# Field spreads and tips 101



## Goosehtr

Ok here is what I would like to do with this. I have been getting a number of PMs from guys that are just getting into waterfowling. They all are looking for help on everything from decoys to how to setup a field.
So I will make an effort to post some tips and what I might do. Feel free to post up with what works for you too, or to comment on what I'm doing. I don't know every thing and never will, and I can always learn something new.

First tip....Never say can't!!! I hear this all the time. You know...You can't kill geese with out FFD full body decoys, and you have to dig in your lay out blinds and on and on! Use your imagination, if you have an idea try it out.

Here is an all Silo spread that I know works. 










This isn't to any kind of scale but it will give you an idea as to how to set it up. Silos are easy to carry, and cheap to make, so there good for those just getting into the sport or on a budget. Don't be afraid to use just plain B&W's either.

If you PM me I'll send you a couple links where you can get good cheap blanks for silo's.

Good Luck
Andy


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## Plavo

Nice tip Andy, I set up with the " U " pattern my self and also a " J " pattern works to bring them in, big thing beginners need to learn is to not make they layout blind stick out. put deeks around the blind in the shooting hole like you showed to blend in.


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## BuckeyeZac

Thanks Andy! What's your opinion on mixing silos, shells, and full body? I mean can you put out 3 dozen shells, a dozen silos, and a dozen full bodies? When my hunting buddies mix gear, we are likely to have all three types and I have never heard if that flares birds or not.


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## Carpn

We run a mixed spread with no problems . I really , really love silos . I don't run to many shell dekes till late season when you start seeing birds sitting on their belly feeding . Most of the time we run a few dozen fb, a mix of fb and 4-6 dozen silos , or 4-8 dozen silos . Give me a snowy31 degree day and a bunch of silos and I am in heaven


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## Carpn

I generally kinda run a checkmark spread with the blinds in the short leg of the checkmark. Birds have the option of landing in the hole or on the end of the short leg of the checkmark. This gives those birds the like to land out or shortland you a option and they are still well within range. I point the short leg of the checkmark straight downwind and run the long leg out at a angle with the wind. I don't always do this but this usually is my goto setup.


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## Mushijobah

Thanks for the tip, Andy.


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## Goosehtr

BuckeyeZac said:


> Thanks Andy! What's your opinion on mixing silos, shells, and full body? I mean can you put out 3 dozen shells, a dozen silos, and a dozen full bodies? When my hunting buddies mix gear, we are likely to have all three types and I have never heard if that flares birds or not.


Yep you can mix decoys it won't hurt you. I'll do that with my next field set up tip to show you how we do it, and why, and where we put certain deeks in the spread.
The best tip I can give is to spread the silos out and vary the angles to the wind. Be mind full of how the sun hits them on clear sunny days.

@Carpn
Setting up in the small arm of the check is right on !%.
Thanks for adding that info!

Good Luck
Andy


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## Goosehtr

Onward we go.
Tip#2 Don't become complacent, change the spread up. It's very easy to just keep doing the same thing. Make it a practice to do something different.

Here is a mixed decoy spread that I have used in the past.









This is a fish hook, J, or check mark pattern. I set it how it would be set with 1dz silos, 1 dz FBs, and 3dz shells. As Buckeyezac's question.

We set the active deeks around the blinds with sentry birds in front of the blinds looking to the hole. This allows you to get away with flagging as geese expect active birds to be flapping and moving around.

We like to treat the shells as resting geese sitting right on the ground. Resting geese often sit tighter especially in colder weather. They also give the spread a very content look that is great in the late season and a lot of guys aren't running this type of spread yet. So the birds aren't conditioned to it. At least in the areas I'm hunting.

The silos are set at the points of the hook. They help to give the illusion of movement as the geese line up on the spread they often shift from one side to the other. When you set the silos up at different angles they will disappear and reappear.

Good Luck
Andy


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## BaddFish

All the advice and graphics are great... I just want to point out a few things to anybody new to the sport that has permission in a field this saturday that may be just swarming with geese right now.

If geese have been coming to your field for 2 weeks or less and there is no sign of slowing down- you can hunt them with a dozen or two decoys. If you have a hot corn field chopped and there 100+ birds in it today or tomorrow- you don't need huge expansive spreads to pull them- 
If I was hunting with 2 guys- I'd be fine with a doz. If I had 4 guys, I'd go with 2-3 dozen. If there are plentiful corn stalks laying all over the field- use them for cover- you don't need layout blinds to kill geese- NOT saying they are not effective but laying on the ground with corn stalks on me or under a corn burlap blanket works fine. however! layout blinds are much more COMFORTABLE then the ground! Half my group has them...the only problem with that is if you have mixed hunters with/without them- the boys in the blinds can't move direction quick at all- so all the shooting has to be from one way the whole time. This can be hectic if you have 2-3 groups of geese hovering at all angles over you at 30+ yards.

Early season geese that have been patterned and scouted 2-3 days before the first day are easy to kill. (Its helpful to know which direction they generally come from and WHEN they come) (Its pretty neat when you have them pegged down to the minute of arriving) You'll have alot of juveniles that you literally have to swat them off you even after shooting at them more then once. Calling is not crucial either- give them a few honks at first sight and ease off... unless they start to wander off....again that's the beauty of early season- most of the time these young birds will fight each other to land on you. 

Middle to late season (depending on the competition in the area) may force me to go with 4-5 doz... But late in the year when migrants have started to come through and show up consistently to a field...they can be had again with 6-10 decoys. I use all big foots- don't have anything against silo's just haven't gone that route.

That's the beauty of waterfowling....you can make it as easy or complicated as you want and either way- you usually get some birds.

Whack em and stack em boys...its just a few days away.


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## BuckeyeZac

I really appreciate the graphic Andy. I will put it to good use this year for sure. BaddFish, I really appreciate your advice as well. I can't wait to start using these techniques. I have a wheat field I'm hunting Saturday that has held geese all summer and scouting has patterned them at about 8am every morning.. sometimes 30 geese, a neighbor claims to have counted 100 last weekend. I'm also busting out my new Remington on Saturday for her first hunt. Can't wait!


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## Carpn

I hear you guys. Been scouting and asking permission for about 3 weeks now. Birds are changing up a lot this time of yr with all the farming taking place. We will just have to keep an eye on our active fields this week and see where birds are. I assume we will lose some birds but hopefully they switch up to other fields we have access to.


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## InlandKid

Here is a tip that I have learned, New guys think calling is what they have to do to get the geese to come in and a lot over call, myself included till I learned this, buy a good flag! When you see those honkers flag high to get their attention then stair step it to make it look like geese landing, give a few clucks. If they are coming your way stop flagging before they get too close.

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## Matt Hougan

If I can add just a thought or two to add.....

If you are using feild blinds and are right handed shooters make sure you point the feet of your blinds toward 1 o'clock to the landing zone. This gives you a better swing to the left. Just make sure you cannot swing too far and into your buddy next to you.

I also use a "U" shape with my decoys. Make sure your "U" is wide and shallow. The feeding geese on the ground "You and your buddies" are not inviting the flight birds to join them. If your landing zone is too narrow the flight birds may land short and out of range not interested in getting in a fight as soon as they land. Having a wide landing zone, 60-80 yards give the geese plenty of comfort to land well within the killing zone.

Also for September hunting try to hunt area or feilds you will not be hunting in November-January. Oats, wheat, and hay etc are feilds you can kill gese in September and not burn your corn feilds for the regular season.


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## Plavo

I have had the pleasure of hunting with Andy 3 or 4 times, Great guy. and always a good time and lots of action. You new guys may want to try and hook up with Andy and have a good time and learn a thing or two.


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## Goosehtr

Thanks for the kind words Mark, and thanks to all who have added their own great tips.
I have several more that I'll post up over the next few days. I'll get one of our early season spreads up and the thoughts behind the spread.

Good Luck
Andy


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## Goosehtr

Ok Tip#3. Scout your birds, know your area, know how others hunt your area, and learn from the birds. Don't do what everyone else is doing.

Now here is an early season set up I like to use.









Look for fields that have places to hide. Don't run right out in the middle because these geese aren't smart yet. The bushes haven't shot at them yet...lol Don't be afraid to use fence rows or any brush near the field edges.

Don't show all your tricks, and use only as many deeks as you need. Remember the birds are still in family groups so reproduce that in your spread.

Good Luck
Andy


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## BaddFish

Carpn said:


> I hear you guys. Been scouting and asking permission for about 3 weeks now. Birds are changing up a lot this time of yr with all the farming taking place. We will just have to keep an eye on our active fields this week and see where birds are. I assume we will lose some birds but hopefully they switch up to other fields we have access to.


Alot of times if I have a field that was hot say...2 weeks before season started and they eat it dry (wheat field especially) they will kinda disapear for awhile..however don't lose track of that field after season starts- ESPECIALLY in early season- Geese want to go somewhere safe and they remembered that field off ??? Rt52 is safe...9 times out of 10 they get banged up somewhere nearby and will come back to that field 2,3 or 4 days into the season. Sometimes I will still hunt a "worn out" field in early season simply becouse I know the neighboring fields have hunters in them... or maybe they simply just don't have many other options. 

After years of hunting them- I kinda know the fields around me that the resident geese in the resouvours (spl?) or swamps go to... One way of learning your local birds is just go sit next to your local lakes and watch where they fly in the morning and night.

Crazy things happen on a saturday morning when season starts- the swamp hunters (teal or geese)scare up the geese, the dove hunters stir them up...geese change their habits quick and a few nice full body decoys and some mild calling... a few always show up... or maybe that's after you put in your dues!  My goose partner is always amazed how we can pull them in, in a worn out field or pond... makes up for the countless GOOSELESS hours of our youth!


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## Carpn

Yep, I have seen the same. Those old wheat fields they imprinted on 2-4 weeks ago usually get birds return to em after the guns go off. I have a oat field a few miles from myhouse that I am gonna watch for that reason. Plus I have been seeing some farmers mowing hay off some old wheat fields lately and birds using them again. This time of yr things are constantly changing windshield time sure helps to stay on active fields.....Looks like rain coming for this weekend too. Good luck guys ..I am looking forward to getting out with buddies this weekend and starting the body count for the yr.


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## Carpn

Andy, you need some hunters sitting up in their blinds and folded up geese to add realism to your diagrams...lol


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## firstflight111

you don't have to put out 6 dozen sillos in the early season just put one out north and south.. take 2 steps put another out east and west you don't have to run a u or a check .the best is to scout you'r birds and see how there sitting tight or apart are they feeding or moving or resting..


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## Carpn

Yeah, scouting is key....but I use decoys as much, if not more to make birds land exactly where I want them as I do to attract birds. I probably put out more decoys than necessary ..but when birds land right in your face and everyone gets quality shots it feels good. If I am hunting solo or with one other person I really tone back.


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## firstflight111

Carpn said:


> Yeah, scouting is key....but I use decoys as much, if not more to make birds land exactly where I want them as I do to attract birds. I probably put out more decoys than necessary ..but when birds land right in your face and everyone gets quality shots it feels good. If I am hunting solo or with one other person I really tone back.



most of my hunting are with 2 to 10 guys ...when i have more guy the more decoys we run a dozen per guy ...ask huntingdoggy we get them close he shot one at 2 feet what a mess ..took the chest right out of the goose ..


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## firstflight111

Goosehtr said:


> Onward we go.
> Tip#2 Don't become complacent, change the spread up. It's very easy to just keep doing the same thing. Make it a practice to do something different.
> 
> Here is a mixed decoy spread that I have used in the past.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is a fish hook, J, or check mark pattern. I set it how it would be set with 1dz silos, 1 dz FBs, and 3dz shells. As Buckeyezac's question.
> 
> We set the active deeks around the blinds with sentry birds in front of the blinds looking to the hole. This allows you to get away with flagging as geese expect active birds to be flapping and moving around.
> 
> We like to treat the shells as resting geese sitting right on the ground. Resting geese often sit tighter especially in colder weather. They also give the spread a very content look that is great in the late season and a lot of guys aren't running this type of spread yet. So the birds aren't conditioned to it. At least in the areas I'm hunting.
> 
> The silos are set at the points of the hook. They help to give the illusion of movement as the geese line up on the spread they often shift from one side to the other. When you set the silos up at different angles they will disappear and reappear.
> 
> Good Luck
> Andy


and as far as sillos with fullbodys it's best to use them around your blind ...you want to put you'r best decoys out were they will be seen first then fill in with shells then sillos around the blinds to help break it up ..and shells are gerat around ponds where the rest after the feed....


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