Help with deek setup.

[cliffordingles]

So i just got permission to hunt a private field today, My 2 boys who are 6 and 7 came with me. The birds were lovin my decoy spread but just kept circling forever then land outta range in a little kicker pond... Thats was my problem the whole time! Even my boys were getting pissed lol.

The field im hunting has like a large shallow oval pond and then off the main pond at the top right of it there is a smaller swallower pond, every duck there was today wanted to go there... I only bagged 3 mallards outta the 70 or so that came in and outta that small pond.

How should i setup on this pond to bring all the ducks to where i want them?

All i have for decoys right now are 13 mallards, 4 geese floaters and alot of land geese.

Thanks for reading and im looking forward to any suggestions.

[steeleywhopper]

Try using less decoys. If the birds want in less can be more.

[ghosthunter]

Try puttin a lot of decoys where you do not want the ducks and less where you do.

[cliffordingles]

I was only using the 13 mallards and the 4 geese decoys.

[NW-GSP]

Putt most of your decoys in the puddle you are not hunting and only like three in the one you are hunting. They also might have been seeing something they did not like.
Could be a little if your face showing or your sons, I am sure they were moving there heads around watching them fly ( even I have a hard time not doing it  )

[cliffordingles]

lol, I dont think the movment was the issue. The blind we use is a 4 foot fence hidden in grass and the top is covered by tree's, It's a slick setup.

I thought about putting my deek's in the little pond just like you stated NW-GSP, but my concern is having them land over there still lol.

When picking up my deeks i did find a bunch of that orange hay bail twine, I picked all that up to get rid of it.

[lokidog]

Hunt where the birds want to be?      Might be harder to hide there but that is where the birds want to go.

[h2ofowlr]

Set up where the birds want to be that would be a good start.  Use the 12 duck decoys and tie a jerk string to one to add movement.  Make sure your well hidden and they should come in.  With only 12 decoys it is easy to pick them up quickly and move to the spot their going.  If it's to deep, drag in a float tube or small boat to retrieve or use a fishing rod and use light pencil lead for weights for that area.  Good luck.

[JLS]

but my concern is having them land over there still lol.

These guys already hit it, if the ducks want to land in the other pond then that's where you should be hunting them.

[cliffordingles]

I'de try to make a layout blind or something to get to that water but the thing is im getting my boys into duck hunting now...

Thanks for all the input guys!

[Skagit_Hunter]

put the geese in the other pond. and the ducks on the far edge of the pond your hunting. leaving your end open.

[cliffordingles]

Thanks I'll try that!!!

[Spuddieselwwu]

 

put the geese in the other pond. and the ducks on the far edge of the pond your hunting. leaving your end open.

[jplmyers]

I keep having a similar issue on a marsh I hunt and thought the same thing... the birds keep going from my selected site, to another, shallower part on the far side.  Rarely even get closer than 200 yards despite a well-camo'd blind, decent setup, etc.  Didn't make sense to me until I reconnoitered the other side.

My side... about 6-8 feet deep pond surrounded by tule, near a gravel road exposed from overhead.  Other side... 2-4 feet deep flooded small trees, tule, and overhanging oaks with the road concealed by forest.  My reasoning after analyzing the terrain?  All the diver ducks are landing on the huge lake less than 1/4 mile away and thus never considering the marsh.  All the puddle ducks are going on the far side because they can see the submerged food sources and seclusion.  My plan this week?  Move sites, kick up some mud, put out some feeder dekes, ditch the blind and use available cover to hammer them where they are already landing on their own.

It may not be what you're doing other than hanging out where they don't want to be.  I suggest getting on Google Earth or other aerial imagery site to find out what the ducks are seeing, or simply hunt the other pond if you can.

[cliffordingles]

The site im hunting is just a flooded field, no roads, no trees just grass. The edge of the pond touches a hillside and thats where the blind is.

I think the ducks just want to go there because its really shallow... I just bought another dozen deeks so maybe that will help me lol.