Field Hunting Decoy

Field Hunting Decoy

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By AJRinella - 7/7/2012 1:11:34 PM

So,
I've hunted rivers since I started duck hunting and this year I joined a club adjacent to the rivers and I have a question about use of different species of decoys.

Obviously, I'll have a spread of puddle ducks and Canadian floaters, the club has killed an occasional diver being right near the river and only a handful of specks.

Would you guys put a half dozen diver decoys to get some different colors out there? Half dozen specks floaters just past the canadians? Or Just stick with the puddle duck decoys?

Thanks,

By arkansashogs18 - 7/9/2012 3:36:27 PM

If it was me, I would not put out any diver decoys -- unless you are really hoping to shoot some divers. I would, however, put out at least a single speck decoy on the edge of your spread, just for the day when you have a group give you a look.

By Alex Hilburn - 7/23/2012 9:52:16 PM

Ringnecks and Redheads are common visitors in flooded fields. Also, a duck can see the black and white decoy bobbing in the water from a lot further out than it can see a mallard. If I'm hunting a spot where divers aren't too prominant, I'll tie a few onto my jerk string, and when I see birds way off, I'll make a huge ruckus, and really try to get that black and white flashing to try and grab their attention.

If you put divers out, I wouldn't put out anymore than a dozen, and I'd put them out seperate from you're puddlers. Run a jerk string through your landing zone, between the divers and puddlers, and tie a couple of each species on it, and give it a shot.

I agree with John on the Specks. You can occasionally pull down a few specks with only a couple decoys, as long as you know how to call. Thats a big key to speck hunting.

By Honker-Konker - 7/25/2012 12:14:20 AM

You know how almost every spread you see looks the same and ducks seem to wise up to them pretty quick. Why not try a spread with a bunch of divers in it. If you can have a natural looking spread that doesn't look like a photo copy of everyone else's than go for it. We don't shoot a lot of divers but we always have divers in our spreads to diversify it from everyone else.

I'm all for having a menagerie of different decoy species in my spread. It's not uncommon for us to have mallards, pintail, ringnecks, redheads, buffleheads, and canada geese all in the same spread. It's paid off more times than it has failed.