These are just my observations-experiences hunting snows and not a hard and fast this is how you should do it but merely a few tips based on my experiences.
After a decade of living in snow country and hunting both fall and spring seasons I have noticed I do not get any more or better shooting opportunities hunting over 1000+ decoys as I do hunting over 50. I've hunted in spreads with a mix of 300+ fullbodies and over 1000 mixed socks and silos combined. Aside from alot more work to set up they offered no better opportunities than hunting over 50 full bodies and I am certain I could kill as many over just 20.
Realism, aka a good looking fullbody decoy such as the Avian X with a good stake system that allows the decoy to wobble and bob side to side in the wind and a well concealed blind or hiding position will provide you as many and as good of opportunity as any.
I no longer hunt from layout blinds or backboards as first off I just don't care for that style of hunting any longer as I approach 60 years of age with 60 year old aches and pains from years of neglecting and abusing myself and secondly the birds are looking extremely close at your spread and with so many eyes looking the first one that notices something amiss takes every bird in the flock away with him. I hunt from my A-frame blind, extremely well covered and concealed and I can stand to shoot and be seated comfortably on a nice chair while working birds or waiting to shoot.
We are allowed e-callers in AB and SK so I run a Foxpro out in the decoys set on nothing more than a single bird, double bird or occasionally a small flock sound file. I find snows are so noisy I don't think most times they even hear it when approaching in numbers but it definitely works on singles, pairs and small flocks not coming in with a big group.
We can use dark decoys in spring too but I don't bother. In fall I will add them if there is dark geese feeding on the same spot but again I have gone to just small realistic spreads of fullbodies. I still own some silos for dark geese but rarely use them unless I feel I need to bulk up but I am finding I do as good over just a few dozen fullbodies as bulking up and adding 10-20 dozen silos to the spread. My entire snow spread now consists of nothing but 50 Avian X fullbodies. I sold all my socks, silos and flyers.
As a note of interest I have heard rumors through very reliable sources of an outfitter in SK who in the spring hunt is doing very well over nothing more than 80 fullbody decoys with his clients killing limits day in and day out. Like myself and my buddies have discovered through trial and error the birds are used to big spreads signalling danger and we are finding much better success by downsizing tremendously and making sure we are extremely well hidden.
We do not worry about being right on the X as snows are tough to pattern and when the pressure is on especially come spring they rarely feed in the same spot for more than an hour before jumping fields. It's a real game of hopscotch. Instead we observe closely the flight path. The birds will almost always use the same line of approach from the roost to the restaurant of their choosing. We position ourselves as close to getting right under that line of approach and set the blind in heavy cover if possible under the flight line on the field. Then out comes the cordless hedge trimmers and we match the blind to the surroundings and place our decoys about 50 yards downwind of the blind. Snows are notorious for hanging up outside your spread in a very slow almost hovering approach at height. If you are under them as they are doing that you are going to get some good overhead shooting at angles of 60-90 degrees at ranges to 45 yards and a load of #2's through a mod choke will fold them well at those ranges.
The first pic is 50 Avian X fullbody decoys with two lucky duck spinning wing decoys in the spread and a Foxpro e-caller. The decoys were about 40-50 yards behind the blind and we hammered birds almost hovering overhead from 10-45 yards surveying the spread. Juvies react well to the spinners we have found.
The second pic is after packing up, this was our 4th and final snow hunt of the season last fall with my buddies from Ontario. They had a great time killing snows and we cannot wait to get together again this coming season and get after them once again.
The third pic is my two A-frame blinds pushed together end to end in a brush line between two fields under the birds line of approach from the roost. Concealment is key and as you can see the blinds are extremely well brushed in and hidden with good top cover to conceal the shooters from prying eyes overhead. Most of our shots take place at 60-80 degrees overhead as the birds approach into the wind with our decoys placed behind us.
