In the old days, market hunters used boat paddles to pile mud clumps in shallow ponds to make "decoys." Today, successful waterfowlers need to reach deep into their decoy sack of tricks to fool sharp-eyed birds.
For starters, consider decoy species. All across North America, the majority of hunters probably use mallard decoys. Since so many people use mallards, ducks may equate bobbing green heads with death. Instead, pick the common species that inhabit a particular area.
"I like to mix up my species, but that mostly depends upon what I find in scouting," said Jacob Sartain of Mississippi. "If I see a lot of mallards in my area, I'll use mallard decoys. If I see mostly gadwalls in an area, I'll come back with gadwall decoys, but may use some other decoys as well just to give the spread some diversity."
Although many sportsmen hold shovelers in low regard, decoys representing these species can work effectively. Since so few people use shoveler decoys, ducks learn to associate big-billed birds with safety. From long distances, ducks can easily spot the distinctive spoon-shaped bills and whitish coloration.
"People laughed at me when I started putting out shoveler decoys, but they are colorful ducks," explained Charles Snapp of Arkansas. "Birds can see the colors and their big, wide bills. Ducks aren't used to seeing shoveler decoys. All kinds of ducks come to shoveler decoys."
Many old-time hunters set their decoys in V, Y, J, L or I patterns. That works, but don't fret so much over the shape. In the wild, ducks group in pairs or clusters and constantly swim back and forth, obliterating any tidy patterns. Instead, arrange similar species together in small bunches or pairs.
For instance, place several teal in a tight wad off to one side close to the grass. Put some gadwalls on the other side of the blind. Add a few diving ducks in open water at extreme range to serve as shooting markers. Regardless of pattern, leave enough room in the best shooting zone to give newcomers a place to land, right at optimum range!
"I like to build two different blocks of decoys with a landing zone in the middle," Sartain explained. "I always like to position some decoys in shallow water right near the shoreline so it looks like ducks feeding near the grass. We'll string the decoys out from there to lead the birds into the landing zone."
Put Decoys In Motion Adding a little motion to a static decoy spread can also help bring in more birds. More than a decade ago, the electronic decoy phenomenon swept the waterfowl world. Birds could see the flash of spinning wings from long distances. In states that permit the use of electronic decoys, deploy them off to one side, never directly in front of the blind. The motion draws the attention of birds coming in to land. Make ducks focus their attention away from the blind so they don't look into the blind.
To add realistic movement without placing electronic decoys in the spread, some waterfowlers deploy jerk cords. A jerk cord consists of one or more decoys anchored to the bottom and tied to a string stretching back to the blind. Pulling the string makes the decoys bob up and down, creating lifelike rippling in the water.
To set up a jerk cord, secure a pulley or wire hoop device to the bottom about 30- to 35 yards out in the pond. Run a dark or camouflaged sinking cord through the pulley and attach one or more decoys to the line so that the decoys dip into the water like feeding ducks when someone in the blind pulls the cord. Some people may add a small, light bungee cord to make the decoy snap back into place. Some companies sell jerk cord kits containing everything one needs to get started.
Ironically, hunters on public land hold an advantage when it comes to decoys. Even if hunters use the same pond every day of the season, no two will create identical decoy patterns. Therefore, ducks see something different each day.
Even on private land, where many waterfowlers leave decoys out all season, change the pattern frequently. Birds seeing the same pattern each day may grow wary of that pond. Periodically, move a few decoys or swap out species. For instance, use more teal early in the season and more mallards later to give the decoys a different look.
Keep birds guessing. This can put more feathers in the bag.
For a fine selection of Waterfowl gear, click here.