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Author Topic: differance  (Read 1968 times)

Offline bowhunter851

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differance
« on: November 03, 2013, 05:44:11 PM »
whatis the difference between puddle ducks and divers?  also is laying a spread with a bunch of different species a good idea?
Jon Henderson

Offline sakoshooter

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Re: differance
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2013, 06:13:28 PM »
Divers skin harder than puddle ducks.
Supper time so I'll get more on this in a few minutes.
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Offline waoutdoorsman

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Re: differance
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2013, 06:16:19 PM »
I usually run my divers in a separate group than my puddler decoys. I have a variety of puddlers I group together and I mix the diver species together within the diver group. But I've mixed a handful of diver decoys with my puddlers and good results it just depends what you see the ducks doing on your particular lake or pond and try to mimic it
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Offline 270Shooter

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Re: differance
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2013, 06:20:02 PM »
Divers have smaller wings and big feet so they can dive really deep. Usually takes them longer to take off, puddle ducks have bigger wings and small feet generally stick to shallower water. Divers are usually pretty dumb and some are sort of looked down upon by the duck hunting gods. Although I love some redheads and canvasbacks. I usually don't hesitate to shoot a ringer or a blue bill either. Would not recommend shooting goldeneye unless you want to get one mounted.

Offline bowhunter851

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Re: differance
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2013, 06:49:29 PM »
ok that makes more sence thanks guys   
Jon Henderson

Offline sakoshooter

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Re: differance
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2013, 07:27:21 PM »
Supper's over. Darn that halibut was good.
Good points already so I won't repeat any of it.
Puddlers: Mix em up. If you're basically in a mallard area but other varieties are also in the area, don't hesitate to put a small group of them off to the side or right next to the mallards. Widgeon for example will steal food from divers and when they can, from puddlers so they'll almost always decoy to other species decoys but a few of their own kind are a better draw.
A few drake pintails decoys mixed in with your mallards can make a huge difference in decoying pintails. I don't worry too much about the hen pin decoys as they're similar enough to mallard hens that I don't think they can tell the difference until they're within shotgun range They will group with others but really like their own kind.
GW teal mix well with any puddler spread but I like to keep them tight together and next to the shore or water line as that's where they like to feed - right at the water line.
As season progresses I like to set up a string of divers(any kind will do)just on the outside of the main spread but I usually line them up with the opening I leave for new birds to land in. Kind of defines the landing zone a little more. Closes in the outside of it.
The size of your spread is determined by the size of the water you're hunting - big spread on big water, small spread on smaller bodies of water. Also, if you've got huge flocks of new migrating birds in the area, a large spread can be a great draw for the short time they stay.
The size of the opening(landing zone)is determined by the size of your spread and spot you're set up in but bigger is better. Too small of a landing zone and you'll have birds landing outside of your spread. I also like to set a pair of whatever in the middle of the landing zone as if they just landed there. A jerk string works wonders on calm days in the middle of the landing zone - my favorite.
Another thing I do is to set up most of the decoys on the upwind side of the landing zone to prevent birds from landing short of the spread. If the weather is going to be windy, I'll put up a spinning wing decoy in the middle of the landing zone and even highlight it with a jerk string for when the sun comes out. Also, change your spread as the day wears on since many of those ducks have already seen your setup.
Divers: I love hunting them. No calling and they decoy easy. Very fast shooting also. Mostly I use bluebill decoys but mix canvasback decoys in there also because they like their own kind and mainly because I want to mount a good drake.
Hope this helps and good luck hunting.
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Offline bowhunter851

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Re: differance
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2013, 07:36:15 PM »
sakoshooter that was a great post I am very thank full for the advise
Jon Henderson

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Re: differance
« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2013, 07:37:18 PM »
The two major duck groups, puddle and diving ducks, differ in several ways. Divers inhabit large deep lakes and rivers, and coastal bays and inlets; puddle ducks tend to stick to the shallows of lakes, rivers and freshwater marshes, although they frequent saltwater, especially during migration. Diving ducks are, as their name implies, adept at diving and obtain most of their food this way. Puddle ducks prefer to feed on the surface or close to it; often they stretch their heads underwater, feeding upended with their tails in the air. As a group, they are not accomplished divers, but adults dive occasionally and ducklings do so frequently.
 Puddle ducks feed in the water along the fringes of islands and shorelines and on dry land. Their diet consists mainly of vegetable matter -- seeds, grasses, leaves and stems of underwater plants, agricultural crops, nuts -- along with mollusks, insects and fish.
 These shallow-water ducks ride higher in the water than their diving cousins, and launch themselves directly upward when taking off; they do not need to run across the water to build up speed for takeoff as diving ducks do. Puddle ducks are excellent swimmers, sure-footed on land, and swift agile fliers. On the wing, they often display a speculum, or wing patch -- a bright, iridescent panel of feathering close to the body on the trailing edge of each wing. Speculum color varies from species to species and may function as a flashing signal to help keep a flock together. To the human observer, the speculum is often a telltale field mark.

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