Texas Goose Hunting Tips and Tactics. Each year, I see the snows flying around in bigger and bigger flocks, which increases the number of eyes looking for danger, and lowers the number of shooting opportunities per given number of geese seen in a morning. Do the math. Is it better for you to see 1000 geese in one flock, or 10 flocks of 100 birds each? I repeat; you MUST do EVERYTHING right to get them in the decoys. . I also see these white devils flying ever higher and higher. And SPOOKY! Let me tell you, while afternoon scouting, I've watched many a flock circle real birds for 6, 8, even 10 times, at high altitude, before coming down to join the feeding flock. If they are that wary around real birds, you know you have to watch EVERYTHING when trying to decoy snows. Here is what we watch closest, resulting in us averaging a higher Snow goose count per man IN THE DECOYS than any other Texas guide service of which I am aware. . First, it REALLY helps to be hunting where the geese want to go anyway! We accomplish this by scouting every afternoon. If it is at all possible, at daybreak, we want to have our feet right where the bird's feet left the ground at dusk the evening before. The closer to that exact spot you can get, the better, but you do have to take other things into consideration. That leads us to point number two. . Second, GET HIDDEN! The days of simply slipping on a white parka, laying among the decoys and shooting a truck load of geese in Texas is pretty much done. Sure, we still do shoot some geese on some days while doing it that way, but my guide service only does that if we absolutely have to. That means, there is NO cover to hide in, NO way we can use our layout blinds, and NO way we could use our goose loungers, either. I don't want any piece or part of a human being, or equipment, or field bags, or anything that isn't a goose decoy, sticking out that doesn't just have to stick out. Even my retrievers are under a magnum goose shell, or at least covered up in white. Forced to choose between being exactly where I want to be, or being close to the spot but perfectly hidden, I'm taking hidden. . Third, STAY PERFECTLY STILL! This is VERY IMPORTANT! You want your decoys to be moving, and the hunters NOT moving. Whatever moves, the geese will check out thoroughly. If that's you, you're done! The geese will flare off, period! . Fourth, use QUALITY DECOYS. If you can stand off 100 yards and easily tell that you are looking at decoys and not real geese, so can a goose. Not only should a decoy look very much like a real goose, it should move like a goose, too. Snow geese virtually never stay still. If they aren't moving, it is because they are alert to possible danger. Other snow geese know this body language and are unlikely to decoy to what appears to be scared geese. We use Almost Live Decoys, Greenhead Gear's 5/8 shells on motion stakes, Flyway Specialties flapping decoys, and Sillosocks. For long range attraction, we use flags and kites. All of these are really good looking dekes, and they move if there is any sort of breeze! We also use some high quality silhouettes, but not more than 25% of the total numbers. Sillies can be important on calm mornings by giving the illusion of movement as they appear and disappear while the goose circles the decoy spread. . Fifth, put the decoy spread out correctly. While scouting, look carefully at what the geese are doing in your area, at that time of the year. Are they tightly packed, or is there plenty of room between birds? Are they pretty much all in one big flock, or are they scattered across the field in many smaller flocks? Within the flocks, are family groups evident, or are they just a jumble of birds? Where are the dark geese in relation to the light geese? The closer you imitate what the geese expect to see real geese doing, the less likely they are to suspect your goose decoys are decoys. . Lastly, don't ruin it by putting hunters in the spread improperly. That would be the old having all the hunters lay down in a straight line, spaced about 10 feet apart from one another. It is a sure way to get spotted, even if under goose loungers or in layout blinds, because that forms an unnatural, straight line of big humps. I space my hunters out in odd intervals, not quite in a straight line. I keep left handed shooters on the right end of the shooting, and right handed folks on the left side. That way, guns are less likely to be accidentally pointed at other hunters when the hunters are not in a perfect line, and it sets them up for their easiest shots when a snow goose skirts the spread. One other quick tip. Check with
the farmer to be sure that they do not plan on working in that field or
right next to it the day you plan to hunt. An airplane spraying chemical
will run every goose out of the whole area for a day or two. Applying anhydrous
ammonia will put the birds out of a field fast, and keep them out until
the next good rain. Running four wheelers around while moving cattle would
put a clamp down on geese wanting to land there that morning for sure.
Solving Goose Decoying Problems |
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Two collared and banded snow geese taken while hunting in Texas. .
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Even when Texas goose hunting amongst great decoys, like these Almost Live Decoys, the white parka trick just doesn't work as well as it used to. . |
Follow the tips and tactics offered in the above article and decoyed goose hunting action like this is still possible while goose hunting in Texas. That's my 22 goose limit. . |
Four arms full of decoyed light geese taken while goose hunting in Texas. The farthest shot taken might have been 40 yards. Most shots were under 30 yards. . |
