One of the most reliable decoy setups on land or water is the Fishhook, also known as a “J Spread.” The Fishhook works best when the wind is angling over the shooter’s shoulder or parallel to the bank. The shank of the fishhook extends downwind.
What decoys work best for ducks?
Dive Bomb Industries – F1 Wigeon Floaters
Many waterfowlers can’t think of duck and goose hunting without thinking about Dive Bomb, and for a good reason: their decoys work incredibly well. If it’s not already in your floater arsenal, one go-to should be the F1 Wigeon.
Who makes the most realistic duck decoys?
Best Overall: GHG Pro Grade XD Series Mallards
GHG might have built the perfect mallard decoy with their Pro Grade XD Series Mallards. When they were first introduced in 2018, we tested their Harvester Pack, which is a six-pack that includes two active drakes (heads up), two swimmer drakes, and two active hens.
What decoys should I have in my spread?
With divers, the decision on species is easy. Put out what’s natural in your area: bluebills, redheads, and/or canvasbacks. (Even when canvasbacks aren’t allowed in the bag, these big, bright decoys will help pull other diving ducks into your spread.)
Are foam filled duck decoys better?
A great foam or cork decoy wrapped in burlap will last you the rest of your life! A standard plastic decoy will have more feather detail and be more realistic.
Should I put goose decoys in a duck spread?
Swan decoys like goose decoys are large, thus making your spread more visible to high-flying or distant ducks. One or two placed a few yards from the edge of your regular spread may draw ducks that would otherwise pass you by.
What are the most expensive duck decoys?
Just three years later, in Guyette & Deeter’s own sale, a duck decoy sold for $803,000, and another example for $830,000 in 2006. To date, the record price for a decoy is $856,000, sold in 2007 by Guyette & Deeter in a joint auction with Christie’s.
What size weights do you need for duck decoys?
Typically, we’ll rig the decoys for about 10 feet of water and use 8- to 12-ounce grapple-hook anchors or vinyl-coated H-shaped weights.
Will ducks land with geese?
Though live birds will mingle, ducks in particular tend to stick together even when they are sharing an area with geese. Setting a couple of loose clusters of mallard decoys within the goose decoys or even off to the side of the geese looks more natural than sprinkling single duck decoys among the geese.
Can you use too many duck decoys?
Packing too many blocks in a small area won’t look natural. Just make sure decoys are visible and look relaxed. Use common sense for in-between scenarios. Two to four dozen blocks will probably work fine in marsh or river backwater situations.
How far should decoys be from blind?
How far should the decoys be from your blind? Well, the quick and simple answer is somewhere between 15-30 yards. Preparing your decoy spread can be fun and straightforward as long as you keep a few basics in mind. You want your decoy spread to appear natural.
Is 12 goose decoys enough?
I’ve done great with 12 decoys per hunter. It takes this many to conceal a hunter in a layout blind. Cochran echoes Bartz’s advice: “You’ve got to be in the center of the bullseye—right where the geese want to go—when you’re hunting with three dozen or fewer decoys.
How many duck decoys should you use?
As far as the number of decoys to use, 12 to 24 puddle duck decoys is a good range for most people, with fewer than 18 being about right for a solo hunter to set up alone.
Do big decoy spreads work?
In fact, their spread is far beyond the realm of practicality for most hunters. However, Powley, a pro staff member with Avery Outdoors, says when it comes to decoy spreads, numbers matter. “In my experience, the more decoys you put out, the more ducks you’re going to pull in.
How do you get high flying ducks to decoy?
10 Surefire Decoy Strategies
- Make Your Spread Visible.
- Keep Water Open around Your Decoys.
- Set a Floating Spread for Canada Geese.
- Use Goose Decoys for Ducks.
- Spread Out Decoys in Flooded Timber.
- Deploy the Ultimate Diver Spread.
- Give Geese Room to Land.
- Deceive Dabblers with Coot Decoys.
Do wood ducks mingle with mallards?
While most dabblers will decoy to mallards, wood ducks much prefer to flock to their own species.
Are wood duck decoys necessary?
Yeah, they’re pretty, and sure, I own a bunch of them, but you really don’t need many wood duck decoys. As mentioned, woodies are extremely place-oriented. If you’re where they want to feed, loaf or travel, they’ll probably plop down into a spread of two decoys just as readily as they’d commit to a 100-block rig.
How do I attract more ducks?
3 Ways to Attract More Ducks to Your Pond
- Increase water clarity. Clear water encourages aquatic plants, aquatic snails and several aquatic insects, which are primary foods of migratory ducks.
- Reduce disturbance. Human activity near a pond can scare away ducks, causing them to relocate elsewhere.
- Add duck food plants.
Do teal and mallards go together?
It’s not uncommon to see bunches of mallards and teal feeding together, he says, so he will often group those species together. “Wood ducks, on the other hand, always seem to be doing their own thing,” Bard explains, “and I keep the black duck decoys separated from the other species as well.
How many goose floaters do I need?
“When geese commit to a spread of eight decoys, they’re right there,” he said. “Everybody’s going to get a shot at them because the birds aren’t spread (out) across the decoys. With 100 decoys, the birds can land on the left side. They can land on the right side.
What is the most expensive duck breed?
One of those animals is the Eider polar duck, a native of Iceland. Hunters spend the entire day looking for this duck in the wilderness and swamps, because of the extremely expensive feathers of these ducks, which can fetch a price no less than gold.