The way you place decoys in a field has a profound effect on whether birds give you the flyby or cup their wings and dump into close gunning range. Rookie hunters make the mistake of setting up too close to fencerows, trees and clumping decoys in a bunch rather than placing them in family groups. The point is this: You will increase the number of birds you decoy if your spread has a natural look. Try setting them in a "J" shape or "fishhook" pattern with sentry and active decoys at the long end of the "J." Place decoys facing upwind, toward the main body of the "J" or hook, where you concentrate decoys to look like a feeding group. Incoming birds will swing downwind, follow the long lead or string of decoys that look like birds walking to the feeding hotspot.

The feeding area is made by brushing snow away and placing feeding decoys where you want birds to land. One of my deadliest tricks is to expose bare dirt by spinning my tires when I set up decoys. Feeding decoys are placed around the exposed dirt, somewhat close together, say one yard apart. Incoming geese will see the exposed soil in snow from extremely long distances. To them, the feeding decoys look like live birds that have dug through the snow to find corn. Geese gliding into the spread will follow the string decoys and try to land in the open areas around the feeding decoys.

Decoying wary geese is an art. There are plenty of tricks used to pull birds from the heavens and provide close-up shooting. If your spread is perfect, you can shoot your limit without calling. One tactic is to use motion decoys. Some hunters prefer to flag birds, while others use windsocks, spinning-wing decoys, flyers, pole kites and other goose-motion devices to make decoys look like live geese.

Feeding geese during late season tuck their feet into the warm feathers under their belly. Geese in snow conserve energy by lying on their belly while eating, and they avoid standing erect, which would expose their feet and neck to cold elements. Smart hunters use shell decoys and full-body decoys that are feeding or relaxed profile to mimic these geese. Decoy spreads that have more resting birds, sleepers, feeders or relaxed-body styles will pull more geese than spreads filled with upright heads or stand-up alert sentry decoys. The point is this: Your spread needs to look natural. Use relaxed-profile decoys to appear like a flock of birds joined together to fight the cold. Last year, I field-tested some decoys with flocked heads and the results were impressive. Wild geese can see flocked head decoys much better than conventional plastic, which makes them easier for birds to spot at long distances and mimics the realism needed during the low light of winter to draw flocks closer for a better look.

The goal of every goose hunter is to bring birds into close range without being detected. Obviously, late-season gunners have relied on white camouflage clothing to hide their human form from the sharp eyesight of wild geese. Some hunters use painter's white coveralls, but most wear lightweight cover-ups designed by Canadian outfitters who spend a great deal of time pursuing game in snow. The Seclusion 3D camo winter pattern is effective in snow and very durable. White pullovers come with hood, button or zipper front, and are made from quiet polyester.