Goose Decoys
Short version: Higdon makes each goose decoy on this shelf, with options for Canada, snow, blue and specklebelly geese. Match the species you hunt, then the style to your ground. Full-bodies anchor a field spread, half-shells and socks bulk it up without filling the truck, FLATS silhouettes add numbers fast, and floaters cover the water. A few FLATS motion silhouettes finish the look.
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hunting decoys · goose silhouette decoys · motion decoys · decoy rigging · goose calls · layout blinds · duck decoys · decoy bags
Full Body Goose Decoys, Shells or Silhouettes
Most good field spreads use more than one style. Full body goose decoys give geese the most realistic look from the ground and the air, so they belong closest to the hole where birds finish. Shells and Shock Socks carry the volume behind them. Flat silhouettes extend the edges, cost the least space per bird and set up fastest when you are racing daylight. The table shows how the Higdon lines on this page fall into each role.
| Style | Higdon lines here | Species offered |
|---|---|---|
| Full-body | APEX Full-Size, Alpha Magnum variety pack | Canada, snow, specklebelly |
| Shells | Full-Size Half-Shell, Magnum Half-Shell, sleeper packs, Alpha Wobbler full-form shell | Canada, snow |
| Socks | Shock Socks, 12-packs | Canada, snow |
| Silhouettes | FLATS standard, motion and flocked motion | Canada, snow/juvie/blue, specklebelly |
| Floaters | Full-Size floaters, Alpha Magnum floaters | Canada, snow, blue, specklebelly |
| Goose butts | Magnum Goose Butt, 2-packs | Canada, snow, specklebelly |
| Clone | Clone goose decoys | Canada, snow, blue, specklebelly |
| Specialty | Pulsator PRO, Battleship Swimmer PRO, Feather Flyers | Canada (Pulsator, Swimmer), snow (Feather Flyers) |
Canadas, Snows and Specks Want Different Spreads
Canada geese tend to decoy to family-sized groups, so a modest spread with good spacing and a landing hole often beats a bigger one. Snow geese are the opposite problem. They travel in huge flocks, and hunters answer with volume, which is where Shock Socks, half-shells and the snow FLATS earn their keep. Specklebellies sit in between and are famously wary of anything that looks wrong, so mixing full-bodies with the speck FLATS and a few Magnum Goose Butt decoys gives them variety to study. Match the species on the product name to the birds in your area before buying in bulk.
Goose Shell Decoys and Floaters for Water
Roost ponds, rivers and sandbars call for floaters. The Higdon Full-Size and Alpha Magnum goose floaters come in four-packs, and the blue floater pack is foam filled. Rig them with line and weights from the decoy rigging shelf, sized to the deepest water you set in. On land, half-shells and sleeper packs give the field spread resting birds, which tells incoming geese the spot is calm.
Finishing the Goose Setup
Decoys get geese to look. Calling and concealment close the deal. Pair this shelf with short reed goose calls, a low-profile spot from our waterfowl blinds, and waterfowl choke tubes for the shot. Cold field mornings justify hand warmers and a pair of hunting bibs. If you hunt ducks and geese from the same blind, the duck hunting gear page pulls the rest of the kit together.
Goose Decoys FAQs
How many goose decoys do I need?
For Canadas, a few dozen well-placed decoys can be plenty. For snow geese, hunters often run spreads in the hundreds, which is why socks and silhouettes are popular there.
Are full body goose decoys worth the money over shells?
They give the most realism per decoy and work well at the front of the spread. Shells cost less space and are easier to haul, so many hunters run a core of full-bodies backed by shells.
Can I use goose decoys on water?
Use floaters on water. Full-bodies, shells and silhouettes are built for land, sandbars and shorelines.