Floaters in a field...

[Colin]

Was wondering if you anyone uses floaters in a field setup? I currently have 18 Mallard floaters and was thinking that I could prop them up in a field?

Basically I want to hunt a couple field spots but don't have any full body decoys. Anybody know of some cheap solutions??? Any suggestions would be awesome and greatly appreciated!!!

Could I buy a 6 pack of full body dekes and then use the floaters to fill some space? silhouettes?

[steve04]

I cant remember who makes them but they do make stands that you slide the keel of your duck decoys into.

[steve04]

Green head gear makes a stake that attaches to the keel of your floaters for use in a field.

[Special T]

They can work, however ducks in a feild look very different that duck on the water. I have used a few, but mostly around some standing water. most ducks in a feild are feeding and walking around.  A mix would work best, but in a pinch if you are where they want to feed then floaters would work. 

[L-ofalab]

You want some of these-

[johnr060]

I have done it plenty of times. It does help to have a few field deeks though. Its never failed me before.

[h2ofowlr]

They will work just fine if your hunting a location the birds want to be.

[TheHunt]

If it is really cold and the ducks are tucking their feet under the body to keep warm the floaters will work great.  If it is in the 40's I don't see too many ducks.  But on the other hand you just want them to fly by so you can sling some shot their way.

[johnnyaustin44]

Floaters will work if you are where they wanna be as said. I would stick with what you got and invest in a pull string wing decoy like a whip splash. I'd rather hunt over one of those than 2 dozen full bodies. 

[ghosthunter]

I will let you know tomorrow night. I have three dozen floaters and six field mallards.
Plus six old goose decoys I painted white to look like swans. Got my eye on a harvested corn field where ducks are piling in.

Going to hit it in the am.

[Colin]

Thanks for all the input fellas!!! Much appreciate the feedback. I don't have removable keels and or GHG dekes so I think the stake conversion is out of the question.

I would really like some full body dekes, they just look awesome in the spread but they are a little pricey since I don't have a job atm. I'm just gonna give it a try with the floaters propped or dug into the ground. Hopefully I can resist all the calls I hear every time I drive North from Seattle to stop by Cabela's... I'd really like a 6 pack of Widgeon FB Dekes cause a buddy of mine has 1/2 dozen mallard FB's and ours together would look pretty good. 

L-ofalab- Thanks for the offer!!! But you're a little far away for me to stop by. If you'd be willing to throw'em in flat rate shipping I'd be more than happy to send yah a check or something and a little beer money, but I understand if you'd rather not... ppl can sometimes be iffy over the internet. PM if you feel like working out the details.

 johnnyaustin44- I'd love a whiplash type of spinning decoy but I just have to settle with my cheap-o mojo for the time being. I have to say that in my limited experience if the wind is up enough for my crappy mojo to be spinning ducks seem to want to land much much more. Whether its cause of the wind or the motion in the spread IDK. Probably both. 

Ghosthunter- lmk how you do! I love to hear what and how ppl are hunting since I'm pretty new to this. I'm going out Sunday AM so will post back on Sunday night.

[ghosthunter]

Well I am willing to try it again. But not one duck of about 5000 came in.
It was calm, no wind. I got to the quality blind first and had another guy show up later. Both of us missing are partners, mine canceled up all night with baby. His drug out of town by a new girl friend.
Young partners Geeeez.
Any way I invited the other lonesome soul (mike) to join forces with me.

We had a nice mix o field full bodies,floaters,field shells and a string duck.

Nada

The birds new what was up and wanted no part. But it was awesome to see them and to share a blind for 5 hrs with a new water fowling soul.

So OP it may work some here say it does. But you can't prove it by me yet.
I think it's worth another try.

[h2ofowlr]

The field you hunted has been hunted everyday for the last week and a half with multiple groups each day.  No easy fix for well educated birds, but it will work.  Get another freeze or 6" of snow or some hard wind and light rain and the results would be different.

[johnnyaustin44]

Birds are definitely hitting corn fields right now. Stick with them and find unpressured birds if you can right now. They have been hungry all week.

[Colin]

Whelp my partner flaked out on me last night so I didn't make it up north to hunt this AM. Was reasoning that its too expensive for me to drive up north alone in my truck, but I've decided that I'm just gonna make the trip up solo this week one morning.

Will give the floaters a try and post back.

Anybody try these sock decoys??? Was thinking its a decent price for a dozen...

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Hunting-Decoys/Duck-Decoys%7C/pc/104791680/c/104714280/sc/104311980/Deadlyreg-Decoys-Mallard-Hunter-Pack/1643176.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fduck-decoys%2F_%2FN-1100087%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104311980%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104791680%253Bcat104714280&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104791680%3Bcat104714280%3Bcat104311980

[h2ofowlr]

We have had them in our decoy spread.  Only a dozen or two.  Good if you have wind as they move around and look like a duck waddling through the field.  It's just a matter of how much do you want to spend?

[Snowgoose1]

If your going to spend $100 buy 6 good looking full bodies and with a few floaters it will look great.  Put the full bodies on the landing area and or edges it will work better.  Then down the road as you add to your spread keep getting the good ones if you can.  I wish I would have done this from the beginning long ago. I will state that since going to only full bodies for field I only need half as many decoys as I used to which seems to work out about the same in costs. Numbers are not always the only game to play especialy later in the season.

[C-Money]

I always add my non keeled goose floaters to my spread, safety in numbers!

[Colin]

Whelp I was hunting up in the Skagit area this morning and put out my floaters with my wind decoy. Saw about a half dozen flights high up. Watched quite a few Swans set down in the surrounding fields and they seemed to pull ducks but none ever came close enough to my spread to get any shots off. There was some sheet water in the next field and they wanted nothing to do with my dry spot near the blind.

Hopefully going back up later in the week to try a different spot. Really want to put my mojo on a pull string and make some silhouettes.

[Brad Harshman]

If your going to spend $100 buy 6 good looking full bodies and with a few floaters it will look great.  Put the full bodies on the landing area and or edges it will work better.  Then down the road as you add to your spread keep getting the good ones if you can.  I wish I would have done this from the beginning long ago. I will state that since going to only full bodies for field I only need half as many decoys as I used to which seems to work out about the same in costs. Numbers are not always the only game to play especialy later in the season.

This is great advice.  I'd add that buying a good slot bag will make your investment last that much longer.

[LndShrk]

Most times numbers are over rated.
It really depends on where you are hunting and the setup you have of course.

When you get flocks like this looking over your spread they will pick it apart and flip you the bird time and time again.



A good hide, good call, and a proficient caller with less high quality decoys that will move a little will typically get you more ducks in a dry field.

[ghosthunter]

One of the problems with Quality Hunt sites with fixed blinds is the birds know where the blind is and just stay away from it.
If a site is getting hunted hard and some of those hunters are shooting high instead of letting the decoys work for them. The birds figure it out quick.

You are required to hunt from the blind in most, some you can move around in which is a better option in my opinion.

[LndShrk]

One of the problems with Quality Hunt sites with fixed blinds is the birds know where the blind is and just stay away from it.
If a site is getting hunted hard and some of those hunters are shooting high instead of letting the decoys work for them. The birds figure it out quick.

You are required to hunt from the blind in most, some you can move around in which is a better option in my opinion.

This is when less is better. 

Change the blind cover when you go in make it less box shaped. Change up your spread a little. Below is a high pressure low wind pattern I like to use when in fields like you mentioned.
               
            BLIND

 x                                xxxx   
x xx                     x      xx
    xx         xx


But to the OP question. Personally I would not use floaters in a dry field situation I do not think they are very effective.

[Colin]

If your going to spend $100 buy 6 good looking full bodies and with a few floaters it will look great.  Put the full bodies on the landing area and or edges it will work better.  Then down the road as you add to your spread keep getting the good ones if you can.  I wish I would have done this from the beginning long ago. I will state that since going to only full bodies for field I only need half as many decoys as I used to which seems to work out about the same in costs. Numbers are not always the only game to play especialy later in the season.

Like Brad pointed out this makes a lot of sense to me and I think that I will hold out until I can get the "ok" to buy a few more quality dekes.

[Colin]

One of the problems with Quality Hunt sites with fixed blinds is the birds know where the blind is and just stay away from it.
If a site is getting hunted hard and some of those hunters are shooting high instead of letting the decoys work for them. The birds figure it out quick.

You are required to hunt from the blind in most, some you can move around in which is a better option in my opinion.

This is when less is better. 

Change the blind cover when you go in make it less box shaped. Change up your spread a little. Below is a high pressure low wind pattern I like to use when in fields like you mentioned.
               
            BLIND

 x                                xxxx   
x xx                     x      xx
    xx         xx


But to the OP question. Personally I would not use floaters in a dry field situation I do not think they are very effective.

I appreciate the little diagram. I will give both suggestions a try when I go out Friday AM. Now I just gotta go pick up a little cover from around my house so I'm not hacking down what little is around the blinds.