Switching decoys, the new Canada goose.

id. painter · 11-21-2003, 08:52 AM

I have hunted geese all my life and have never used the full bodied type of decoy. I have always used the standard shell type in several sizes .
For several years now I have been seeing these mag. Big foot , They look so real ... I kill dozens of Geese each year and trying to convince my self to inverst in new decoys is hard ...My old decoys still work, but, will the new type work better still?.
Do any of you use the big foot type ,, are they worth the extra $. Do they stand well in high wind? Have any of you switched lately, and what difference did you notice in how the birds react .
I havent hunted over a set of them yet. What is your take on this subject. id. painter

skahorse · 11-21-2003, 09:41 AM

Seeing as the full-bodies are sooo expensive I've decided to just get silohouttes (sp?). You can get about a dozen silos for $60-80. And the are alot easier to carry. So i figure 2 dozens silos and 2 dozen shells should be enough for a decent field spread. I just can't justify spending $100 on 4 full bodies! Plus, I would need to get a trailor to haul them all.

--Skahorse

[ 11-21-2003, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: skahorse ]

Labsforme · 11-21-2003, 09:57 AM

Yes they are worth the dollars invested.I use Outlaw silouhettes(sp) and Carrylite full bodies and am adding Hardcore lessers.You might look at the new Greenhead Gear full bodies.Later in the season
it's really important to use the most realistic dekes.I drop down to maybe 1/2 doz or even 2 and keep whaming them.I don't consider myself like Dave Smith,Brad,or Travis but last year I got 40 plus geese and so far this year 15.

[ 11-21-2003, 10:59 AM: Message edited by: Labsforme ]

Mojo · 11-21-2003, 01:30 PM

I used both Bigfoots and shells for years. One thing i noticed was that after a while the gees get used to seeing a certain type of decoy, and they avoid it. Just like the super magnums, bigfoots have their place. I think being unique, and making sure the hunters and dogs are fully concealed will have as much to do with your success as what type of decoys you use. That all being said, bigfoots are very realistic. I have shot a bunch of honkers over them. Like Labsforme said, later in the season, go with a smaller spread of better looking decoys. I decoyed a flock of over 50 geese with 9 bigfoots once (snowy day, cornfield...beautyful!).

Wreckless · 11-21-2003, 01:43 PM

I hunted over Outlaws a couple of years and they worked "OK" as long as they weren't wet or the sun wasn't shining on them....it sounds funny, but they still shine.
Then, as an experiment I "put out a spread" in my back yard, ( yeah, I know, I have no life :grin: )walked up on the second story deck and took some pictures.....I use full bodies now, they didn't look real at all.

My .02 cents

steelheadslayer · 11-21-2003, 03:27 PM

We switched to bigfoots a few years ago and it really upped our take. We only put out 18. and sometimes just six. One thing I did last year was flock the heads which really prove themselves on sunny days. Like labsforme stated, the Greenhead Gear are awesome, floaters and full bodies. If I could just sell mine I might make the switch. :grin:

Fish Hawg · 11-21-2003, 03:35 PM

Bigfoot decoys are well worth the money

. We usally put out a dozen bigfoots with 2 dozen carylite full bodied decoys, also the G&H shells are awesome.

Gun Rod Bow · 11-21-2003, 05:41 PM

I use 3 dozen bigfoots. Sometimes add some shells for volume. Sometimes, late season less.

Hand painted them last year to match our Valley Geese. I use Pam cooking oil on the heads to keep them (flat) black.

In high winds I use bent welding rods to pin the feet down.

nitrobass · 11-21-2003, 05:48 PM

When the season goes on, especially outside the valley, try using 6 bigfoots and no more. We switched years ago and the hunting was much better. When I hunt alone I usually carry 8 bigfoots and that usually gets me at least one chance during the day.

Wingmaster · 11-22-2003, 05:57 PM

I have used silos for the last three years, sometimes with shells mixed in. I never could get the birds to commit to the spread, they always flared off before ever getting into range. This summer I picked up ten used bigfoots, so far this season only using those ten foots and my new x-land'r I have been whacking the geese. Just today every flock I gave a honk to acutally landed! Fullbodys rock in my opinion and I hope to be getting more in the future. Now if only I could hit the broad side of a barn.

skein · 11-22-2003, 06:16 PM

First off, let me say that I equate decoys to optics - you get what you pay for and good quality is usually worth the money. In other words, I am ready to plunk my money down for some Bigfoots, Dave Smith's, or Hardcores.

But today, lying in a swale with two dozen beautiful full-bodies on one side, and 9 little Flambeau shells on the other (about 40 yards away) we watched a flock of probably a hundred or so geese circle both - and land right next to the shells!

I think the determining factor was the size. The full-bodies were honker size while the shells were smaller, and the geese were predominently cacklers. I think they were more comfortable with the smaller dekes.

So... When I buy my batch of full-bodies I will try to match the hatch - I'll try to get decoys that are closest in size to the geese I have the most opportunity to hunt. In the mid- to lower Willamette Valley that means cacklers, Tav's, and Lessers.

Make sense?

Skein

id. painter · 11-24-2003, 06:42 AM

Thanks to all, I went a got a doz. big foots.
Results for two days . The first day I put the old shells (freshly painted) and the new full bodies out .. Same old reaction got some shooting and killed some birds but still had trouble getting any flocks to commit. we had about 3ooo fly over .
Next day,,, I went with just the big foots (one doz.) I couldnt believe the difference. I called in at least 20 bunches that were all landing as I told the two boys to take em. We killed a nice fat limit of big birds (12).
I had my 11 year old son and his best friend ,,what a hoot. Big birds falling ,little boys chasing them , lots of shots . I finally had to put a bit of pressure on the boys telling them "I cant get them any closer than that (standing in the decoys) you had better start hitting them." " hurry get hidden here comes more". They shot two decoys . The best goose day of my life.. I couldnt believe how the birds reacted to the spread. They would come over and give us the eye .You all know the way it goes,,, Birds come over just out of range and check out the spread , sometimes they circle and you get a shot. This day the birds would come closer to check it out and when they got to the distance that they could see the feet and and the difference in the decoy they would turn and bee-line in . Im ready to sell my shells.. Any one want about 8 dozen mag . shell decoys. We dont have the small geese here . no lessers and no specks, just a snow once in a while . all the birds we kill are the greater Canada .
I going to have a hard time topping yesterday for my son and his friend . What a day. id. painter

Tilla · 11-24-2003, 07:38 AM

Here is how we get the Bigfoot decoys around. We made two trailers, used fishnet on the sides and bottom to prevent scratching. One trailer has a ball hitch so that the two can be towed in tandem behind an ATV. We can move about 80 bigfoots.

id. painter · 11-24-2003, 08:02 AM

Thanks for the input,, cool looking rig.
The guys around here do use a trailer to haul the decoys.With that rig it Looks like I might be able to get my son and his friend to (ricshaw )sp? my spread out into the field. LOL. id. painter.
I only have one day on these decoys , by them selves,,,, and Im sold. I cant imagine 8 dozen of them. id. painter