How To Set Up Duck Decoys
Building your duck decoy spread in the off-season
The pursuit of duck hunting is full of equipment and tools that may seem intimidating to a new hunter. From calls to waders, duck hunters frequently have strong and varying opinions on what equipment is best, what equipment isn't worth the money, and everything in between. This goes double for duck decoys.
Commencement, it should be said (and very clearly) that whatsoever legal methods and equipment that piece of work for you–and you prefer–are fine. This goes for shotguns, shells, cover-up, and your decoys. Duck decoys are peradventure one of the nearly loved however hated pieces of equipment in the waterfowling world. Every waterfowler loves the experience of watching ducks cup up and commit to a carefully set decoy spread. And we all hate tangled messes of decoy lines and weights hanging off of leaky decoys with chipped paint stuffed into a mesh bag, creating a level of frustration all its own.
Permit'due south accept a look at duck decoy basics, considerations for a new hunter, and some truths nigh duck decoys taken from decades of experience in the field.
Puddle Ducks
For the purposes of this how-to we will consider puddle duck hunting. Pool ducks, or dabbling ducks, are the about commonly pursued duck by hunters in North America. Establish in all 4 North American flyways, puddle ducks include pop species such as wigeon, gadwall, teal, pintail, northern shoveler, wood duck, and the ever pop mallard.
Other types of ducks that are no less sporting but possibly lacking in their popularity backside puddle ducks include diver ducks and bounding main ducks. Information technology'southward worth mentioning that many ringneck ducks, canvasbacks, scaup, and redhead diver ducks have fallen in a spread of puddle duck decoys, thus providing the basis for an argument that the most effective decoy spread for fresh water waterfowlers is 1 made up of dabbler duck decoys. There certainly is no harm in adding a few diver duck decoys to the outside edge of your mallard spread in hopes of a mixed bag.
Choosing Duck Decoys
The off-season is the perfect time to practice some enquiry and decide which decoys to put to work on opening 24-hour interval. There are many factors to consider that may non be top of mind in the warm days of summer, simply can make a big departure this flavour when those common cold fronts start to button birds into your area. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Decoy Species and Gender
For most hunters, the epitome of a mallard drake decoy with an irised green head is what duck decoys are all about, and there is no doubt that fully plumed mallard drake decoys are effective. For the most part mallard ducks are social, song, and a steady bellwether for the hunting in an area.
When building a dabbler duck spread, starting with mallards is a fantastic style to become. New decoys are often sold in packs of a dozen. Mostly speaking they will run half drakes and half hens. While it may seem like a improve idea to run but drake decoys for their heart communicable vivid colors, consider that in early season the drake's plumage is not about as pronounced in colour, and in belatedly season the biology of the breeding season may brand a hen decoy much more enticing. In that location is some theory that in the late season, 6 or eight hen decoys mixed with only ii or three mallard drake decoys may be more constructive than drake decoys alone.
Other decoys that can bring a lot of character and realism to your spread might include a four pack of green-winged teal or wigeon, and maybe a pair of pintails. By mixing in two or three other species in a limited number, your spread can get more inviting to a larger variety of ducks and give a more realistic impression of migrating birds.
Plastics, Prophylactic, or Foam-Filled Decoys
The decoy construction material can play a number of factors when it comes to the hunt as well equally off-season storage. Although early decoys were fabricated of things like cork or wicker, contemporary decoys utilize modernistic materials similar plastics and rubber.
Unlike materials have a diversity of pros and cons. Have into consideration the durability of the material, not only of the decoy itself but too the paint, keel, and where the decoy line is designed to attach. Spending hard-earned money on decoys that crack, leak, or have their weight attachment points split in a season or two tin can exist disheartening. Foam-filled decoys take the chance out of leaky decoys, but you sacrifice weight and portability. Hard plastics are durable but can become brittle in frigid temperatures. No matter what blazon of decoy you choose, give careful consideration to the durability of the paint and finish.
Choosing Decoy Weights, Lines, and Rigs
Duck decoys must exist rigged with some type of weight and line to proceed them tethered when you place them into a torso of h2o, preventing them from floating abroad. When choosing the type of decoy line and weight rigs, at that place are a few factors to consider:
- Typical Hunting Location – If y'all're primarily hunting shallow marshes with flooded vegetation, small-scale ponds, sloughs, or other shallow water with flooded vegetation, chances are yous can go abroad with shorter rigs and lighter weights. Texas rigs work not bad in this situation.
- Wind and Current – High winds and stiff currents volition play havoc on light decoy weights and brusque lines. These situations call for heavier anchors and longer cables or cords. Late season hunts over swift h2o require longer decoy line lengths to keep from pulling the front of your decoys down into the h2o. Potent current of air currents on larger bodies of water can be problematic, particularly on hard bottom areas where a lighter weight won't concur. If you plan on hunting large reservoirs, consider heavier decoy anchors–vi or 8 ounces of weight should hold.
- Water Depth – Puddle ducks typically frequent waters that could be considered just that: "puddles." However, you may likewise find yourself hunting over deeper h2o, perhaps a channel through a reservoir, or a steep-sided creek or river. Deep water hunts call for longer lines, commonly wrapped around the keel and fastened to a heavy weight.
Decoy Weight and Line Styles
Decoy line and weights, or "rigs," can be equally simple as a section of string and a fishing sinker, and equally complicated every bit whatever variety of wiggle line fabricated to add together move to your spread. For simplicity, let'due south focus on the two primary types of decoy rigs.
Texas Style Decoy Rigs
Texas rigs consist of a length of solid vinyl cord or vinyl coated steel cablevision with a loop on i or both ends and a sliding weight of iv ounces or more. For the best action on the water, Texas rigs tin be attached to decoys with large surf swivels that slide up and downwardly the cablevision length, allowing the decoy to swivel on the water'south surface with just a slight breeze.
Texas rigs are convenient, easy to store, and are known for their power to remain untangled in the bottom of a boat, the back of your truck, or when in storage. This manner of rig really shines when it's time to selection up decoys. Gripping the duck decoy past the neck or the head, lift information technology out of the water and clip the top loop onto a carabiner. Texas rigs allow y'all to option up decoys chop-chop, oft without even getting your easily wet!
Keel Line Rigs
The traditional keel line decoy rig is uncomplicated and constructive. A line or string is attached to the decoy keel either directly with a knot or with a swivel for more than action. Cut the string to the length of the deepest water yous plan on hunting and necktie a weight on the opposite end; it'due south as elementary as that.
Strap weights or long stalk mushroom weights piece of work well for this blazon of decoy rig. To option upward and store keel line rigged decoys, y'all lift the decoy out of the water, wrap the line around the keel, and ideally curve the soft lead strap over the end of the keel to hold everything in place. Keel line rigs work well over deeper water where Texas rigs tin can be impractical; they exercise, however, have more than of a tendency to get tangled in storage.
Your Style of Duck Hunting
We've discussed considerations when it comes to the type of ducks yous intend to imitate in your decoy spread, the right materials for decoy structure, and how to rig your decoys to an anchor. But what is the correct decoy setup for your manner of hunting?
There are several elements to consider when it comes to the best duck decoys for your spread selection: hunting style, hunting location, and conveyance to and from the blind.
Decoy Weight – Are yous a pack-in, public marsh hunter, or are you excited to get after the ducks at a private spot with vehicle access to the blind? The weight and size of your decoys play a vital part in your power to exist mobile. When it comes to out-of-the-way spots in a marsh or a pond, sometimes less is more, and having the flexibility to motility and adjust is more than critical than a large spread of decoys. Lighter decoys allow yous to be more mobile and pack further from crowded areas of public hunting spots. Bigger, heavier decoys are often more than durable and may take more than abuse.
Mobility – For the hunter with mobility in mind, look for slightly smaller decoys that are lighter weight. If you're hunting in shallow flooded vegetation such as a marsh, y'all can oftentimes get by with just 2 ounces of weight on Texas rigs. Some decoys are fifty-fifty marketed as packable, allowing for a certain corporeality of deflation when you're packing everything up. Be careful about weak or complicated valve systems, and imagine yourself thigh-deep in a common cold December marsh trying to inflate or deflate decoys with numb fingers. Mixing in smaller teal decoys with half a dozen mallard decoys can requite your spread a bigger look while saving on space and weight.
Larger Spreads – Peradventure you've got some neat individual access where an ATV or even a pickup can drive right down to the blind. Duck hunting lends itself well to brute comforts like bullheaded heaters, comfortable chairs, and fifty-fifty camp stoves for coffee and breakfast if you lot are fortunate enough to take access to the right location. For this type of hunter, large spreads of heavy decoys are not an consequence. Consider magnum type decoys for improve visibility from passing bird and foam-filled decoys for their durability. Rigging with heavy 6 or 8 ounce weights will ensure your decoys volition remain in place fifty-fifty in gusty winds and big waves.
Conveyance – How do you lot program to transport your decoys to your hunting spot? Some options include a decoy purse over your shoulder, a cart, a sled pulled past hand or an ATV, or peradventure y'all plan to employ a boat or a kayak. Recall, decoys are only part of the gear you'll need for the chase. Piling decoys on top and effectually your shotgun, blind bag, and perhaps your duck domestic dog in a canoe, kayak, or boat can be interesting. Keep your planned mode of transportation in mind when you're deciding which decoys, and how many, to take into the field next season.
Final Thoughts
Duck hunting is full of tradition and heritage, including the use of decoys. From ultra-realistic fully flocked decoys, to hand carved and painted works of art, choosing the right decoys and decoy rigs for your spread is a personal conclusion. 1 matter is for sure, though: you can never take enough decoys!
Last modified: June sixteen, 2022
Source: https://endlessmigrationhunt.com/waterfowl-hunting-how-to/how-to-select-the-right-duck-decoys/
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