Nebraskaland

68 Nebraskaland • November 2021 MIXED BAG I've sat with many Canada goose hunters over the years and have seen my share of decoy spreads. To find the perfect set up to draw in geese, some hunters might adjust their spreads as often as several times throughout a hunt. And almost all hunters will change their set up as the season progresses. Here are some tips: • Before you hunt, take some time to watch Canada geese as they land in the field. Take note of wind direction — geese land facing into the wind — and other weather patterns such as sun, rain or snow. Remember how those birds look in the field as they feed or rest, which you can imitate with your decoy set up. The number of decoys needed to attract geese will vary depending on hunting pressure, the time of year and how many decoys you have. • Early in the season, use as many or more decoys than the number of geese that you hope to attract. I like starting with a few dozen and adding more as the season progresses. During this time, you can set decoys close to your blind, even right next to it. • Later in the season, birds may become decoy shy as they've been hunted in many states along their migration. Sometimes less is more for decoy-shy birds. You may have to set the decoys about 30 yards upwind from your blind; flocks will swing wide as they determine if it's safe to land, ultimately flying over the blind as they circle the decoys. • Don't set decoys too far apart. This may make the spread look larger to you, but from the sky, it won't resemble real birds. Geese will naturally maintain some distance between each other on the ground, but they also will bunch up into smaller groups consisting of family groups, individuals, pairs and non-breeders. Arrange the decoys into family groups of four to eight decoys. Fill in between the family groups with singles and pairs. Using decoys of different sizes also looks more real, but keep those of the same size together. • Don't make the mistake of facing decoys in only one direction. Geese typically face into the wind, but there will be those feeding or moving. Use different decoy positions in the groupings, including preening, sleeping, feeding and sentry. I set up one sentry to every eight or so decoys. Placing more than one sentry in a grouping could be taken as a warning to a flying flock. • Geese will usually try to land in an opening in the decoys, so always keep an opening well defined and on the downwind side of your blind about 20 to 30 yards out. Some flocks may circle several times before they are in range to shoot, so be patient. • A secret to setting up decoys is to make your spread the shape of a triangle or arrowhead. The triangle should always point into the wind. The decoys will fill the shape of the triangle, but be sure to leave a landing area near your blind. Once your decoy spread is set up, stand back and determine if it looks natural. The flow of the flock and its smaller groupings should face in one main direction with some variance. Hunting patterns change during the season, but knowing some tactics will help you bag more geese. SETTING UP A DECOY SPREAD By Julie Geiser To lure in Canada geese, be strategic in setting up your decoy spread. JULIE GEISER, NEBRASKALAND How to lure in Canada geese

• Cover