Snow Goose Decoy selection plays an important role in your ability to decoy snow geese. A snow goose decoy needs to have a few basic qualities to make it effective. Snow goose decoys need to be realistic, durable, have some motion, ability to float when hunting over water, and sometimes lightweight and portable if you are walking into fields. Below is a list of suggestions to think about when selecting a style of snow goose decoys.
Always have movement in your snow goose decoy spread!
Your decoy spread needs to have some motion in it. Windsocks and rags move with the wind, but if you do not have any wind that day, your spread is lifeless. The same goes for a full body snow goose decoy spread. It does not move. To add movement use flags, helium balloons, or motion decoys such as a Wing Waver flapping wing decoy while hunting. Without these motion devices, your spread will be lifeless and snow geese will not consistently decoy into shotgun range.
Portable snow goose decoys
Portable snow goose decoys include silhouette, rag, and windsock style goose decoys. Silhouette snow goose decoys weigh more than windsock snow goose decoys and tend not to be as effective in decoying snow geese as they are Canada geese. This is because migrating snow geese start to decoy from such a high altitude that many of the silhouette decoys are invisible to them. This can be compensated for by setting your decoys farther apart. For more information on setting up silhouette goose decoys properly read the article silhouette goose decoys.
Snow goose rag decoy
Snow goose rag decoys are the lightest of all snow goose decoys on the market. They are not very durable and tend to tear in high winds. This alone makes them a very poor choice for repeat use, and combined with their unrealistic appearance, do not make them a consistently effective snow goose decoy.
Windsock snow goose decoy
Windsock snow goose decoys such as FeatherTek™ snow goose decoys are very lightweight, compact, waddle with the slightest breeze, and are made of durable Tyvek material. Snow goose hunters buying windsock snow goose decoys should consider buying in bulk without heads for price savings. Then buy 20% with heads for added realism. The windsock style decoy is my first choice when a huge spread or portable spread is desired.
Floating snow goose decoy
Floating snow goose decoys are available from multiple decoy manufacturers. Choosing a floating snow goose decoy to buy is pretty simple. Buy whatever brand decoy you prefer but make sure it has a weighted keel. Wind while snow goose hunting is your best friend and you do not want your floating goose decoys tipping over under your preferred weather conditions.
Full body snow goose decoy
Full body snow goose decoys are the most realistic decoys on the market. With the advent of the spring snow goose hunting season, snow geese have been getting smarter every year with the constant hunting pressure. This has forced hunters to use new techniques to consistently decoy snow geese. One of them is the full body snow goose decoy. Full body snow goose decoys are the most realistic stationary decoy on the market. They do have some drawbacks that include price, lack of movement, portability, and storage. Full body snow goose decoys retail around 250 dollars a dozen. They do not move with the wind which makes them less effective than a snow goose decoy that moved when hunting in a feed field because feeding snow geese are always moving.
Full body snow goose decoys are bulky, making storage and portability an issue. Unless you can drive into a field or pond, full bodies are out of the question.