Mixing goose dekes......

[HonkerKnocker]

through the last couple years Ive come to acquire a very diverse spread of goose dekes....a dozen of this brand, a dozen of that brand etc etc...normally Ill run just the dsds but was wondering about mixing in other decoy companies...avery,hardcore,FA into the spread and seeing what kind of results could be achevied...I know a lot of guys say only to run one kind of decoy...but can geese really distinguish colors enough to bust dekes compared to real geese based on color alone..if this is the case then why do specks and snows land with or near canada's because a speck is a totally different color then a Canada....Has anyone out there mixed decoy companies and what kind of results did you achieve?? I snapped a couple shots with the digi to show the difference in dekes...Obviously the dsd is second to a stuffer but the hardcore isnt so bad off either....Whatd ya'll think??

[Dave Smith]

You can mix them up and still kill them. Especially if you're talking about mixing Hardcore's or Dropzones with DSD's. If you start mixing too many styles or brands, you will have some trouble. If you're in a remote area with little or no hunting pressure, you can actually do better with a mixture of decoy styles, but for most hunting here in the real world, you will almost always do better without mixing.
Dave

[sharpshott]

We usually have a dozen or so avery's mixed in with our dsd's I dont know if it helps but Im pretty sure it doesnt hurt. I have never looked out into a field and seen every goose to be the same exact color, so I would think a little diversity would be good as long as the realism is maintained...

[fishinpoor]

My partners and i killed 87 geese in january,on a public wildlife area that gets hunted daily for over 3 months (lower Klamath) we ran 3 dz bigfoots,2 dz ghg specks and 3 dz ghg lessers along with 1 1/2 dz ghg fullbody mallards.We killed 52 geese the last 2 days of the general season,with a bag mix of honkers/specks and snows,all shot coming into the spread,no pass shooting.So in certain areas with good hides/calling it is possible to finish and kill geese with a mixed set.

[NeverGuess]

Glad to hear some mixing is OK. I am saving to purchase some DSDs, but it would hurt to throw everything else away.

Not to hijack the thread but a question for Dave...

Your main ingredients for success are
-Skill/Experience
-Hunting a scouted field the birds are using
-DSDs (obviously)
-Amazing calling

So the question is: How much change would you expect by removing (1) of those, and rank them by importance. For example, hunt your field with G&H shells, or say you have access to the field next to the one they are using heavily, etc.

[Gun Rod Bow]

There are no absolutes in nature...but

It always amazes me here in the Valley how often you see a mix of species in the same field. Tavs, Cacks and Duskys are a very common mix.

Dukies tend to like to be off on their own...Tavs and Cacks mix readily

Seems to me the biggest problem with mixing is mixing body shapes, styles and quality.

When decoys get mixed it seems like the un natural parts of lower quality decoys stand out more.

[Dave Smith]

Originally Posted by NeverGuess

Glad to hear some mixing is OK. I am saving to purchase some DSDs, but it would hurt to throw everything else away.

Not to hijack the thread but a question for Dave...

Your main ingredients for success are
-Skill/Experience
-Hunting a scouted field the birds are using
-DSDs (obviously)
-Amazing calling

So the question is: How much change would you expect by removing (1) of those, and rank them by importance. For example, hunt your field with G&H shells, or say you have access to the field next to the one they are using heavily, etc.

Not sure if I have those ingredients, but thanks
So, to answer that, I would have to say it depends on what your goals are. If your goal is to kill a bunch of geese and kill them really close, I would say that skill and experience aren't 100% necessary. If you scouted a field and had all DSD's and then let me or Gun Rod Bow or Eric Strand, Sprigkiller, TVFowler, Bryan Stone, Brad Cochran, Gary Miller, etc., just tell you some very basic rules about HIDING and SETTING DECOYS, you will kill them- without calling.
If your goal is to traffic some birds, then skill/experience comes into play a little more, calling becomes very important. You still need to stick to the rules about hiding and setting decoys.
If your goal is to kill some bands, then skill/experience is 90% of it, the other 10% being patience and persistence, but the rules of you-know-what and you-know-what still apply.
Dave

[Dave Smith]

Originally Posted by Gun Rod Bow

There are no absolutes in nature...but

It always amazes me here in the Valley how often you see a mix of species in the same field. Tavs, Cacks and Duskys are a very common mix.

Dukies tend to like to be off on their own...Tavs and Cacks mix readily

Seems to me the biggest problem with mixing is mixing body shapes, styles and quality.

When decoys get mixed it seems like the un natural parts of lower quality decoys stand out more.

Absolutely- I agree 100%. Also, be cautious of using too many decoys that have some translucence to them, no matter how great they might look to you in your hand.

[sprigkiller09]

These guys have covered alot of very very good points. I sent HK a pm regarding this topic and thought i would post a sumed up version of it for those interested.

The first thing i notice when looking at geese here in the valley is how many different color patterns there are. Or even if you look at a group of cacklers they all differ in color, size, maturity etc. Which i think may be one benefit to mixing (some may be lighter in color). What real geese dont differ in is non-lifelike poses which some of these decoy companies have made. They also are a little off on feather pattern which i do think the geese can see (own experience). Goose hunting is so much highly based on trial and error that you have to try what works in your area. I still have a lot to learn and i also need to keep up with the geese and their changing behavior from year to year as things are changing all the time. The challenge that offers for me is one of the best parts of goose hunting. I have had success mixing full bodies but if one of those two mixes doesnt look as good(paint scheme, poses) then the geese may become leery and not finish the way you want. SO i try and avoid it if i can. Like GRB said it will point out the weaker flaws in the lesser of the two decoys.

But like anything in hunting it is more than just decoys, what i think is more important once your spot is picked is hide. Like i said before alot of good things have been said before me. I just wanted to reiterate what they said.

[CarBiz]

I dont know how true this is, but I have read before that geese have anywhere between 7 and 11 times the eye power humans do. They may lack the brain power to fully utilize this attribute but to me this still has to play a part in their behavior...

Truthfully when setting up I am always thinking about thier eyesight...If something on my blind sticks out to me then I beleive in my mind it will to the geese. Same with mixing decoys...as mentioned above if I can spot the inaccruate bodies or detail or color then I beleive the geese can as well.

This may or may not be true...Maybe Dave or Sprig can confirm?

CB

[Wingmaster]

Originally Posted by CarBiz

I dont know how true this is, but I have read before that geese have anywhere between 7 and 11 times the eye power humans do. They may lack the brain power to fully utilize this attribute but to me this still has to play a part in their behavior...

Truthfully when setting up I am always thinking about thier eyesight...If something on my blind sticks out to me then I beleive in my mind it will to the geese. Same with mixing decoys...as mentioned above if I can spot the inaccruate bodies or detail or color than I beleive the geese can as well.

This may or may not be true...Maybe Dave or Sprig can confirm?

CB

We have remember that geese can see in color, not necessarily all the wavelengths of light that are visible to humans, but color vision none-the-less. This is why it's so important to "blend in" with a hide. And you're better off matching what a goose looks like down to the color of the "feathers" on the decoy (small differences to the human eye can be drastic to different critters). Make your blinds match the terrain and use dekes that look like real geese (hopefully to the real judges, geese!) and you'll increase your success.

[duck_crazy101]

i use dave smiths and hardcores and i still kill em

[sprigkiller09]

Originally Posted by CarBiz

..

Truthfully when setting up I am always thinking about thier eyesight...If something on my blind sticks out to me then I beleive in my mind it will to the geese. Same with mixing decoys...as mentioned above if I can spot the inaccruate bodies or detail or color then I beleive the geese can as well.

This may or may not be true...Maybe Dave or Sprig can confirm?

CB

This may be an obsessive trait in me. But i also look at any little thing and think if i can make it better. It may not be for the geese at all but it is more for me. I have been outsmarted numerous times by them and the smallest of things can affect it (shotgun shell that the sun is hitting just right).

Im not sure the exact number of how their site compares to ours but i know it is ALOT better. Every little thing can add up.

[NeverGuess]

This is one of the best threads in a while. We're talking hunting, not griping.

Thanks for the input Dave.

My biggest problem is that I've fallen into the "club rut". Been hunting my whole life. Working on calling & buying some better dekes, but the reality is I will not get to the next level until I start scouting and knocking on doors.

I just get frustrated when I can't do better when things "seem" perfect.

[CarBiz]

Originally Posted by sprigkiller09

This may be an obsessive trait in me. But i also look at any little thing and think if i can make it better. It may not be for the geese at all but it is more for me. I have been outsmarted numerous times by them and the smallest of things can affect it (shotgun shell that the sun is hitting just right).

I'm the same way...I think I just use the eye sight "excuse" to justify my OCD.haha Nothing is ever perfect.

CB

[Gun Rod Bow]

Gee since we are all warm and fuzzy and helping each other out

I have a question/observation.

I see a lot of guys with limited number of decoys really spreading them thin to try to cover a field. And I have caught myself bunching and un-bunching my rig.

I see big mobs especially of Cacklers so tight you couldn't fit another goose between them(mornings/feeding). And times (afternoons/lounging) when they really spread out.

Now that I have a pretty big rig of dekes, I find myself spreading the edges and bunching where I want the birds to finish since it seems valley geese gravitate to the thickest mob. Especially Cacks.

Any thoughts on that?


I think guys that have less realistic decoys and not many of them sometimes try to spread them too much in order to try to cover an area. But with lower quality dekes that really lets the birds see the imperfections.

Case in point:

A few years back I teamed up with a guy who had 4dz DSD flocked and I had 4dz DSD unflocked but in good shape. The geese all wanted to land with the flocked DSDs not the unflocked.

What the flock???

Point was, both were the same dekes. Both similar sets with a void between (kill hole). Hide was right between.

The little difference in realism drew the birds. Look what happens when some live birds land just outside your rig...all the geese land with the live birds. Little differences in realism.

BTW, mine are all flocked up now.

[HonkerKnocker]

Wow I never expected the response...thanks everyone....Never guess all I can say is that Ive find for every ten doors I knock on I get 1-2 permissions and this is usually after bartering...mostly for physical labor (being 21 helps its amazing how much help people need) or for some un disclosed cash amount( hard since Im a poor college student ) Dont get discouraged when things dont go perfect.. Ive been hunting ducks and upland for some time know just started hunting geese a few seasons back and its the most frustrating thing ever but also the most rewarding... So Im gonna hi jack my own thread and ask if anyones every thrown out a wingwavers flapper and howd it work for ya?? There have been several calm days ie no wind and the hide didnt allow for flagging and I was thinking how nice it would be just to get a little motion out in the spread, Im thinking about trying to borrow one from work I just wanted to see if anyone had used one

[QH's Paw]

I'm not a goose pro, other than pro kill (that's my disclaimer). What we do when we have some lesser quality dekes(I don't me garbage) is put the lower quality out where we don't want the real geese to set. It works and that's a statement in itself.

[CarBiz]

Originally Posted by Gun Rod Bow

Gee since we are all warm and fuzzy and helping each other out

I have a question/observation.

I see a lot of guys with limited number of decoys really spreading them thin to try to cover a field. And I have caught myself bunching and un-bunching my rig.

I see big mobs especially of Cacklers so tight you couldn't fit another goose between them(mornings/feeding). And times (afternoons/lounging) when they really spread out.

Now that I have a pretty big rig of dekes, I find myself spreading the edges and bunching where I want the birds to finish since it seems valley geese gravitate to the thickest mob. Especially Cacks.

Any thoughts on that?

I was once guilty of really spreading my decoys out...I got caught up in trying to make my spread look bigger instead of trying to make it look natural.

After watching alot of birds on the ground I noticed that the mass will generaly be feeding the same direction(w/cacks almost running at times)
I tend to run a fish hook pattern into the wind...I run the leading edge of the decoys very tight and leave a little space toward the end of the spread. Then I run a "string" down one side, trying to make it appear that a flock has just landed and is feeding into the mob. Ill put more actives and lookers in the string and mix in a few feeders. The main mass will be almost all feeders. It was worked very well for me so far, but every situation may call for something a little different.

I like hunting small geese and generally set up for them. If I was hunting honkers I would go with a completely different plan.

In the end it is about being as natural as possible...I try TO scout the day before and set up my spread the way I saw the geese.

CB

[DRUNK COWBOY]

I hate to mix dekes! I have been burned in the past and got burned sharing a field this last year by mixing my DSDs with some less quality dekes (still nice, but not DSD quality). For the valley birds, go flocked DSDs or go home

As for how tight the spread is, I like to make the ball tight with a few on the edges of the ball. I also like to run some DSD honkers off to the side for a little landing strip. Works for us...

DC

[riversledder]

Gub rod bow
As far as numbers and how close to have the decoys, it varies for us.
One tactic we use is to have the decoys tighter in a group the first hour or so of the hunt and spread them and make them look as relaxed as we can as the morning goes on. Move a few closer to edges or field splits, like they fed into those areas as they became comfortable.
I dont spread decoys out based on how many I have. I spread or bunch based on what geese respond to, and what I saw the day before.
And we vary our numbers based on how the geese respond. There are times when less will decoy a lot more.