Cow Boarding

[IceHawk]

How many guys have ever tried this? I have heard some real good success stories doing this for snows. A couple of years ago our group made a cow silohette out of plywood and tried it. Makeing and painting the thing was quite humerous. Well we gave it a try one year, here we go 3 guys stalking a flock of snows out in a field. As we approach one of the guys starts moo-ing and moo-ing. Me and my buddy look at each other and bust out laughing dropping the cow to the ground and off go the geese. I know this technique works hopefully next time we'll take it more serious. It brings a chuckle to me every time I think of our first attempt at cow boarding, what a sight it must be 3 grown men sneeking geese with a fake cow made out of wood.

[B. Amish]

Yeah it works
i agree it is awfully funny
i use mine in a cattle pasture, geese love pastures because of the short green grass and there is usually a little water around.... i use mine mostly as a blind, sometimes its hard to sneak up to canadians, and especially on windy days the cut out can be hard to hang on to

[Sartell Angler]

Never tried it myself, but am thinking of making one for next spring since I am planning on doing some running-and-gunning for SOB's (snows or blues). Shouldn't be too hard to make one either I'd imagine.

S.A aka woodduckwizard from the MNRefugeGang

[HEDHUNTER]

WE MADE SOME OF CORRUGATED SIGN BOARD. ITS REALLY LIGHT & PRETTY TOUGH. & THEY DO WORK

[can it be luck?]

Heck, why stop there? Just get a cow suit and a buddy to pull up the rear and walk on out to the birds! Stick the barrel out the arse and horn areas. Throw out the goose call and practice your moooooing!
Beware of any lovestruck bulls in the area though!

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http://groups.msn.com/canitbeluck

[Mike Walerak]

One other trick folks use here in South Dakota is to use a folding deer decoy.
I have been sneaking on many flocks and kicked deer out of the brush and run right through the flock without spooking the entire flock.
This seems a little more natural than a cow to me.
mw

[fishin5]

Believe it or not this works. I hunt this way almost exclusivly in the spring in Nebraska. One difference is that in Nebraska many more cattle are out on cornstalks than "up nordt here".
Mine is 1/4" plywood just rounded at the corners (looks more like the "black haybale-o-death" than it does a cow). I also split it in the middle and put hinges on it for ease of storage. A gun rack is a must! I also cut several holes to look through and I am adding more holes to let wind through. I sometimes think about adding drink holders!
Now that you have your cow...there are some tactics to it.
1) we always try to have the wind at our back. Snows seem to feed into the wind so they will be helping you close the distance.
2)Try to show em the cow as long as you can. Don't make it look like the cow is trying to jump them. we will cow from the truck and try to have as little human exposure as poss.
3)COWS DON'T WEAR HATS! Keep your fool head down!
4) try to find birds that are "comfortable". If they are moveing all over the field and getting up every time a car goes by....find another group, or let them settle down if you can.
Good Luck

[HEDHUNTER]

AND YOU SHOULD BEWARE OF ANY COW TIPPING GOING ON IN THE AREA!