# Diver Spreads?



## aharvey010 (Feb 22, 2008)

I wanted to try my hand at diver hunting this year, i've always chased the puddle ducks but i live by a large lake that holds alot of cans and redheads and i finally got a boat, lol. I was wondering what decoys would work best, all cans, all redheads, mixing cans and redheads,or what about puting some mallards and black duck decoys in with them to. New to diver hunting so any advise will help


----------



## crewhunting (Mar 29, 2007)

I love to use the herters fome decoys they are great. Alot of times divers will come in real low and you dont have to worry about shooting them up with a stray bb. They also make some mags sizes in the cans and those you can see fromj along ways away. Yea a varity bag would be just fin i usally have red head can blue bill golden eyes. Then put a group of puddliers on the side get a gang line they also work good to. I run a 24 decoy line and that works good then a bunch closer to the blind or shore.


----------



## aharvey010 (Feb 22, 2008)

is there one species that will decoy all kinds of divers, like a mallard decoys is to all puddle ducks?


----------



## crewhunting (Mar 29, 2007)

if you look at all diver decoys its dark on the head and tail area and white middle soo i guess whatever you like.


----------



## AV (May 24, 2007)

youcan pretty much use any kind of decoy..... divers arn't real smart

we just use mallerd decoys


----------



## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

If I were you I would buy my new teal, and mallard deeks, and my used mallard deeks!!

PM me if interested!


----------



## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

Shot a lot of redheads and bluebills over honker decoys while layout shooting. I immagine that cans would find that large white patch on the rear of a honker to be very appealing. 
Otherwise, go with a blend. 'Bills, redheads, and cans. They should be very cooperative.
Good look,
Dan


----------



## fubar (Mar 10, 2008)

use whatever you want, we use mallards and throw a couple of bills out at the end of out spread.


----------



## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

fubar said:


> use whatever you want, we use mallards and throw a couple of bills out at the end of out spread.


Yeah, or mallards. They'll work too. :beer: 
Dan


----------



## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Ringnecks work good too for dekes.


----------



## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

blhunter3 said:


> Ringnecks work good too for dekes.


I've never decoyed a duck to a pheasant decoy>  
Good luck
Dan


----------



## Large munsterlander1 (Feb 11, 2008)

dfisher said:


> blhunter3 said:
> 
> 
> > Ringnecks work good too for dekes.
> ...


Not sure if you are serious or not but a ringneck is another type of diver. At least that is what i have heard them called.


----------



## fubar (Mar 10, 2008)

they are prety stupid though, i bet a phesant decoy would work if ya could find them.


----------



## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

:roll: Ringnecked ducks, look similar to blue bills, many people get them confused.



















The top is a ringneck and the bottom is a bluebill.


----------



## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

I knew what you meant. I was just teasing you a bit. :lol: 
Some of the best ducks I've ever ate. I shot three of them on a farm pond one morning and they must of just came from a bed of wild rice or something because they were as good as any mallard or woody that I'm eatin'. Can't say the same for the 'bills I've nibbled.
Both species are sporty cusses for sure.

Good luck,
Dan


----------



## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I kinda figured that your smarter then that. :beer:


----------



## Gillbilly (Mar 21, 2007)

I think numbers is a big factor with divers.We use 150 dekes mostly cans and mallards but also other divers.They really seem to like to land in the large rafts of coot but I cant bring myself to buy 10 doz coot decoys.I also know guys who have spray bombed mallard dekes blk or blk/wht and put these out in big rafts(good use for old dekes)with regular diver dekes in the kill zone.Hope this helps.


----------

