| One of the most important elements of a | | | | far overhead will be more likely to notice the |
| successful goose hunting expedition is the decoy | | | | decoys. However, as the number of geese in an |
| spread. Decoys are one of the most effective | | | | area increases, there comes a point when a flock |
| ways to attract flocks of geese into the range of | | | | of geese that flies overhead is actually deterred, |
| your gun, and whether or not you use them | | | | because overcrowding results in too much |
| correctly could determine whether or not you | | | | competition for food and space. |
| bring in any geese this hunting season. One of the | | | | A good rule of thumb recommended to goose |
| most common questions goose hunters ask | | | | hunters as to the number of decoys they should |
| pertaining to their decoys is, "How many goose | | | | use is about a dozen decoys for each hunter in |
| decoys should I use?" If you do not use enough, | | | | the group. The more people there are around the |
| the flocks will not be as attracted to the area you | | | | chosen hunting site, the less likely geese are to |
| chose to do your goose hunting, and if there are | | | | land in the area, so more decoys are needed with |
| too many, the area could look too crowded to | | | | a bigger group of hunters to make the area |
| the geese and they will not land. It is also good to | | | | appear more attractive to passing flocks of |
| use the minimum effective number of decoys | | | | geese. The exact number of goose decoys you |
| possible, because larger sets are more expensive | | | | should use also depends on the amount of open |
| and take longer to set up. | | | | space available for geese to land. They like to land |
| To understand the proper way to use goose | | | | a little distance from a group of decoys, so make |
| decoys, you must first understand how they | | | | sure that your decoy spread does not take up |
| work. The goal of a flock of geese as it decides | | | | too much of the available space. Eight to sixteen |
| on a potential landing area is to find a place to | | | | individual decoys should ideally be grouped at least |
| rest and eat. When one group of geese sees | | | | three to five feet apart, with different groups |
| another group landed in a certain area, they are | | | | separated by about ten feet. |
| more likely to land in that area because they | | | | One good tip to remember about goose decoys |
| know that it is more likely to have food. Geese | | | | is not to place them too close to any sizable |
| also have the natural tendency to group together | | | | amount of cover. Hunters have traditionally placed |
| and follow each other as a defense precaution. | | | | their decoys close to cover for a convenient |
| The more geese there are in a flock, the more | | | | hiding place while they wait for a flock to land, but |
| eyes there are to look out for predators. Greater | | | | many years of this has taught modern geese to |
| numbers of goose decoys are also beneficial | | | | stay away from places near cover big enough for |
| because passing flocks of geese that are flying | | | | hunters to hide in. |