spring snow goose hunts

[CANOPY SAM]

Just curious. I've noticed in some of the pics posted in this thread that many folks really spread out their dekes to give the impression of a larger group of birds in the field. However, when I look at this configuration of decoys, to me at least, they don't look realistic at all.

I'm just wondering if this has, or is actually working for everyone? I'm not being critical, because I know how much work this is. I just tend to spread out my dekes in small bunches, pairs, family groups, over a larger area, rather then individual flags spaced evenly between each other.

[Bryce]

We were limited with the hard ground. Stick em in anywhere you can. Generally pack them in tighter. Family grouping sounds like a good canadian plan. Whitey thinks a little differently. Especially in the spring breeding push.

[fishuhalik]

My traveling report. Just drove from Williston to Minot (hwy 2) down to Jamestown (hwy 52) to Fargo (94) & saw 1 single flock of snows. +/- 500 birds, traveling east flying high about 100 miles north of Jamestown. This was my last trip through NoDak, since I'm moving to Texas in 8 days. What a bummer, I completely missed the northern NoDak migration this year.

[Bryce]

Hope some more of these show up before the blizzard.

[Bryce]

Tough trip. Tucked tail and ran from the incoming blizzard. Enough wounds to lick without battling nature too. Hope to sneak back out for a few days after the storm mess is gone. Fields probably going to be a muddy quagmire for awhile.

Leaning towards the theory that the decoy mfgs and outfitters are photoshopping in pile pics taken by ditch piggers and cowboarders to convince me these birds will actually decoy in order to sell me on their products and services

[Todd Caswell]

Quote:

Leaning towards the theory that the decoy mfgs and outfitters are photoshopping in pile pics taken by ditch piggers and cowboarders to convince me these birds will actually decoy in order to sell me on their products and services wink

You got that right, all the stars have to allign for it to work and it doesn't happen very often at least for me.. I have way more horror stories from the spring than I do hero stories, like the time it started raining about half way through putting out the spread, by the time we were done we almost didn't get the truck off the field and then it rained for 3 straight days it was a terrible muddy mess that took 5 of us 6 hours to pick up and pack out. Or the time it was 50deg. on friday afternoon when we were setting up, we were using mostly Northwinds with the wood peg, that night it went from 50 deg. to 0 deg never got warmer than 15 for the next 3 days most of the decoys had to be broke off at dirt level they were so froze in.. Or the time we had to hammer drill 500 decoys in and never shot a bird, or the time.... I could go on and on...

I love to waterfowl hunt but Iv'e given it up in the spring, if I'm laying in a blind in the spring now it's with a camera on a nice sunny day shooting pretty ducks

Dumbest thing I did was paint a dozen perfectly good Canada floaters WHITE..

[tracker x-2]

The group i go with was in SD last weekend with similar results only shot about 20 for 5 guys in 4 days. I'm debating whether to head out this weekend or not the weather is making me think twice!

[chub]

Tough trip. Tucked tail and ran from the incoming blizzard. Enough wounds to lick without battling nature too. Hope to sneak back out for a few days after the storm mess is gone. Fields probably going to be a muddy quagmire for awhile.

Leaning towards the theory that the decoy mfgs and outfitters are photoshopping in pile pics taken by ditch piggers and cowboarders to convince me these birds will actually decoy in order to sell me on their products and services

Put a clean skirt on and get back after 'em Sally!

I'm working on some theories that need to be tested!

LOL

[Bryce]

Next time you're in camp and I have all these wounds to lick, I will direct you on which end you can start on to best help out

[chub]

The pain is just weakness leaving the body Bryce. I'm born again hard, got some new sounds, some ideas, ...and a traumatic brain injury that leads me to believe it'll work this time......LMAO!

Aint gonna quit til everythings muddy, broken or destroyed. My spirit was wavering, but after a couple good nights of sleep, a couple warm showers...I'm ready to go!

[brittman]

We call those elbow wing clipped snows and are typically taken at max gun range at the edge of the spread.

[Bryce]

They were all taken within the spread. A solid pattern gets the wings too.

[RJMOEN]

Just spent the week working in Washburn, 40 min north of Bismarck. Holy f@#$ never seen so many birds in all my life. Canadian and snow. Insane.

[2thepointsetters]

Our guides could not have been worse but we had a fun trip. We harvested 14 birds for 7 guys over three days. The guides never moved the spread or scouted and the last day they didn't even get out of bed before legal shooting time. I am hooked but will be going on my own from now on.

M

[brittman]

Our guides could not have been worse but we had a fun trip. We harvested 14 birds for 7 guys over three days. The guides never moved the spread or scouted and the last day they didn't even get out of bed before legal shooting time. I am hooked but will be going on my own from now on.

Who were they ?

If you do not want to say, were they a known outfitter, local boys, or "C" list special ?

[2thepointsetters]

The guide was supposedly legit. He follows the geese from Missouri to North Dakota. Almost all the birds left our area the first morning. We sat in an empty field for 2.5 days.

[walleye18]

Sorry to hear that....glad you made the best of it.

[2thepointsetters]

Sorry to hear that....glad you made the best of it.

We still had fun out there and I learned a lot by watching all the birds. I can't wait to try it on my own. I should have listened when everybody said to not use a guide.

[CANOPY SAM]

Wow that last pic of all the birds on the move is really something! Sorry to hear that your guides didn't pan out, but it does sound like some of it may have been out of their hands, what with most of the birds pulling out.

Certainly no guarantees in this game. Glad to hear you made the best of it, and learned some valuable info for your next run at it!

That northern migration is truly epic! If they would only fly just a little bit lower!!!!

[jpallen]

What guide service were you using 2thepointsetters?

[Bryce]

Trap set. More birds around than I expected. As long as the weatherman is correct, just need to stubble up the blind for me and the hound and launch the flyers. Big scramble or even bust if no wind shift. Hailed out field stuffed full of corn with 2 smallish rooosts within a mile. Both loaded with dirty birds.

[Bryce]

Down to 17. Crystal clear sky. Wouldn't be surprised to see single digits at wake up in a few hours. Drove through spotty very heavy snow on the way here. Weird weather this spring.

[Bryce]

Anyone looking to build a spread should have contacted me 2 hours ago. Could have had gps coordinates to a real cheap starter set. Juvies disappeared and the surprising number of adults in the area did to me what adults do. Limp is barely noticeable. 25 in the blind this morning. Contemplated breaking out the speedo since that was the warmest morning of the trip but resisted.

Not sure how the wife is going to react to receiving decoys for birthday, aniversary, christmas, and any other occasion that I can think of. More decoys has got to be the answer, right? Until it comes time to pick them up next spring.

[chub]

Sell em off and buy fullbodies. They always decoy into fullbodies!

[Bryce]

I could disguise 2 dozen sillos as roses. Not so much with full bodies.