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Please Critique My Spread

2K views 19 replies 12 participants last post by  Blackfoot down 
#1 ·
Alright. Finally got a camera working and took some quick pics of my spread and I wanna hear what you think or any ways to improve it. Well, except the given "needs more decoys" because I'll be getting some good full bodys when they go on sale in about a month. The spread consists of 12 tanglefree flocked head goose shells and 4 flambeau storm front floaters that I have to dig up areas for them to get the keel under the dirt so they are stable. Oh, and the last pic is of the brush I hide in in a fencerow.



 
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#3 ·
Ok, seriously, now that I have broken balls,

Obviously you need more decoys, BUT, remember that every filed of a thousand birds may have started with a few that landed, so that may be your angle....

It is unlikely that you will have birds drop tightly over that brush you are hiding in, they don't like that. I would be sure to face the decoys into the proper wind direction and put a heavy shell in your pipe and shoot when they are about to touch down.

Adjust as needed and ADD decoys as you can. We have determined that bigfoots are far and away the most durable, spend your $ on them....
 
#4 ·
try spreading them out a bit, the groups of 3 look awful tight, dont be afraid to put dekes 5-10 feet apart, also a layout blind might help as geese dont tend to like landing that close to fence rows, but thats about all i can tell you, i got about the same amount of dekes
 
#5 ·
I think your spread is too spread out given you have shells for now. Geese need a reason to be there if they arent already there. Id make it look like the whole flock is feeding in one spot with a few loners or wanderings here and there. Being close together also enhances your chances of the decoys being seen. Your hide is gonna be a problem especially with those trees. Calling will echo. Last, you could always pass shoot as the birds head towards your decoys.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the tips guys :biggrin:. Tomorrow I think what I'll do is I'll put about 10 of the decoys in one group then a few stragglers off of the decoys and after the ground thaws I might even begin my plan I've been thinking of for a while. There's a grassy drainage ditch in the middle of the field not far from where I already hunt and I'm thinking of digging a "grave" that's my length and like a foot deep, then cover myself up with a sheet of plywood that I put a bunch of dirt and vegetation and bean stubble on and shoot them that way. Like most have said, I agree the geese don't like the fencerows that well but I think it's a better option than not hunting at all. Most, but not all shots I've gotten so far were just pass shots but I did actually decoy some geese the other day. The only problem is I was so focused on my calling I didn't pay enough attention to my shooting :lol3:
 
#8 ·
A layout blind is in the budget for next year along with at least 6 full body decoys, maybe 12 and some better shell decoys if I have the money for it. But this year that field would be very hard to hide in because it was in beans and got anhydrous put on. But next year my field will be a lot better because it will be in corn. I'm also gonna plant about an acre of clover and other stuff like that by a little pond for the deer and geese.
 
#9 ·
Louie, Rogers has the new LP blind for 89 bucks. I just got one myself and although i havent hunted outta it yet, im excited to do so. For the money, its pretty hard to beat IMO.

As far as the spread, dont be afraid to put a few here and there that are all by themselves. Singles off to the side are common and very natural looking.
 
#10 ·
Got my hole dug today and all there's left to do now is get a board to cover it with, put about a layer of dirt on the board and put grass and bean stalks on it. Now I'll be about 80 yards from any fencerows, trees, etc. The only problem is the geese aren't moving much now because the daytime highs right now for us are in the 40s and 50s. I hardly saw any tonight but I think that means they have to move sometime to eat.
 
#11 ·
it depends on the season if its early season leave the decoys in family groups of 6-8 birds but still have the groups form a pocket where you want the birds to land. If you are hunting the regular or late season forget the family groups and form your pockets for landing... The most IMPORTANT thing to remember is too make sure there is a century (decoys with the head up) placed on all sides of the spread.
 
#12 ·
#1jumpshooter said:
it depends on the season if its early season leave the decoys in family groups of 6-8 birds but still have the groups forma a pocket where you want the birds to land. If you are hunting the regular or late season forget the family groups and form your pockets for landing... The most IMPOTANT thing to remember is too make sure there is a century (decoys with the head up) placed on all sides of the spread.
Yous is right #1, you gots to amember that it am IMPOTANT to place them centuries on the co-ners! :wink:

Good for you man, just keep picking at it, you'll get it. Put the word out with your family that you want deeks for birthdays, Christmas etc... a few here and there will accumulate. But go for quality not just numbers.

Also, one thing that we haven't talked about is, are you sure that there is food and an interest in that field? If not, you're just sitting in the mud.
 
#14 ·
I have to say that I have never........ever.....ever had geese land or seen geese land close to a fencerow, rock pile or edge of a slough (field side). I have seen them near such structure and suspect they are landing farther away and walking in.

I do believe it helps to have at least some decoys "off the ground". It gives them a larger profile and makes them more visible particularly when you don't have the numbers. GHG motion stakes are reasonably inexpensive and can be used on just about any decoy. Maybe get at least your sentrys of the ground.

Instead of the plywood for a blind see if you can find some sheep fence. Put some burlap over it and quick tie some stubble from the field. maybe hit the burlap with some black paint. You can dig a shallow hole and put a slight curve on the fence to put over it. You won't have to dig as deep a hole and it will probably be lighter.

Get a flag if you don't have one........
 
#15 ·
Oh don't get me started about my flags. I bought a flag like a month or so ago and it broke the 2nd day I used it (Tanglefree). So I assumed it might have been my fault or something. So I went out and bought another one (Tanglefree) and this one lasted a couple weeks more than the last one and this one broke, too. So I'm not buying another flag until I can get to a store that doesn't sell only tanglefree crap like farm & home does. My decoys are tanglefrees and they're already starting to lose paint pretty bad so I'll have to repaint them this summer.
 
#16 ·
IIIIIIII TTOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLD YYYOUUUUU.....

As for a flag, make your own, use some nice light canvas (old boat etc) cut a triangle, you'll know what to do....

Keep at it...
 
#17 ·
As for flags, we've made a couple out of black Tyvek (Rip Stop Material) and used either a old bamboo fishing pole or wooden dowels. Early season group the dekes together in small groups, late season do the opposite. We hunt about 6 guys at a time, all in a row and make sort of a U with us in the bend of the U. ALWAYS put a decoy within 5-10ft of you if calling. Geese don't like it when you call as there passing and there isn't anything there!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 
#18 ·
I took one of my Bigfoot decoys and drilled a hole in it's back and stuck my flag through it and tied some kite string to each wing through it's legs . Total cost was about $45 and works like the $250 flappers . The geese love it. I will post a video as soon as I figure out how.
 
#19 ·
IronJordan444 said:
I took one of my Bigfoot decoys and drilled a hole in it's back and stuck my flag through it and tied some kite string to each wing through it's legs . Total cost was about $45 and works like the $250 flappers . The geese love it. I will post a video as soon as I figure out how.
How bout a picture. I'm interested in making a flag setup
 
#20 ·
Welcome to the insanity. Geese are like crack cocaine... But, now that you are becoming a goose junkie.... The shells are a great way to add numbers for a reasonable cost. Motion stakes are a must for shells IMO. The best way to do it is to grab a pencil with an eraser. Put the head on the shell and mark the inside of the shell with what head you are using. Balance the shell on the eraser of the pencil, mark the spot, and drill a hole slightly larger than the dowel on the motion stake. I mark the shell because a sentry head and a low tucked head obviously do not weigh the same and the decoy will tip forward or backwards. If the inside of the shell is marked with a big letter to tell you what head, you will always have a balanced decoy. Digging a grave and getting away from the edge is great. Place your decoys around your hole. Since you are just starting and don't have 6 dozen to set out, make them look like the first feed flock to be on the field. Tighten them into a blob, spaced 5 feet apart. Keep the sentries at the outside edges... I use a Roger's Goose Buster layout that I bought a few years ago. It has held up amazingly well. It has not torn or wore out at all. The waterproof bottom is heavy! Start looking on-line for deals now. I use Redhead shells from Bass Pro around a $100 a dozen. I also love the GHG's and Hard Core full bodies, but the hard cores have chipped a little (4 years). I am adding some FA's next year, but I hate to buy anything Foiles after last years news...
 
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