"For Hunters by Hunters"

Duck Decoy Spreads

Tony Hughes, Committee Member

            I think I have killed ducks over just about every kind of decoy spread you could think of setting up. I’ve hunted over 1,000 duck decoys in corn fields, 500 duck decoys in a pond, and 300 duck decoys in a reserve or rice field. Other items I have used for spreads have been white paper donut bags, white paper plates, 5 gallon buckets or tires cut in half on grape stakes, or just goose decoys. Early in the season all of this will kill ducks but I have found that the later in the season it really helps to “Decoy down”. This has always been successful for me, as a matter of fact I start the season small and end the season small. Three dozen decoys is what I use and it works great! I hunt corn fields in the Central Valley and by using only three dozen decoys I never have to leave them out.  This way when the ducks come to feed at night they are not joined by plastic friends waiting to greet them. Ducks do get used to decoy spreads if they are left out, especially in November when the northerns aren’t down. Just try it, smaller can be better. It’s best to break them up so they look relaxed in three’s, four’s and pairs.  Use of a movement device helps, such as a spinner or a pull string. GOOD HUNTING!