Snow & blue Full-Body field testing ?

[meathunter]

When are we going to hear (read) the results of the full-body Snow decoy field tests?

I heard some pretty lofty claims a while back, of 120 Avery FB's, out performing 1000 windsocks?

Let's see it!

[Travis Mueller]

Who said this? I'd like to see it as well.

[ShortReed]

Travis... I think he's referring to the following thread: Full Body Snow Goose field test (http://www.averyoutdoors.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=001432;p=1)

[Rick Frisch]

I have heard Fred Zink talk about it.
I know a guide that hunts them with 36 snow and blue stuffers. He does phenominal with them.
Shawn Stahl occasionally hunts with just 48 snow deoys.

There is some merit behind it. I am sure we will know a lot more next year at this time.

Thanks,

[meathunter]

Originally posted by Rick Frisch:
I know a guide that hunts them with 36 snow and blue stuffers. He does phenominal with them.
You're kidding me, right?

[Rick Frisch]

Why would I kid you? He is sold that realism is better than quantity. I want to say they killed around 800 this spring as the geese migrated back to Canada. They don't jump or pass shoot. All were shot in the decoys.

Thanks,

[Berk]

back to the orginal question, how was the field test? what are the results? any pics of these during the hunts? Since the birds are mostly up in canada now, there must be some hunts from the US someone could show.

[G Hillman]

I have hunted snow and blues for a long time, and if you just used 36 live geese here in south La. you would be left empty handed at the end of the day. I would have to see this in action first hand.

[Scott Moates]

I have not hunted snows and blues that often, but the good hunts I have been on were in fields that the geese wanted to be in. I believe that if we would have had 50-100 FB's on those days, we would have had just as good a hunt. I know by next year at this time, we will know for sure if this will work. Grant, you can come up and try it or we can try it down there and see what happens.

[marshguy]

I've hunted snows and blues for a long time in SW La, also. When I first started 30 years ago, we sat on buckets wearing whites and shot limits over 250 flat rags. Try that now. 1000 northwinds with an ecaller won't do the same today! I added a dozen and a half fullbodies to the northwinds last season, and believe they made a difference. Hope to hunt with 75 to 100 FB's next season. I don't know if I would ever give up all the northwinds though????? South Louisiana snows are slick, they have seen it all.

[Christian Curtis]

I'm with you Moates. I think the realism of FB Snows and Blues will be the deal. We'll put that theory to test this fall!!!

[northdakota]

i have hunted over rags many times and did very well. one of my hunting partners who was as hardcore over the rags however is switching over to stuffed decoys for the snows and blues now too. He told me that he hunted with a guy who had 11 stuffed and they set them apart from the 1500 plus spread and ended up moving their blinds to the 11 to kill birds. just a thought for you non believers.

[JEDJR]

Originally posted by marshguy:
I've hunted snows and blues for a long time in SW La, also. When I first started 30 years ago, we sat on buckets wearing whites and shot limits over 250 flat rags. Try that now. 1000 northwinds with an ecaller won't do the same today! I added a dozen and a half fullbodies to the northwinds last season, and believe they made a difference. Hope to hunt with 75 to 100 FB's next season. I don't know if I would ever give up all the northwinds though????? South Louisiana snows are slick, they have seen it all.Marshguy, I 'm with you. Keep building your fullbody spread, but a few well placed northwinds on those windy days will sure give the spread added movement while not tiping off the geese.
Thats the key.

[Curt Wilson]

All of the full body snows are going to have Real Motion bases with them. If it is movement you are looking for in the spread that won't tip off the geese then take a look at the GHG full body snows. I doesn't get much more realistic than that.

[Rick Frisch]

I have friends that used to kill them in high school by throwing out paper plates. I think these geese are way to old to fall for that trick. The more your spread looks like real geese the better results you are going to have.

[Rob Jepson]

Rick,

I think we are seeing evolution in progress: both the Snow goose and the Snow goose hunter's. Paper plates, newspapers, rags, etc have fooled their share of geese and on any given day might still be the ticket. But give the birds a lttle credit because over the years they have apparently learned a few lessons of their own requiring the snow goose hunter in turn to "think outside the box". To that end, smaller numbers of more realistic and lifelike decoys might be just the ticket to creating more consistent results for the snow goose hunter.

Rob Jepson
Avery Pro-Staff Relations Manger

[Brett Beinke]

Rob,

That or larger numbers of realistic life like decoys that do not look or perform like decoys, rather more like the real thing. tongue.gif :D ;)

[Jeremy Abbas]

I think you hit it on the head Rob, In our part of the country we consistantly see small groups of birds (25-50), I will set up on small groups like that, and they almost seem relieved to decoy to a smaller more realistic spread. I am sure you will get a bunch of opinions out of that one, but I have and will continue the practice of the one that looks most real wins.

[Christian Curtis]

Rick,

I think that the Snows are getting smarter and evolving, if you will. However, the Snows aren't the only waterfowl that are trnding this way. I believe that ALL waterfowl species have "evolved" over just the last 5 years. Look at the duck decoys we used not even 10 years ago. That type of spread just won't cut it today. We HAVE to rely more on realism with regards to decoys to be successful, and I only see this trend continuing.

[Jeff Riverin]

Guys,

believe it or not, for the last 4 years I succesfully hunted snows with no more than 4 snow decoys(2 adults + 2 juvies custom painted) The #1 rule to get success in snows hunting is to be flexible.

I sold all my big spread stuffs(rags,E-callers etc)To me, now a big spread mean 48 perfect decoys, no more. I can't wait to hunt over our brand new snow GHGs!

[Rob Jepson]

"I am a firm believer in paradigm breaking...outside the box thinking."

Ron Felcher
CEO, Felcher & Sons Rob Jepson
Avery Pro-Staff Relations Manager

[marshguy]

Getting real is the way to go, mixing things up a bit with the new GHG snows and blues by custom painting a few should be as good as it gets. I can't wait to do a few white belly blues and carry some white further down the neck on a few others. Several juvys with a little more gray and before you know it no more stock decoys. Time to buy more.