Texas Rag Goose Decoys

[MCgunner]

I used to buy 'em from Mack's Prairie Wings. But, they aren't offered anymore. I think the company that sold 'em might have gone out of business, don't know. I had 150 of 'em, but they're i disrepair. I dug 'em out since I'm going to be doing a lot of goose hunting this season and out of 150, 30 were torn and worn. I salvaged the dowel rods they're tied to. Got to looking and they're shaped simply enough with staples along the bottom edge, just a white plastic bag with an black X at the back (simulates the wing tips) tied to a dowel rod you stick in the ground. On a windy day, they act as wind socks and look amazingly realistic and 200 of 'em can be hauled in a large decoy bag, not bulky like other deeks. Unlike cloth rags, they don't soak up water and get heavy.

So, I bought 90 dull white tall kitchen Glad trash bags at Walmart, got some black paint, and some staples for my stapler and just made up 10 replacements in pretty short order. I've got the technique down pretty well after messing with it. I've got 20 more to replace, then I think I'll buy some more dowel rods Sunday after church and see if I can make up another 50 for the season, though 150 has worked quite well in the past. More the marrier, but there is a point at which I don't wanna put out anymore in the morning. it's sort of a hassle compared to just chunking out a few duck deeks and going duck hunting. But, I'm so looking forward to shootin' some geese this season.

25 years ago, all the outfitters were using these "Texas Rags". They work fabulously. I've been in spreads of a thousand of 'em. AND, they're not expensive to make, nor were they to buy when I bought these. Full body deeks are expensive AND not nearly as portable. I've hunted with outfitters as soon as 6 years ago that were using Texas Rags mixed with some full bodies. Full bodies are nice, but not in my budget and too bulky and a pain, couldn't possibly get as many out as with the Texas Rags. Wish I could find 'em new online, but I've done some google searching of "Texas Rag goose decoys" and "windsock goose decoys" and come up blank. I'd probably buy another 50, but heck, I know I can make 'em.

 

[41 Mag]

Years ago when I was still a little into the goose thing I made up a bunch like that myself. Had a friend who hauled me out to the Eagle Pass area for a guided hunt and after putting out a ton of each I, like you, found the rags MUCH easier to deal with and worked equally as well.

I made up around 75-100 or so and used them once before deciding I had had enough of the goose thing. Don't get me wrong it was a hoot, but I had other things in life that took precedence, and I just didn't get back into it.

I do however now have the chance to put out as big a spread as I want in a friends place. I just don't really want to jump back into it since it would require me to set up a dedicated shotgun. The old Belgium made Browning Auto 5 I have now will never see steel shot.

 

[MCgunner]

In the late 70s/early 80s I was living in Brazoria working for Dow Chemical in process research, was hunting waterfowl a lot. They opened up San Bernard NWR for goose hunting and I had a small boat to get down the creek there. So, a guy at work and I got together to hunt geese. He'd read some article in an outdoor magazine about making deeks out of paper tins. Paper tins is how news papers USED to print. LOL Doubt you could find any, now. I made some up, too, cut 'em out of the tins and stapled the fronts, painted. Even made necks and heads for 'em out of paper tins.

They worked great. You'd tie a stick either end of a rope, put the rope through the holes where the necks go, and you could carry 75-100 of 'em, but the danged things were HEAVY, being metal. They did work well, though. BUT, they didn't move around. These rags are like a wind sock, move with the wind and look more alive. If the wind isn't blowing, we just lay 'em out on the ground, but if it's blowing good, sure makes 'em look nice. And, I don't know that I could haul 150 of those paper tin deeks out into a field anymore without risk of back surgery. We were young, and dumb, though, back then stumbling through the salt grass with those paper tins. Come home after one of those hunts and, dang, you'd collapse in the bed for hours. LOL

There was a roost other side of the creek that was off limits down at San Bernard WMA. We'd set up on a peninsula that jutted back into that roost area a ways and when the geese got up, they'd be all over us. There were so many snows down there, they filled the sky. The noise of 'em when they all got up was deafening. Was something to behold, though.

I still have a boat, but Brazoria is a ways from here, about 100 miles, and I ain't in to that much work at my age anymore. I'll be hunting private rice/grain fields this season, drive up and walk out, no boats to mess with and no salt grass to stumble over.