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Have some questions on running a multi species fall spread, focusing on snows but interested in other species as well. Will be mainly a snow goose spread, 175 full bodies and up to 800 socks is what I have to use. MOST of what I read (some conflicting opinions) says canadas and specks like to stay on the downwind side of a flock of snows. Most guys also set their blinds on the upwind side of the spread. Doesn't seem like this would offer many shots on canadas.

1) Is it worth running a mixed spread or just hope the darks land in the snow spread?

2) Where do you all place your canadas in a snow spread (I have up to 100 fully flocked avian full bodies as well as 3 dox headed socks)?

3)Where do you place your ducks? Figured I would mix in a couple dozen full bodies close to the blinds since ducks tend to get along with everyone?

4) I have read also that specks tend to react A LOT better when a few speck dekes are used. is half dozen mixed with the canadas enough to get their attention or do you need more?

Thanks in advance!

Interesting question. I'm curious of people's opinions. I have no experience other than when I've gone on spring snow goose hunts, I was always surprised at how many ducks, specks, and Canadas would decoy to the 100% snow goose spread. Also very frustrating to be watching a bunch of pintails working 10 yards over the layouts when you have never shot a drake in your life.

There was a roughly ten year stretch when I ran big white spreads putting out (and picking up) 1,000 to 2,000 pieces for blues/snows and specks nearly every open season day, and my MO was to put my good speck decoys in groups outside the main blue/snow body, both downwind and to either side of the body. We laid out just inside the downwind edge of the big spread to gain better position on wary birds that got to it and smelled the rat.

The pretty downwind specks helped tame everything coming to the less realistic pieces of the big spread, and those to either side, plus good calling, gave the specks reason to cross the guns in it. Also happens to be similar to how most specks and Canadas here orient themselves at the edges of or outside the bodies of real blues and snows. Though some specks will pile right in with them, and when a goose would land in the spread and walk around talking to the socks, rags and shells, it almost always had white cheek patches.