Goose sillohetes/decoys

[Shooting2]

As above really, has any one had any luck using gooses silhouettes or cut outs? And old boy I know gave me 12 Canada goose decoys made from 3mm ply, he says he made years ago and has used them many times with good results

Instead of repainting them as pinks he said use one as a template cut out some more and paint up as you want (pinks) but I'm not convinced they'll work?

Has anyone used anything like these to any avail or is it best to shell out allot of money and buy the proper deeks? If any one does use them have you any tips on patterns ect

Thanks Kyle

Edited September 27, 2013 by Shooting2

[.philmypower.]

Defiantly worth a try, I think if you put them out and your half decent on the caller you might get a few swinging by to take a look.

[anser2]

They should work , not as well as shell decoys Perhaps , but on their day they will do the job. Remember to angle them so as the geese fly around them they can always see some silhouettes side on. You might have problems however if the geese have been shot up recently and are wise to decoys, but that applies to any decoy.

[Shooting2]

Defiantly worth a try, I think if you put them out and your half decent on the caller you might get a few swinging by to take a look.

That's what I was thinking mate, at £12 a sheet of ply and a bit of spare time its got to be worth a go at

[.philmypower.]

Have you got a caller, can't see them just coming into you without a few honks

[ayano3]

I have some Widgeon cut out of ply, one side painted grey and the other side brown, they work ok when stuck in the edge of the green. Cheap as chips too.

[Shooting2]

Yeah ive got a caller but wether the geese understand what it is when I'm TRYING to use it is a different mater haha, I need bit of practice with it before I go up to Scotland in two weeks!!

[henry d]

Wigeon come in at 50yds or, lower levels. Pinks can come in from 500-1000 feet up, the cut outs will tend to disappear. cut outs for geese need to be egg(ish) shaped as seen from above, they work well when moon flighting on stubbles.

[Doriboy]

Yes they do 100% work I know several people who use them to great effect. Some of these and a good call and you're in business!

In fact Chris green uses these in the first of his wildfowling DVDs and gets some cracking results

[Terry P]

I used some for years, I also cut some rugby ball shapes and the cut a slit the thickness of the ply leaving about an inch uncut at either end, I then put it over the body so that when the geese flew over they could still see a body shape.

They worked a treat, in fact this thread has inspired me to knock a few up.

[kent]

I use and make Silhouettes. Geese and duck, though I feel confused by your mention of 3mm? I use 9mm which is 3x3mm thick sheets. They actually have a few advantages over full body in that they give the illusion of movement as the incoming bird sees the spread from different angles. Also placed over water you can get another free decoy as the silhouette reflects in the water.

Can get about a Dozen geese out of a sheet and quite a few duck from the spare gaps, but there is as much pleasure in making them as there is in cost saving. I use 15mm copper pipe flattened at one end as leg attachment, the thinner green coated garden cane replacement as spikes (these can also be inserted into a 15mm plastic plumbing pipe for extensions in water / soft mud.

Put out with a few full bodies one guy can get a big spread out and fit them all in one bag, getting the best of both worlds

[Shooting2]

Sorry mate, I meant a sheet of ply 3mm thick, had ago this morning and got 13 and all the heads out of one sheet. I cut the heads separate so they can be bolted to the body with a peice of iner tube rubber inbetween so they can be folded up and put in one bag

Only painted one side up to now but tbh they look quite good

[happy.plinker]

I made 6 from 1/4 ply a while ago and use them in among fuds and sillo's,they do alright as a pattern filler, but I would think if you only had ply ones then you'd need a lot due to them disapearing being thin.As said above have them facing all over the place.

[celtic invader]

Used them for the past 18 years with generally good results. Mix them up with a few rags and full bodies to create a larger pattern. I hang mine from a small hole cut in the back area and suspended on a 'L' shaped wire slid into a thin ally pole which is staked vertically. (The bit that fixes to the sil has a bend at the tip to keep it in place) The sil decoy then bob's around the stake in a slight breeze creating movement (no good in strong winds so if windy push the stake in deeper so the sil can’t spin around otherwise they will look like miniature merry-go-rounds) The ally pole is hollow and about 6mm in diameter and 500 mm long, spray painted corn stubble colour to blend in with the field.

 

Probably put out about 30 to 40 to fill the spread. Only real danger is what you paint them with as they are flat sided they will reflect the sun no matter what matt paint you use, especially when they are wet. Have a look at the foamies on fleabay, lighter, full bodied, ready painted and realistic. (But not as much fun as making your own)