Simple Decoy Spread Solutions for Late-Season Ducks and Geese

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I don’t think tight family groups are going to draw them in this time,” I said to my cohorts. “We’ll have to run a U formation to finish them close or a J hook to at least get them passing left to right.”

Late-season waterfowl hunting poses unique challenges. By now, the birds have seen every decoy spread, heard every call and flared at every poorly concealed blind. Once the late season rolls around, the key is adapting your spread, calling strategy and blind placement to outwit increasingly wary birds. Let’s tackle the first on the list and dive into some late-season decoy strategies that may help you pack out full straps while other hunters are packing it in.

SKINNY-WATER SPREAD

By the time the late season rolls around, most of the teal and pintails have migrated south, leaving us with local and migrating mallards as well as Canada geese. Furthermore, big lakes and slow-moving rivers tend to freeze relatively early in my area of west-central Wyoming. Therefore, we are relegated to hunting ducks and geese on skinny waters—mostly swift-running public canals and spring-fed streams that aren’t much more than knee deep. Many times, ice shelfs form on the shallow edges or along sand bars that provide ducks a loafing spot out of the moving water. In these situations, I have found that a large spread is not always effective. Often, I’ll just run six or a dozen mallard floaters spread out across 30 to 45 yards on these skinny waters, especially when I’m hunting solo. These small spreads give the impression of safety and a natural, relaxed environment, which can be just what a late-season bird is looking for.

Depending on the migration, my buddies and I frequently add goose decoys to the setup. A normal stand may consist of a natural ground blind and decoys spread on the water, ice shelf and sandbar about 30 yards up and downstream of the blind. We’ll run two dozen floating duck decoys and a half-dozen to a full dozen goose floaters spread out in the channel, mostly upstream of our blind. Along the water’s edge, we’ll place two dozen full-body mallard decoys. Some goose sleeper shells and full bodies will be added on the sand bar or ice shelf. Rarely do I employ a spinning-wing decoy late in the season, but when I do I run it at the upstream edge of the spread in the center of the channel. I’ll also throw in a couple feeder butts along the water’s edge if cattails are present. I like a Higdon Pulsator decoy, as it is battery-powered and has a variable timing sequence. The water is normally swift enough to give the decoys good motion, so I don’t use a jerk rig or other motion decoys.

FIELD SPREAD

With the frigid temps typical of the late season, hunting waterfowl over a field setup is a treat. Staying warm and cozy in a ground blind will always beat freezing your butt off in waders alongside icy cold water.

One of the keys to late-season field hunting is the size of decoy spread, but what may be overlooked is how the decoys are set up. My friends and I routinely deploy 10 to 12 dozen full-body goose decoys in our spread, but we’ll cut it down to 4 to 6 dozen as the season progresses. If scouting has indicated that ducks are utilizing the same fields as geese, we’ll throw out up to 5 dozen full-body mallard decoys, randomly mixed in with the goose dekes, to fill in our spread. Furthermore, and depending on field conditions and the number of hunters, we’ll stake out up to five dozen sock decoys around ground blinds to try to remain undetected.

Depending on wind and field conditions, we employ either a modified J-hook, a U or a V spread formation. A modified J-hook is good for when there’s a crosswind and you can’t set up with your back to the wind due to field conditions or the sun. So, instead of birds trying to land into the wind in your face, they circle or pass side-to-side. It allows for open space in front of the blind if they do choose to land, but it also sets a hard wall at the end of the J, almost like a block. We’ll start the short part of the J at about 35 yards and bring the curve into about 15 to 20 yards from the blind, then lengthen the curve in front of the blind out to approximately 30 yards before finishing the long portion out to approximately 40 yards. This can be used with both layout blinds and A-frames, depending on hiding conditions. If using layout blinds, make sure to set up in the long curve of the J and fill in with sock decoys to help cover movement or shadows.

A U or V formation is good when the wind is at your back and the birds can finish in your face. Both allow an open hole in front of the blinds where birds are funneled to land within shooting range. For the U, start by setting decoys out about 40 yards, bring it in and lengthen the curve like with the J formation, then finish the U 40 yards out to the other side. Use ground blinds and socks when setting up in the field within the formation; employ an A-frame when setting up at the field’s edge.

With the V formation, we run lines about 45 yards in either direction from the blind with a small gap in the middle at the vertex—no more than 5 yards wide—in front of the blind. The V formation works best with an A-frame when setting up at the edge of a field. Ground blinds could be deployed if needing to be in close, but again, make sure to use socks to help fill in around the blinds and keep you hidden.

BIG(ISH) WATER SPREAD

If the ice on the lake migrates, the bays aren’t fully locked up or the river has an open hole, birds will often congregate where the ice meets the open water. If this is the only open water around, a large decoy spread is not always necessary, but employing a mix of floaters, full-bodies and sleeper shells can be beneficial.

If hunting from the shore or on the edge of the ice (where safe enough), start by throwing out two to three dozen floaters strung out 30 to 40 yards. The key is to not fill the entire open portion of water with decoys, as you want to encourage migrating birds into the spread. On the shore or ice edge, set out up to five dozen full-body duck decoys, again leaving some room to encourage birds to land. If both honkers and greenheads are in the offing, set out two dozen full-body goose decoys and mix in a dozen sleeper shells. I have found ducks will often decoy into goose spreads if it appears safe. You can also experiment with the spread by leaving a small hole in the floating decoys right in front of the blind with the hopes that they will finish close.

Regardless if you’re targeting ducks or geese, late-season waterfowl hunting is a unique challenge and a hardcore hunter’s opportunity to lengthen the season. Being adaptable by employing new decoy tactics can, in part, keep the adrenaline coursing far into the frigid season.

FAB FAKES

• Top decoy options for highly convincing late-season sets.

Hardcore Waterfowl produces my favorite floating duck decoys. Their Rugged Magnum series ($109.99/6) is oversized to catch birds’ attention from great distances, and the bodies are highly durable. Hardcore also makes the best floating goose decoys, in my opinion, and a half dozen of those will set you back $220.

The Higdon Pulsator Pro ($149.99) and the Mojo Mallard Lite ($149.99) are great options for adding motion to your water spread.

For field decoys, Hardcore’s full-body ducks are again my choice. They have integrated carrying loops and move well on the stand. Over the years I tested a lot of field goose decoys before settling on a mix of Final Approach Full Body Lessers ($200/6) and Avian X AXP Honkers (4) ($299.99/6). To fill in spreads, I run the Dive Bomb Industries S3Fi Flocked Canada Goose Socks (5), which run $95 per dozen.

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This article was featured in the November 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.

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