Setting up the top 3 goose spreads

Setting up the perfect decoy spread is a lot like putting together a puzzle; all the pieces must fit in the right place to see the picture. First you need to have the birds to hunt, then you need to have the right conditions, next you must have superior decoys, and lastly the geese need to cooperate.

With proper in season scouting, finding the geese shouldn’t be a problem. As far as the weather goes, we all know how fast that can change, it’s just about as predictable as the geese you are hunting. One thing you can control though is what decoys you use, and if you want the most realistic decoys on the market, look no further than Avian-X decoys.

With the right decoys comes the best spreads to give you the best opportunity to lay down some honkers. Let’s break down 3 of the best spreads to use this season to improve your odds of hitting your daily limit.

Large Field Spread

Let’s start with one of my favorite spreads to hunt. The first step in setting up this spread, is to do some scouting. You need to find fields that the geese are actively feeding on a regular basis. After locating the field you want to hunt, it’s important to get in early the morning of the hunt. 

I like to be in a few hours early to have plenty of time to set up all the decoys. The general rule of thumb I like to follow for this spread is about 2 dozen decoys, or more, per hunter. It’s important to have a large spread and enough decoys to conceal layout blinds and still appear natural. I space them out enough to make incoming geese feel comfortable and have room to feed when landing.

Small Field Spread

This is my go-to once the geese feel pressured or if I am going solo. This is also the perfect spread for guys that can’t afford 3 or 4 dozen decoys. I wouldn’t hunt with any less than a dozen decoys and scouting is just as important. 

With fewer decoys in the spread, it is vital to be set up exactly where the geese want to be. I will keep them close and have them in small flocks of 2 or 3.

This gives the appearance of relaxed feeding geese while still giving approaching geese room to land. I can’t stress enough the importance of location with this spread as you will have lot less geese to draw them in when calling with this method.

Hunting Over Water

Most goose hunting in my area of the country is done on land in agriculture fields. But as most people know, geese love water as much as land. I will hunt water if it is my only option but if I can access the land they feed at, I will generally leave the water as a safe spot.

I have noticed that If geese feel pressured in the water they loaf in, they tend to move on. I have hunted geese from a boat and on the shores. With most styles of goose hunting scouting is just as important here as the other types.

I will set up my floating decoys in a way that it funnels geese into shooting range. I like to use at least 3 dozen decoys per hunter when hunting over water regardless of the time of year. I do this because I believe geese can see at longer distances and more decoys are easier for them to notice.

To wrap it up, here are a few other things to keep in mind when hunting honkers. The first is to know the capabilities of your shotgun and ammo. This is important when setting up any decoy spread. You don’t want the geese landing in your decoys just out of range. 

Next is to keep your decoys clean. If they are muddy from the previous hunt they will not look as life like as possible and could even scare incoming geese. Also make sure your calling is adequate. With as many new hunters that get into the sport every year the last thing you want to do is have poor calling.

Lastly, it’s important to keep your spreads looking as realistic as possible. Study geese in the field when scouting and set up as close to what they look like as possible. This will set you apart from the guys that just throw decoys out and hope for the best. 

Original author Ryan Fair, Avian X.