Decoy question

[Zach White]

I got a question for any Prostaffer....or anyone who wants to reply.....I live in central Kansas where we hold alot of specks, snows, lessers and a dicent amount of honkers every winter.....if YOU had $5,000 to put together a spread what would you get....for field hunting ducks and geese......PS next year ill be hunting on 27 corn leases....5 ponds and some other fields milo wheat etc....

[Mark Brendemuehl]

Zach- Since you get a little of everything, I would buy a little of everything. BUT, keep in mind transporting and storing as well. All the fullbodies on earth don't help if you can't haul them around or store them. If space is an issue, you of course can be better served with some shells.
I would get a mix of snow and blue fullbodies, leaning towards more snows. I would add in a smaller amount of specks, and a mix of lesser fullbody darks, and the regulars. Keep in mind you need movement, so plan on the new motion bases or motion stakes.
Field hunting mallards can be wild. Sometimes they come in so hard in those "tornados" that you cant pull the trigger without taking out half the flock. I would order a mix of them, with about a 50-50 ratio. Cornstubble can make it hard to see decoys, and hard for them to spin on stakes. If thats the case, stomp down the stalks in the way of the decoy to allow free movement.
If you can drop that kind of cash on your spread, it will be an awesome one. Just make sure you can haul it!
Mark

[Zach White]

I have a trailer...i want to get an enclosed one im looking for a used one and will prolly get one before the season....its going to be hard to drop $1000+ because thats alot of deks...

[Brett Beinke]

Zach, that is a lot of decoys but it also will allow you more room to carry more decoys for the future. Nothing like having your spread restricted to your ways of getting them into the field. As far as decoys go, I really like the full body and our Oversized Shells mixed in together. Our shells are not like other shells out there and they help with adding variety to your spread. If your leases have water on them sleepers along the water edge are killers! You have a lot of species down there to chase after. Instead of trying to buy it all in one year focuss on one species and do it right and then add more to your spread every year. If you drop $1000 on a goood enclosed that still leaves you plenty for getting other decoys. If you like dark geese more than lights focuss on them and drop $3000 on Full Body honkers specks and Honker shells and speck shells. Then spend your remaining $1000 on Snow Full Body's and build on that next year. If you like the lights, switch things up and spend more on them. Add some full body mallards in there and you have a great spread!

[Zach White]

Thanks brett.....if you wanna come down sometime give me a hollar....like i said i got so much land up here i can't keep track of it all and it takes more then one day to scout everything even if i drove all day. your welcome anytime...ps have you ever seen 800,000 geese get off a roost in the morning its amazing....

[Greg Owens]

Zach,
I agree with the advice the other guys are giving you. The trailer should be a priority. Brett can attest to what I have to go through to get my 5 dozen full bodies and two Finishers in the back end of my Tahoe. It's not a lot of fun. By Fall I will have a trailer in my driveway and will be working on filling it just like you are.

Like Brett mentioned, the sleeper shells are devastatingly effective on the edge of water.

Good luck with your purchase.
Greg