How to Set Up Goose Decoys in the Field
Geese are one of the most popular types of waterfowl that hunters target. The big birds oftentimes flock together and will respond to calls and decoys that fool them into thinking there are live geese in the area. A properly arranged spread of goose decoys will fool even the most reluctant geese. Read on to learn how to set up goose decoys in the field.
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Instructions
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Select the area where you plan to hunt. Setting goose decoys up in a field is different than setting them up over water.
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Determine the precise location you plan to hunt. Whether you are hunting over water or in a field, the decoys will be in front of you.
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Remember that your goal is to use your decoys to mimic a flock of geese that has landed and is feeding. To do this properly, pay attention to how many geese are in the flocks you see in the air. When geese begin to head south early in the fall, they often are in small flocks of less than 50 birds. As the fall progresses and becomes winter, geese often are in flocks that include hundreds of birds. There is no magic number for how many goose decoys you should have out, but if the flocks are big, it is common to put out 100 or more decoys.
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Place goose decoys in small groups of five to seven. Some of the decoys should appear to be feeding and others should appear to be sitting on the ground. Make sure the decoys face in different directions. Place decoys out to about the end of your shooting range. You do not want geese to land among your decoys, yet still be out of shooting range.
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Place most of the decoys near the shoreline if you are hunting over water. Also, place some on the shoreline to mimic geese that have moved off the water and onto land. Again, place your decoys in such a way that some appear to be feeding and some appear to be resting. Make sure the decoy that is the farthest away from you is still within shooting range.
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Tips & Warnings
Experiment with the numbers of decoys you put in the field, as well as with the groupings. You may find unpredictable differences in what geese prefer.
Make sure you have the proper stamps and licenses to hunt for geese.
