# decoy spreads for slough sizes



## chester_mallard_molester (Mar 23, 2006)

I have this water hole that I've hunted every fall since i can remember and every year i struggle with decoying..its not a very wide body of water..only probly 15-20 yards and a good football field in length..half the time its more like pass shooting over decoys..is there a different way i could set decoys to make ducks actually commit and i realize if they do they'll be right in your face..but i've tried many different spreads..different amounts of decoys..and its the same every time..im beginning to think they cant be decoyed in that small of an area..any ideas?


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

That's hard. It kind of depends on what the birds are using the water for. Basically either feeding or loafing would be the options. What kind of ducks are you trying to decoy? If you're talking mallards, I'm not suprised you're having trouble, it's always hard to decoy those suckers on water. If I were you I'd maybe try to just load as many dekes as you can into it. Get loud on the call and see if they'll bomb ya. If nothing else this could maybe improve your pass shooting a little.

Another idea would be to add some Canada decoys. Just 6 or so. Put them where they are most visable. Ducks seem to trust geese alot.


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## gunther274 (Oct 24, 2006)

do like he said load it full, and if that does not work try putting out four mallards put them in 2 pairs. and add in one lone hen right in front of your blind. and you could add in a pair of pintails, or you could even try one of those heron decoys. sometimes you need small nimbers of deeks to do the job.


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## chester_mallard_molester (Mar 23, 2006)

mallards just seem to "laugh" at us when we're set up..sure we've shot a very small few..the slough is used for both roosting and eating so theres usually always ducks somewhere in it..i can remember seeing the ducks just packed in there..it looked as if a guy could walk on there backs and not touch water..maybe you guys are right..maybe we should start stuffin that slough full and add a few floatin honkers


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Fill it full of decoys, ducks and geese and leave a 10 yard circle of open water right in front of your blind. Show the birds were you want them to land.


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## Lil Sand Bay (Feb 2, 2005)

Many years ago when I was a LOT younger my hunting partner and I found an oxbow about 3/8's of a mile off of a rechanneled river. It was a lot like your circumstance, about 20yds wide and 100 yrds. long. We choked the upwind side with about six dozen Herter Canada goose floaters and then a dozen mallard floater closest to us on the downwind side. The geese and ducks would pile in there, as it was between the feeding fields and the huge refuge ponds a couple miles to the north. We used it for years until I left the area.
Some of the other posters gave you good advise, fill it up with decoys but leave yourself a landing site downwind near your blind. 
I mentioned younger only 'cause I'm sure my days are over when I can hump all those goose floaters thru 3/8 mile of canary grass!


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

My advise on a slough like that would be to set up in the area that the ducks want to be in the first place. Watch from a distance off and see how the ducks fly over the slough, which direction they normally come into when they do land and set up there. Next would be to put out a couple dozen floater decoys, and about 6-12 feeder decoys and right in the middle leave an opening for a landing zone, and put a "dunker" right there in the middle where it will be visible. When the ducks are coming into the wind towards your spread, hit that dunker and make some waves. Will lock them right up a lot of the time. Good luck.


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Have you tried jerk cords or throwing rocks in the water for movement? Is it shallow or deep? Do they normally feed in it? Do you have duck butts if it is shallow?


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

Great minds thinking alike there. :beer: Definately give some movement a try, either jerk cord like PC says, or a dunker or two with some feeders. (duck butts)


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

Haha somehow I missed that you covered the motion part! Where are my glasses when I need them!!


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## chester_mallard_molester (Mar 23, 2006)

porkchop, i havent tried either the jerk cord or throwing rocks for movement..its faily shallow..foot and a half at the most but 2 feet of mud underneath that..i've seen a little of everything feed there..ducks, geese, and even a few swans last fall..i have 4 duck butts that i've never used..dont even have them rigged up..but thank you everyone for your advice..with all the ideas somethings got to make them give in dd:


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## Sportin' Woodies (Jun 26, 2006)

if the water is so small, and the ducks are always coming in there, why are you even using decoys?


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> if the water is so small, and the ducks are always coming in there, why are you even using decoys?


My thoughts exactly. Maybe throw a pair of dekes out just to give them a reason to fly by you.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

To go along with the no decoy idea, here's another one. Just go out there with a good duck call, no decoys. I've done this on geese before. Get into a good spot, and call when you see birds. If it works correctly they will hear the noise and want to know it's source. But you have no decoys out, so they have nothing to look at and decide doesn't look right. It's worth a shot. They will hopefully just keep flying towards the noise. Curiosity can kill ducks just like it can cats.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> If it works correctly they will hear the noise and want to know it's source.


I have done this before and it is deadly on singles and doubles. A few loud honks and they will find you.


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## hunter357 (May 16, 2007)

thats exactly it with the little to no decoys. theres a spot her in WA thats just a long slough thats no wider than about 10-15 yards that dumps into a larger pond thats about 25 yards across. we'll set up just inside of the "jaws" of the opening and throw about six or eight pairs of mow-mows along the edges as if they are feeding. then throw one or two duck butts in the mix and sit on the other side. The birds will decoy. the slough bottle necks in the middle to only about 6 yards across. we place one or two widgeon and two or three canada floaters and get on the calls. ill tell you that the birds will decoy into small pockets. we've found that the lesser the better.


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## fungalsnowgoose (Sep 11, 2004)

Have you tried following them off the water to see where they are feeding at in the field and trying to get them there?


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## chester_mallard_molester (Mar 23, 2006)

there was a cornfield last fall just to the west that we set up a few mornings and evenings in for honkers..we'd get a few ducks to come in and look but the majority would stick to the long channel of water


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Kind of odd that the birds are so committed to that slough but don't want to land in your spread. They have to want to commit into the slough otherwise they'd never sit there.

If the birds aren't flaring your concealment should be okay.

How many decoys have you tried in terms of minimum and max? Sometimes having just a small amount of decoys works early and later in the season through out everything. Are you using spinners?

I would go with the jerk string as mentioned earlier as well...at least carry a long amount of string in your blind bag when it's needed. Throwing rocks gets old unless you have easy access to A LOT of rocks.


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## chester_mallard_molester (Mar 23, 2006)

i've tried anywhere from a half dozen duck decoys to 2 dozen with a lucky duck...theres a pretty good size public slough to the west about a half mile that holds alot of birds and then another channel on the opposite side of the water i usually hunt..some days there wasnt a bird on the slough but slowly they'd filter in from either the public or the other little water hole..im going to have to give a jerk cord a try..its something i've never tried out before


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## NDhunter7 (Dec 28, 2006)

Is there a limit to the number of decoys you can use on a large body of water, or the more the better.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

NDhunter7 said:


> Is there a limit to the number of decoys you can use on a large body of water, or the more the better.


No limit, go wild.

However, only in certain situations are more actually better. It really is a bit of an art. You can learn the general ideas of it by reading books or forums, but every situation is unique. The only way to get any closer to mastering it is to hunt a lot, observe everything, and keep trying new things.


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## patrick grumley (Mar 9, 2007)

Hunting Saginaw Bay we would spread around 300+ dekes, using the J pattern. Created this huge ball of dekes at the bottom of the J, divers have a habit of swing down wind and then flying up the string right into the gun barrel.


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