Recommended decoys???

[Black River]

Well I have come to my wits end on trying to decoy snows in consistently with a mass of Texas Rags...it just isn't gonna work. So I have decided to get rid of my current spread and purchase a spread of high quality realistic decoys. My only question is which ones. I hunt in the rice and bean fields of Arkansas, but may make a trip or two to MO every year. Storage and transportation not being an issue what would y'all buy and why with a $5000 budget. I'm sold on sillosocks, GHG T&T 5/8 shells, and GHG fullbodies so mix it up as much or as little as y'all want, but I'm set on those three types, just need some opinions from people with more experience than myself with not only snow goose hunting, but also the decoys themselves.

Thanks in advance

[OutForBlood87]

If you have 5k to spend then go with the best, the snow full bodies. You will have the motion of the silo socks and the look of real geese. You could also get the T&T shells but with a budget like that go with the full bodies. The shells are a cheaper way to get the look of a full body.
If it was me, I would go with the FB's, you can build a VERY decent size spread on a budget like that.

[Shaine Swenson]

i would go half 5/8 shells and half snow fullbodies. that would be a killer spread!

[TxHonker]

With experience of sitting over 30 doz lessers out I would have around 20-30 doz Fb's & the rest would be shells or silo-socks. Prob silo-socks. No they aren't as real but w/ the FBs the socks just add the # look you need.
Setting over 30 doz FB's w/ less than 4-5 people is a beating.

[Jeff Gudenkauf]

Are you going to be leaving the decoys out or picking up after each hunt?

[Black River]

If they are left out it would only be for 2 days maybe three...otherwise they are gonna be picked up every day.

[Trey Peterson]

With that kind of a budget I would go with fullbodies. If your going to be hunting by yourself or with a small group I would go with sillosocks, because setting up that many fullbodies is going to be a lot of work the sillsocks would be really easy and you could have numbers and realism.Good luck!

[Jeff Gudenkauf]

If you've got multiple guys, I would strongly suggest going with mostly fullbodies. They're really NOT that much harder to set-up than socks. 5 of us set up over 700 fullbodies every morning last year and picked up every afternoon. It never took more than an hour and a half to set up and never over an hour to pick up. Lots of work...yes. But it's worth it...

[quackaddict]

For the money he has to spend he could get around 250 FB's, that really isn't that many when snow goose hunting. I would get around 10 dozen FB's and buy as many silosocks as I could afford afterwards.

[CollarHntr]

1/2 full bodies, 1/2 5/8 shelll, just cant beat it

[compass]

For the money he has to spend he could get around 250 FB's, that really isn't that many when snow goose hunting. I would get around 10 dozen FB's and buy as many silosocks as I could afford afterwards.

Not a bad suggestion. We hunt in California ricefields, and the FB's are the way we go, but you do benefit from a big spread. Before we had all FB's, we were careful to put the FB's all around the edges of the spread and Landing zone, using shells as 'fill-in' only. If you do that with sillo socks, you should be fine. Just bury them in the mass of the flock.

[portahunter]

If ya got a group of guys then fullbodies would be the way to go since you don't have space issues. I thought I'd fall in love with the Tnt shells I bought but after using them for a season I've got mixed feelings on them. Gonna buy bought 10 dozen sillosocks this summer cuase I actually think I should be able to get them out in the field or onto the refuge without killing myself. I know guys that kill just as many geese with sillosocks as they do with fullbodies.

[Jeremy Kriese]

If you have 5k to spend and space is not an issue i would definatly go with the fullbodies. There is nothing more realistic then the fullbodies and 20 dozen is plenty to kill big numbers of snows. If you want more numbers you could try going 50/50 5/8 shells and fullbodies.

[duckboy1]

i would go 25% full bodys and the rest sillo socks.

[Commando]

Spend it all on sillosocks. Much easier to transport, put out, pick up, and much greater numbers. If there's any water around I might consider throwing a few hundred bucks at some of the GHG floaters, too, even though you didn't suggest it.

[Joe Fladeland]

I'm with Jeremy. 20 dozen full body snows is the way to go.

[duckin82]

if i were yout and i had that kinda budget i would go with fullbodies like either 3/4 fullbodies and 1/4 T&T shells or half and half but if you are limited on space the sillosocks are a great thing to fall back on.

[Eric Wolf]

Fullbodies are the way to go! I would also mix in a few 5/8 shells.

[Curt Wilson]

I would definitely go with as many full bodies as you can get. You could always go with some of the Hot Buy snow shells to add more numbers to the spread.

[goosegrinder87]

i would buy around 250-300 fullbodies used i know you can buy them around 170 if you look then use the rest of your cash on silo socks sheet water is a great place to hunt snows and being mobile important though if you get to where you are along sheet water put full bodys next to the sheet water and your silo socks/deadly decoys (great looking heads up decoy) on dryer land if possible.

[Jeremy Kriese]

The main problem i have with silo socks and any windsock decoy is they require wind to work properly and therefore you need to put all the decoys facing one direction and into the wind. If you look at a flock of snow geese they are never all facing in one direction unless they sense some danger comming from that way. I think this is where fullbodies and shells really earn their money besides being more realistic you can set them up to face any direction you want and they will work just fine.

[bcrawford]

Jeremy,
Silosocks do not require wind to work properly, they have a support that gives them the appearance of a FB. I just got ten dozen and they look awesome. Also, very little work to set out. If it were me I would mix FB's with silosocks.

[RedBarren]

spend half the money on FB and the other half on shell and 5/8 shells..

[wyfarrell]

I would spend the $$$ on sillosocks. Cheap, portable and finish white birds to no end. Also, the print job is great, and they do not turn yellow after exposure to sunshine.