Help please

[Colin]

Ok so I have hunted this QH unit a few times all day in the last few weeks. Many of you probably know it if you hunt the Skagit area. So every morning I always get at least one bird to decoy in while its still getting light out.

The last few times that I have been here the wind was going and birds were coming down and working my decoys but for whatever reason they just will not come down into shooting range. I tried everything I could think of this last time and still no birds wanting to come down. They would make 2-4 passes, come in, go away and then come back but never into range.

Here is the gear I have:

18 - Standard Mallard Floaters (repainted by me, they look a little bright so I mostly use the hens and one or two of the drakes)
6 - Full body Magnum Full Bodies (4 drakes, 2 hens, multiple poses)
4 - Full body Pintail Drakes (Multiple poses)
6 - Widgeon Floaters (4 drakes, 2 hens, multiple poses)
1 - Mojo wind duck
1 - Jerk String

Yesterday I started will all the decoys but the wind duck out in the morning. Got a drake Widgeon about 20 mins into shooting hours.

Then pulled my mallard floaters and put the wind duck up. Didn't seem to be working so I pulled the wind duck and moved the spread.
Then pulled my Full Body Mallard Drakes.
Then I re positioned again and put the wind duck in a different spot.
Then I pulled all the full bodies and just used floaters in a new spot with no wind duck.
Tried just 2 floaters and the jerk string with and without the wind duck and then tried no decoys for a bit before I left.

I was trying Calling Loud, Soft, lots of calling and no calling at all.

For whatever reason something I am doing is getting to the birds. Is it my spread? Is it my calling? is it that the birds are educated to this spot? What should I try?

[hollymaster]

Are you still calling when there close? Call less maybe.

[scout/sniper]

Did they pass over you and flare?
They may be seeing something that they don't like about your blind.
Are you well camouflaged, and staying still when they are close?

[scout/sniper]

In this scenario I would use only floaters, no mojo (they are on to that trick).
With the wind direction I would set my decoys as shown.
They will land into the wind and hit the decoys at about 20 yards.
Fully covered camo and no movement.
I call them from a distance with a Haydels DR85 (loud and raspy)
When they get close I change to an HS Red Baron (soft and enticing)
I only call when they are going away from me, or I want them to make a sharp turn.

Just my very humble opinion, but I am able to get ducks to land.

[Colin]

Are you still calling when there close? Call less maybe.

I pretty much have tried every combination of calling. I was told that in general you should only call when you want them to turn or come back.

Usually when they are in bound I just sit still and gently pull my jerk cord.

[Colin]

Did they pass over you and flare?
They may be seeing something that they don't like about your blind.
Are you well camouflaged, and staying still when they are close?

They do pass over the blind but don't flare on it. They just continue to work a few passes and then bail out.

[REHJWA]

When you scout, what are the birds doing, are the bunched, spread out in small groups or paired up. Match the hatch. Keep the pintails 5-10 yards down wind of the others so it looks like they may join up. Also look what everyone else is doing and do something different. Your birds want to be there if they are looking more then twice. Good luck, figuring it all out is part of the fun.

[scout/sniper]

When you scout, what are the birds doing, are the bunched, spread out in small groups or paired up. Match the hatch. Keep the pintails 5-10 yards down wind of the others so it looks like they may join up. Also look what everyone else is doing and do something different. Your birds want to be there if they are looking more then twice. Good luck, figuring it all out is part of the fun.

     It's what makes it a challenge.

When I first started duck hunting I bought a house on the lake that I hunt.
I spent every spare moment on my dock studying the ducks.
I noted everything like:
Where do they like to land, and why?
What pattern do they make while sitting on the water? FYI-It's not random.
What calls do they make and how do other ducks respond?
Endless notes on behavior and habits.
Once I had them figured out it was game on. Now I do what they like and they come right in.
Have fun and don't get frustrated, you'll figure them out.

[trophyhunt]

Usually when they are in bound I just sit still and gently pull my jerk cord.
[/quote]

[scout/sniper]

Usually when they are in bound I just sit still and gently pull my jerk cord.
 

I get excited when they are decoying too 

[hntrspud]

They like it enough to look already, so if your jerk cord is somehow visible while moving it, then I would refrain. Lighten up the amount of decoys on the upwind side and put more out on the down wind side. Get rid of the wind duk. Make another jerk string and save your money for a good quality pull string. Timing of movement in the spread can also be crucial. If you dont know exactly what they are doing, or used to seeing, then less can be better. Try less deeks, especially if they want to be there. I know how frustrating this can be to get them to come and then flare. Keep it up! Youll get it.

[scout/sniper]

Did they pass over you and flare?
They may be seeing something that they don't like about your blind.
Are you well camouflaged, and staying still when they are close?

They do pass over the blind but don't flare on it. They just continue to work a few passes and then bail out.

It sounds like they have been worked pretty hard. It's late in the season.
At least you are trying to learn how to get them close, I can't stand skybusters!!!

[WSU]

Too many variables to tell you what to do without seeing what is going on.  Sometimes a very small adjustment can make all the difference.  Generally, don't make them land on top of or by flying over decoys.  Saturday I moved 2 decoys farther out of my spread and it made all the difference.  In general, just hide better, go with few decoys, and make sure they have room to land.  Also, that situation is tougher because they can't stay out in the open field to land.  Sometimes it doesn't matter, but it generally easier to get birds to finish if they can stay away from cover when coming in.

[scout/sniper]

In general, just hide better, go with few decoys, and make sure they have room to land.

That's it in a nutshell.
Also: It takes discipline to stay hidden and not move or look up at them.

[h2ofowlr]

Based on your diagram, the spot you are hunting always has a rig there.  If your there, there's someone after you after you leave.  They become wise.  I used to hunt this spot prior to the QH fields and it was good if you hunted it once or twice a week and I would normally only hunt it a max of 2 hours.  If you get fresh birds, you may have a great shoot.  If it's the same birds that hang out in the area, they are keen on the blind and the results of flying to close to it.  Fresh birds, wind and heavy traffic will make it shoot better.  Otherwise, you are witnessing the results.  If some of the blinds could be shifted mid season it may help.  Make the QH fields layout blind locations within a given shooting area they would also hunt better.