Geese without Decoys?

[Kevin So]

Is it possible to hunt snows without decoys or access to farm fields? I don't have the dough for hundreds of decoy spread right now. Suggestion to alternate way to hunt them?

[Chessieguy]

It would be difficult I would guess. I have never yet hunted them on the West Coast, but have several times in Quebec.
We had somewhere in the 5 dozen range of decoys out and still found it difficult.

The first year we hunted then we had a very small decoy spread available to us (somewhere in the 6-12 decoy range) we actually went to the hardware store and bought 2 boxes of white kitchen catchers and some bamboo stakes. we simply tied one of the corners of the open end of the bag to the stake and it acted somewhat like a windsock.

We didnt "slaughter them" by any means but we did pick a few birds.

[Fred H]

On a very windy day you may find a place between the roost and the field to pass shoot them, something like a cliff before a field or when they travel between two fields.

My partners and I have a mix of 200 shells, full body and windsock and we do well if there is some wind and young birds. Last fall, even with 1000 decoys on the ground it was not easy, very few youngsters. If you have the time and a good sewing machine you can make yourself big numbers of silosocks or windsocks out of tyvek.

[fowl language]

i quite often see guys walking back in with snows in their posession at the brunswick pt in delta and they have no decoys....fowl

[Theo722]

I can tell you that the only time guys come back with snows from Brunswick are on very windy days or they got one at first light when they fly low over from the fields. Been there lots this year and only got 2 with the first light scenario and only saw 3 or 4 others taken. Bear in mind there were about 100 skybusting shots per goose of which I saw fall during the day. I'd set up along the flight line first thing, if they came over I take a shot or two than set up for ducks and watch the AAA gong show on the high flyers the rest of the day.

[Kevin So]

So no decoy=no Geese? That kitchen bag and Tyvek decoy idea sounds economical, so just a cone shape stake to the ground?

[Mr. Dean]

I knew people that used pillow cases and done good (praries).

[Zekeland]

We have been using sillosocks for the last couple of years here...fall and spring...economic and easy to pack in during the spring season.

The sillosock flyers are killer as well.

An ecaller helps too

Not sure if they are legal in BC.



Some great advice on pass shooting the white's, It may be your only choice if you cant get permission on a field. A bad hatch up north is a bad year for snow goose hunters everywhere in that flyway.

There was a terrible hatch in the mid continent population and the fall season was tough, very tough...a couple of 2-3 bird days, tough when you know there are 1000's of birds in the area. Smart birds!!!


Try and find some store that sells bulk chloroplast sheets, that is essentially what the sillosock is w/ a tyvek bag. He has some good prices on his economy snow feeders