[etowns54]

Does anybody know why in atleast on field around Middle Creek there is alway the same field that has decoys in it 24/7. Whehter its canadian decoys or snow geese decoys they are aways there. Just curious why someone would keep their decoys out for the birds to be used to seeing them there. Plus I would think geese would not come back if they happend to fly in there noticed the decoys were't real.

 

[triplegguide]

check out Maryland sometime. thousands left out. it's kinda to each his own but probably wasn't a good idea to publicize that due to thieves watching this. no offense to you but maybe just ask why would guys let em out without location.
not tryin to be rude but don't trust anyone till you meet up.

 

[Trout 2003]

To each their own. So guys don't really wanna pull and set every day and have fun with what works the rig in that manner. I don't think its the most productive thing to do but other guys should do whatever they enjoy. Keeping dekes out is more common then you'd think.

 

[quakbak]

Ha drive around and you'll see more than one field with rigs out all the time.

 

[artsmag10]

Am not sure how true it is that Canada geese won't go to a field with dekes that have been left out for a long period of time.
Hunted with an outfitter on the Eastern Shore who left his 200+ BF out weeks at a time.
Six guys shot their two bird limit in about three hours.

Personally, I set a Canada deke spread on a Saturday mid-day with the idea of hunting the field on Monday morning. Farmer said geese were walkinh amog the dekes on Sunday morning.

I think that part of this approach is hoping for new birds to move into the area.

 

[dmccoy1]

Eastern shore guys been doing it for years, me included. I will do it now and then in PA as well, but not a the numbers of decoys I do it in MD. If you have a constant migration, the new birds don't know any better.

Plus, you mentioned that if the birds land and know they are decoys, they won't come back? I think of it a different way. I may leave them out, the birds land, they didn't get shot, and it's a good food source, nice and safe. So maybe they KEEP coming back day after day. just so happens that one of those days, i'm hunting, nice easy hunt.

 

[ACEarcher]

I see this a lot in S. LanCo. That spread will stay out there all season long. I don't believe it effects their hunting much because I can hear them shooting frequently (when the seasons in). I just would personally be upset with the wear and tear the weather would put on them leaving them out for so long. Or like the crew I see on Rt 30 frequently. They have left them out during high winds and then I see bigfoots blown almost to the highway.

That would make me nervous.

 

[Goosehunter]

If you have a constant migration, the new birds don't know any better.

In the fall, during the Southward migration, what if the hunters in the State of New York left out their Canada decoys all season? Then the PA hunters left out their decoys. Now when the Honkers get to Maryland they've seen it all!

Depends how smart you think Waterfowl really are.
I say you can't give them enough credit. It's called survival and eventually they figure out that decoys are dangerous to their health. Just like they figured out hunters using a goose call can be dangerous. As time goes on they will learn that bumps in the field (layout blinds) can get them killed as well.

 

[dmccoy1]

I ususally only leave my homeade sillys out in PA, still have pick a few up at the end of the season around the fencerows, etc. In Md. we use stakes on the shells, tires, and silhouettes, they usually don't go anywhere, just have to stand a few back up each time you get there to hunt.

As for the wear and tear, your can hurt tires, the shells get fresh white about every 3rd year, silo's get the white touched up each year, not really because they need it, but I like my silo's to have very bright white cheek and butt patches on them, just personal preferance. Not sure what leaving "pretty" decoys out all year would do to them. But the ones I leave typically leave out, can really take a beating.

PS to Goose, I think they have already figured out the layouts. When those thing first came out, you didn't even need to brush them up, just throw them on the ground, hard to get away with that now.

 

[Goosehunter]

Remember when big above ground blinds were all you needed for killing Honkers. They figured that out in a couple of years.

 

[dmccoy1]

I'm not trying to give away secrets, but every fad seems to come back. Since everyone seemed to have switched to layouts and fullbodies, i'm not doing too bad with my "stick up" blinds and silo's.....show more out of this one this year, than my pit.

 

[Goosehunter]

That's because in the last 20 years the Honkers havn't seen a blind like that.

Same principle applies to the number of decoys used in your spread. Today 7 decoys work better than a 100 decoys.

Bottom line is if everyone left their decoys out all season, the geese would figure it out.

 

[dmccoy1]

Yes they would, so hopefully not everyone will get as lazy as me when it comes to geese, and use stick ups and crappy decoys, that's all I can hope...

 

[Goosehunter]

So, how many silo's did you use when hunting the stick up blind?

 

[ACEarcher]

AAHHH I pass your blind twice a day, dmccoy. Good spot

 

[Trout 2003]

That sucker is well camo'd Don!!! geez