p.thou. window tin can be the best. And also, the last hour can exist killer besides. I've had slow days on ponds but to take not-stop action as the lord's day drops. Exist patient and ride the hole.

The key to pasture pond setups is making it look natural. Virtually snow goose hunters probably haven't hunted pasture, so here's what'll shorten the learning curve.

Not likewise large, non likewise small. Sounds like shooting fish in a barrel, right? I similar pasture ponds that are around ½ to 2 acres in size, sometimes bigger. I don't like steep sides, it should gradually rise. And the swimming should be visible in all directions, and so birds can see you on the move.

Become as many floaters as you can. There are a variety of ways to exercise to beef up your floater spread in a hurry. I way is, of class, buying used from the various classifieds. There is commonly always someone selling floaters. Another way is to paint Canada or fifty-fifty duck floaters. Seems giddy I know, just the more than white yous have on the swimming, the better.

Run the decoys upwardly the loma. Yes, seriously, this works. And what'southward fifty-fifty more astonishing, is oftentimes the birds end in the pasture, Not the pond. Proceed your shooters off the water's edge besides, perhaps up the hill a chip.

Flooded Fields

If I had my mode, I would hunt a flooded cornfield every time (when available). If yous accept the right setup, y'all can decoy birds from sunup to sundown. Either they want the h2o or they want the food, either style, y'all're working birds. The cardinal to hunting flooded corn is finding the right field. It should accept the following ingredients.

Non also big. My ideal size is around an acre for a decoy setup. I've tried hunting Big water, and they but land in the middle when possible. Makes for a rough experiment just to watch everything state out of range. They usually like to land in the middle, so keep the size of the pond manageable and then they're in a expert range when entering the hole.

Far from the route. This is rather obvious to well-nigh, but I've seen spreads starting a stone'southward throw off a road. Not skilful. Look for water patches out in the middle of cornfields.

No cattails. I like sheetwater, not ponds surrounded by corn. The ponds are usually frozen when the migration is underway anyways, then sweetwater is the way to get. Depression areas in otherwise flat, wide open fields are ideal.

H2o/Field Decoy Setups

I LOVE doing this. As I stated before, information technology normally just looks natural. Certain at that place will be a ton of birds on the h2o, but a lot will exist resting or feeding every bit well.

If you're dealing with a round piece of water, I like to SURROUND it with decoys. Put decoys on the shore and into the water, and have enough of floaters connecting both sides (if you lot have them available). If yous don't take floaters, you can put a lot of your decoys in the water…just make sure you have long stakes for this. With the remaining decoys, you tin can work them upwind into the field. If you put, say, 90% of your decoys around the water, and then you lot merely accept to move 10% each mean solar day (if the wind changes).

I like decoy setups that embrace a lot of existent estate, and this is a swell way to accomplish this. When you take a Big setup, information technology makes it more difficult for snow geese to pick out the hunters. I'm a white suit kind of guy, I don't utilize blinds, then this makes it easy to motion as birds work the spread differently throughout the day. Be flexible, they aren't always going to decoy in the middle of the spread.

Hopefully, I gave you a few ideas or tips along the mode on hunting snow geese over h2o. It takes a lot of time scouting, prepping, money, and sweat. Just when it all comes together, and the birds are working you close, then you lot know it was all worth it.

Expert hunting

(Main Image Photo Credit: Garrett Trentham)