Goose hunting - dog blinds

[Erik Nilsson]

Ground Force Dog Blind for me.
Super easy set up, you can use the standard kennel pad inside for late season, the snow cover slips right over and has the stubble straps like th blind itself. This year I picked up the Ghillie cover for it. Pretty sweet set up.

[Newf]

I typically hunt out of an Avery finisher on field shoots. It's just not quite big enough for me and the dog to be comfortable. For ducks he lays on the ground behind me and everything is fine.

Thanks for the input folks! Will be watching for bargains on Cabelas and eBay!

[thebigcat]

I own a GHG Low Profile, Avery Finisher, FA Mutt Hut (the orginial one, this is the one that Avery based their GHG low profile on, but only has a front door), FA Mutt Hut 2.
None of these compare to the Rig Em Right Bully Dog.

It's wayyy too heavy. When you have to walk in to hunt, it's too much on top of decoys, blind bag, gun, etc

[vergy]

Just my own opinion, but if you dog is sitting quietly and not moving, I would look somewhere else for the reason geese are flaring your setup. I have decoyed TONS of geese right into decoy spreads over the years with a dog sitting in plain sight. I do not think a dog scares a goose at all. Many of my set ups have been in wheat or barley fields (yellow stubble) or over snow cover with a black dog, so I know that a goose or duck should be able to see the dog clearly and they still do not hesitate to come in as long as the dog sits, and more importantly the people hunting are well hidden and do not move. My opinion again is that a dog blind is a waste of money, more gear to haul and can hinder the ability of the dog to mark.

I agree with above. My partner and I shoot over 150 honkers a year and I have the dogs. I take turns with two of them, They lay right next to my blind. I put a few dekes around them to break up their outline, other than that they lay still. Every year I have geese almost land on my blind and have had several land within a few feet of my dogs. A blind is just another item to drag out, and stick out. If birds are flaring-your dog is moving, or something isn't right. Do you have cover (wheat, corn etc) in every loop of blind? Also pile up grass, corn whatever around edge of your blind where it touches ground. What spooks geese the most is the profile of the blind. (how they stand UP) So you really need to fill them and fill around them.

[Meleagris1]

It's wayyy too heavy. When you have to walk in to hunt, it's too much on top of decoys, blind bag, gun, etc

GHG Ground Force - 6.5lbs

Rig Em Right Field Bully - 8lbs

Avery finisher - 5lbs

FA Mutt Hutt II - 4lbs

The Field Bully is the best designed blind I have seen, but like others have said I just have the dog lay behind me. His camo vest breaks his outline pretty well, and being a coco dog he is the perfect color for field hunts.

[dtrkyman]

Never had an issue with my dog being right in the dekes.

[Darin Westphal]

I have the GHG Ground Force as well. I decided that I need to get the snow cover for it as I hit it with some flocking for a hunt earlier this week and it just didn't look as good as I had hoped, but for the dog it's awesome and gets them out of the wind a bit. I just put it either directly behind me or just off my shoulder so I can talk to the dog while birds work and give any "reminders" as necessary.

[jacduck]

wetdog says "Just my own opinion, but if you dog is sitting quietly and not moving, I would look somewhere else for the reason geese are flaring your setup."

and he is absolutely correct, tain't the dog it is something else. Mostly I see hunter movement as the problem followed by educated birds. Course I only hunt around 130 days a year and therefore have little experience. Ducks all over, big geese in MI and ND and specs and snows in TX. Lessons learned, don't use the same spread as everyone else or get into a spread rut. ie here in TX mostly snow goose spreads are 150 to 250 decoys per hunter. I use about 60-75 total. Had several 50 plus bird shoots last year. Also helps to be on the X and if you are not a GREAT caller stuff your call in the back seat of your truck.

Oh yeah, I also wear my california camo often in the field with no change in results.