Carry-Lite Flying Mallard Decoys

[Dustin07]

Anyone use these?

How far off the ground/out of the water should I put them? i picked up a bunch of decoys on craigslist for dirt cheap last winter and never used these. I was going to take them with me this weekend though:




Seems like every little bit I can add to my spread would help. I was going to use some PVC piping but i'm worried about it being a little flimsy.

[spur_ride]

ive never used them befor and i have never seen those used befor. i would say if you could get them about 10 ft or so off the water that would probably be good. 

[Dustin07]

maybe I'll look for wooden posts or something then because I think that would be pretty flimsy on 1/2" or 3/4" pvc.

[h2ofowlr]

If I remember correctly it is about a 1/2" stem out of the bottom of the decoy.  I used to use conduit to stick them up.  You can pick up a 10' piece for about $4.00.  Cut it down the middle and sink one in slightly deeper or you can get two piece and do a 6' & 8'.  I don't use them anymore, but they may help you as confindence decoys where you hunt.

[T-Bone]

If I remember correctly it is about a 1/2" stem out of the bottom of the decoy.  I used to use conduit to stick them up.  You can pick up a 10' piece for about $4.00.  Cut it down the middle and sink one in slightly deeper or you can get two piece and do a 6' & 8'.  I don't use them anymore, but they may help you as confindence decoys where you hunt.

I don't use them anymore, either. Do you have the large coil spring that attaches to the conduit at the decoy to aid in motion? Otherwise, I think you'll just have stationary, flying decoy.

[duckmen1]

have one but have never used it

[h2ofowlr]

They both have the coils.  I picked them up in about 1995 or so.  I had a bunch, but sold most of them.  Didn't see a big improvement using them and didn't like carrying them in with all the other crap.

[Dustin07]

mine have the coils, and look like they were originally bought in 1995 too, LOL.

I picked up a couple metal conduit pipes yesterday, and 1/2" fits perfect. They sit nicely with just a little movement from the spring. we'll see how it goes. I'm experiementing with them right now, but in the future I will probably leave them in my blind at my private land location, that way I wont' have to pack them much. For this first hunt I'll pack 'em just for fun.

[Snowgoose1]

I have used them before. Yes, to the springs with metal conduit. We used a brown tone camo duct tape. We attempted various methods with these and still use them today for a specific purpose. When we put them in the landing zone it flared the small groups.  When we put them out front (upwind) of the decoys it worked OK, but I think when the birds landing dropped down they saw the poles. Everyone knowing how ducks don't always come right in and sometime the wind shift is off to one side we experimented with putting them on the off side to us getting the circling birds to make a pass over where we had the blind.  The circling birds tended to not look at them much when they were on our the side of the decoy spread. If our blind was on the other side of the decoys it helped in having the birds circle over our blind and not on the side of the flying decoys.  We used them now for only that purpose and only two of them.  We were able to have a controlled hunt with them in being able to use them on a private field. The birds didn't want to land near them, but  I do believe it didn't hinder anything and kept them to the side of the pond we wanted nearest our blind.

[Dustin07]

snowgoose, how long of a pole did you use? (how far off the water or ground were the deeks?)

i was thinking the conduit pole I had might blend well with the water anyways, I'm hoping the water i'm planning on using tomorrow is about 18" deep, with a 5FT pole, I figure the decoy would only be about 3FT tops out of the water, so not real high but a little different from other decoys in the water.

I'll keep your other ideas in mind. I may be able to set them up upwind near tall grass, so you see the decoys facing a landing position, but probably wont' be able to see the poles because of the taller grass.. I'll play with it, see what i come up with.  i have a few new things to try tomorrow.

[h2ofowlr]

I had used a tube bender at one point and put a 20 degree angle at the top to make the one set look like it was landing.  Then the other flying.  Try various heights.  I have had them up to 10' to 1' above the water.

[General Disarray]

How high off the ground is your garbage can?

Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to use it!!! The statement I read that made the most sense was where Snowgoose said "the birds wouldn't land anywhere near them"

Put them on ebay, some other goober will pay $50 for them to put in their yard and then you're half way to buying a Flutterwing or Knottyduck and truly improving your odds.

[Dustin07]

general, sir, what all does your spread consist of, sir?

if I did sell them for $50 I'd be halfway to breakeven on almost 2k worth of deeks I picked up on craigslist for just over $100...so wouldn't bother me. I'm still learning new stuff tho and trying everything to see what works and what doesn't.

[Snowgoose1]

We put one at about 8 feet out of the water and the other about 6 feet.  I made extender poles, 5 foot conduit and the top part pvc for movement. They didn't bother the birds too much except they didn't land with them, but did keep the ducks over our blind on the circles.  Once again I only use them for a specific wind usage and we got to try them on numerous flocks. When I can drive out to our private club field I will use them, but most of the time the Winduks are better of which I usually use 4 or 5.  If someone pays you fifty bucks, sell them and get another spinner.

[General Disarray]

general, sir, what all does your spread consist of, sir?

If it's just me, either 2 dozen GHG standard Lifesize aquakeels or if it's a short walk, I'll take a dozen Columbia River mallards and a dozen GHG.  And a Flutterwing.  Haven't needed anything more than that yet.


Don't be "that" guy on the marsh trying everything possible to shoot a duck.