Distance and Decoys

[spadebit]

I was just curious for those who hoof it a mile or more for duck hunting....how many decoys do you bring, specifically for smaller ponds and creeks.
 
I talked to an old timer who said he never took more than three and if they didnt come into that then they wouldnt come in to a dozen.
Not sure if I whole heartedly agree with that, but just looking for input here.  Thanks

[Dan-o]

I used to slog a long was into a place with 20....

Then a dozen....

Then 8....

Then 4.....

I honestly dont think 20 did more for me than 4 in those particular conditions.

[h2ofowlr]

Depends on the size of the water your hiking into and location.  Small ponds I may use 4-6 that I pack in and hook up a jerk cord to two of them.  Bigger wide open areas maybe a dozen aqua keep decoys.  Very light and if you get a 12 slot "vest" they are easy to pack in and not rattling or I place them in a bag and strap them on the back of my meat pack frame.  Makes walk in way easy.

I had purchased stackable foam decoys just for this type of application.  I can carry in 4 dozen if I think I need them with virtually no weight to them.

[Mfowl]

If your spot is on the X and the birds want to go there anyway then a few decoys could work just fine. If you are trying to traffic passing birds it may require many more. Other things like pull strings and spinning wings can boost your visibility without packing a lot of extra decoys. I have a tendency to bring too much, always!

[spadebit]

I recently went full moron and brought way too much.
Granted this was smaller moving water and there was a group of maybe 12 I bumped.  My big mistake was that those birds came back faster than I expected and was putting out decoys while this happened which resulted in never getting a shot.
 
Next time Im bringing 6 decoys max and setting up quick when I bump a smaller group like that?

I tend to over think this stuff so I appreciate the input.
Thanks for the input. 

[follow maggie]

6 to 12

[EWUeagles]

There's no right answer. If It's along walk where I can use a cart or a sled I'm bringing less. If it's a small pond I'm bringing less. We used to take 4 dozen 1 mile back into a tiny pond haha. I always told my BIL we really didn't need that many but we shot limits so who knows.

[vandeman17]

I bring in 5-10 with 3 of those being used for a jerk cord. I prefer movement on the water over more decoys.

[linxx77]

I use a decoy raft and have a dozen on it. It looks small on a larger lake or pond, but I can tie a rope to one of the corners and the entire raft has movement. Movement is the key to minimalist success.


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[kselkhunter]

For long hikes into smaller water, I pack one of these and either 4 or 8 decoys:
https://motionducks.com/products/ultimate-decoy-spreader-system


Works very well at drawing in the mallards. 


Before I got that I had the old decoy backpack full of dozens of decoys.   Will never go back to packing that much stuff in. 

[Stein]

Some places I carry 6, one place I take almost 5 dozen.  Most of the time it is 12.  For big spreads, I worked up a system the last two years to keep the weight and bulk down but it's still a chore getting them there and set up.  I only hunt one place where numbers make a huge difference.

[eglseder]

For long hikes into smaller water, I pack one of these and either 4 or 8 decoys:
https://motionducks.com/products/ultimate-decoy-spreader-system


Works very well at drawing in the mallards. 


Before I got that I had the old decoy backpack full of dozens of decoys.   Will never go back to packing that much stuff in.

I was just looking at one of those. How long have you had it and how well does it hold up? Is rust an issue? I'm really needing to add motion to the decoys and looking at this versus a wind duck.

[kselkhunter]

For long hikes into smaller water, I pack one of these and either 4 or 8 decoys:
https://motionducks.com/products/ultimate-decoy-spreader-system


Works very well at drawing in the mallards. 


Before I got that I had the old decoy backpack full of dozens of decoys.   Will never go back to packing that much stuff in.

I was just looking at one of those. How long have you had it and how well does it hold up? Is rust an issue? I'm really needing to add motion to the decoys and looking at this versus a wind duck.

Have had it a few years.  No rust issues yet.  The main reason I like it is you can move 4 or 8 decoys at once in a more natural motion than most jerk strings.   I pull aggressively when birds are a ways off so it's easier for the birds to see the movement, then really slow it down to more slower circulation as they turn towards me and get closer.   

[linxx77]

For long hikes into smaller water, I pack one of these and either 4 or 8 decoys:
https://motionducks.com/products/ultimate-decoy-spreader-system


Works very well at drawing in the mallards. 


Before I got that I had the old decoy backpack full of dozens of decoys.   Will never go back to packing that much stuff in.

I was just looking at one of those. How long have you had it and how well does it hold up? Is rust an issue? I'm really needing to add motion to the decoys and looking at this versus a wind duck.

Have had it a few years.  No rust issues yet.  The main reason I like it is you can move 4 or 8 decoys at once in a more natural motion than most jerk strings.   I pull aggressively when birds are a ways off so it's easier for the birds to see the movement, then really slow it down to more slower circulation as they turn towards me and get closer.

Just ordered one today!


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[Bill W]

I use a deer cart if a number of dekes and a blind are involved.

[ghosthunter]

I use a sled if taking 12-24 plus my gear. Put it all on the sled . Best in areas with surface water.