Waterfowl decoy spread

[SteveFlock]

If you were just starting out, what would your decoy spread consist of? How many and what species.

 

[CorbLand]

If you were just starting out, what would your decoy spread consist of? How many and what species.

Match what ducks you have in your area and enough to mimic what they do in your area.

Where I am, we rarely get large flocks, so we usually only put out 2-3 dozen unless we are trying to traffic late season geese.

 

[Hnthrdr]

What habitat do you hunt primarily? Rivers, creeks, sloughs, marsh, ponds, lakes, reservoirs? What are the birds doing in your area? Big migratory flocks, local ducks, early season, mid and late will matter. As far as decoys I like my avian x floaters and I he flat bottom recessed keel ones especially. A dozen- two dozen can be plenty, big water usually means big spreads to me, small water, smaller spreads. Remember think of them as traffic cones, position them in a way that will allow the birds you are decoying to approach and land with ease. I was a duck hunting idiot before I got into anything else and ducks will frustrate you to no end some days especially educated birds, but best reward is decoying birds hands down, noting like a fully committed fully cupped up duck or ducks diving into your decoys. You want to go down the rabbit hole let me know I love talking decoys and tinkering with spreads. Oh also duck hunting more than just about anything your hide/ blind matters a ton, be in the shade, don’t move and don’t be flashing your face up at the birds.

 

[shader112]

What area are you hunting? Walk in, boat in, hunting from a boat? If walking in, I'd suggest investing in a jet sled, marsh seat, jerk rig, 1 doz texas rigged mallards and another 6-12 of species in the area. Teal are always good as they are smaller and lighter. The jet sled makes lugging stuff around much easier. Maybe a spinner too, teal love the spinner

 

[Sunshine40]

Match the species your getting in your area. Also I'm a big fan of keeping my spread simple. If you are in a area where your getting huge flocks, decoy big. I live in an area where we only get ducks coming in by the half dozen or so so I keep my spread small. Maybe a dozen and a half birds. I like to decoy in a "V" pattern tl make the ducks drop where I want in the middle. Also in small spreads I don't like using animated decoys. I think they stick out too much and hurt you more then help you.

 

[CorbLand]

I have killed quite a few ducks over 3-5 decoys and a spinner. I am a believer in spinners personally but sometimes they aren’t what the ducks want and you pull them.

 

[tim64]

Depends on the body of water, generally bigger water = more decoys. I would try to match species but not required. My experience is that spinners are mor effective early mid season. They seem to shy away from them late

 

[Billy Goat]

Black painted 2 liter bottles.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I have killed quite a few ducks over 3-5 decoys and a spinner. I am a believer in spinners personally but sometimes they aren’t what the ducks want and you pull them.

I have had success pulling decoys, sometimes they get used to seeing 2 doz, and the spread of 4 looks more natural. Used to love spinners they were magic but often they are duck repellent these days… too many in use and too many getting skybusted over they act like anti decoys

 

[WTFJohn]

If you want to use a Mojo/spinner, cut it off around daylight if no cloud cover. You can leave it out or pull it, if you leave it out turn the wings feather side up. In any direct sun, they may as well be strobe lights. Match your decoys to local birds, both in flock size and species. Extras: Texas rigs. A good dog. Don't be afraid of little to no calling.

 

[Billy Goat]

I have had success pulling decoys, sometimes they get used to seeing 2 doz, and the spread of 4 looks more natural. Used to love spinners they were magic but often they are duck repellent these days… too many in use and too many getting skybusted over they act like anti decoys

Spinners are for juvies.


Long time ago, they sucked them in like an attractor magnet.

Now, it's just young birds, and depending on the latitude you are hunting, it will flare them faster than bring them in.


I use smaller spreads now, birds get a lot more pressure than they ever use to.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Spinners are for juvies.


Long time ago, they sucked them in like an attractor magnet.

Now, it's just young birds, and depending on the latitude you are hunting, it will flare them faster than bring them in.


I use smaller spreads now, birds get a lot more pressure than they ever use to.

Yep Colorado public land is a grinder on those poor birds haha, but super rewarding when you can get them to decoy

 

[Reburn]

once the sun is cresting the horizon the spinners get picked up here. They flare birds after sunrise.

 

[KurtR]

Spinners work better here when we get the sun on them they will come from along ways away. Geese hate them.

I don’t even put duck decoys out field hunting just geese and 2-10 spinners depending on the day. Mix of silo and full body’s

 

[Kurts86]

Depending on the hunt location and transportation 1-4 dozen of the best flocked head mallard decoys I can get and some non spinning wing motion decoy like a swimmer, jerk cord, flock a flickers is my preference.

Spinning wing decoys were incredibly effective 20-25 years ago and now they no longer are. They are a sometimes tool depending on pressure, lighting conditions and the spread.

I think the hide matters more than the decoy spread if you are close to the right spot.

 

[bwhntMT]

Less than you think you need. Put more time into being where the ducks want to be and getting your hide right. I think giant decoy spreads are more the result of marketing than they are the result of proven effectiveness.

 

[OneGunTex]

Get more hen decoys than drakes. Drakes look cool, but you quack like a hen.

I've bought a lot of beat up used plastic decoys for $20/doz and repainted them (primarily with matte house paints). More beautiful and more durable than the storebought ones.

Of course, then I got obsessed and built V-boards and tarred coke bottles and cut silhouettes and started carving foam decoys. Nobody is quite as gear obsessed as the duck hunters.

 

[SteveFlock]

Appreciate all the information. Keep it coming. We will be prodominately walking or kayaking into locations.

 

[E.Shell]

Black painted 2 liter bottles.

LOL, the hundreds of sea ducks we've killed over strings of bleach bottles...

We get small groups of divers where we usually hunt (tidal creeks in a salt marsh) and use about 20 decoys pretty successfully.