Decoy Numbers?

[HD]

I was wondering..... 

About how many decoys do you set out on a large lake for ducks?

What is the average amount you use?

Does it vary by hunting pressure?

Or does it vary by time of the season?


Hunter

[ChrisWallace]

Time of year, position on the lake, how many birds are using the lake etc...

I typically run 8 dozen Avery Oversize Mallards, one gang line, a few buffs for color and 48 Dakota Decoy Floaters and 3 mojos. Thats hunting giant water over a traffic spot...

If Im hitting one of my private ponds/lakes its 2 doz mallards 6 geese 1 mojo

[Duckslayer]

I hunt a small lake and I am usually the only one there.  Beginning of the season its 6 woodies, 18 mallards and some times 6 goose floaters.  About half way through the season, or when I am no longer seeing woodies, I hunt over about 36 mallard, 12 bluebill and a dozen goose dekes.  Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[HD]

Do you set them out in a "J" pattern or the "U" ?

Do you mix your Mallards with your Bills?

[SMIGRATOR]

Chris how do the dakota floaters look all i have seen is photos of them.

[ChrisWallace]

Sean they look amazing in the water, sit up "higher" and the paint looks so much better than the averys. And you get the durability of the Dakota fields...I had to keep 4 avery honk floaters because the gf got em for my bday Ive broke 2 of the 4 heads and I have broke 3 of the 48 dakotas and I beat the crap out of em. 189 per 4 pack takes a hit unless you know someone...You been on Nathes much? Been out hunting the pumkin patch a few times this  year and had some fun.

You still blowing them fairy dusters?

[Cody Gruchow]

depending on the wind but i usually use the J and i dont put out that many decoys either. 18 ducks and they are woody's and mallards with 2 wigeon and 2 butt up mallard decoys with 4 goose decoys.

[Go Big Red!]

We don't mix Blues and Mallards together.

Deke numbers are debatable for where you hunt, when, season time, weather, etc. 

Experience will tell you what to do over time.

[dj]

I use less decoys early in the season.  The ducks aren't bunched up then, and aren't used to seeing large groups.  8 mallards, 4 woodies and 6 divers works for me, and 3 geese.  I always use and odd number of geese.  I swear they can count, and the loners will come in.  LOL.  Later, like now, I put out about 3 dozen divers, with a line, and only a few mallards.  If there's mallards around, then of course, alot more of them. 

It sure was tough picking them up Sunday morning, all covered with ice.  Very slippery, and I had to reach under water to be able to get a grip!  Brrrrrrrr, those decoy gloves sure don't hold up, and seem to leak after just a couple of years, with the lines wearing thru. 

[trout whisperer]

I was wondering.....   

About how many decoys do you set out on a large lake for ducks?...i own one hundred forty four duck blocks...have set all of them twice....

What is the average amount you use?...... for divers i set no more than fifty....big lake -small lake....but the j-hook or question mark set for divers is the magic....leave them room on there second swing...

Does it vary by hunting pressure?......puddle ducks...the warm weather guys.....are long gone by the time the divers come through up by two harbors...very little pressure........i jump shoot the puddlers so no dekes involved...tw

Or does it vary by time of the season?......later the better for me......especially afternoon shoots......

[dj]

The lake I lease on is small, maybe a mile by 3/4 mile.  I haven't hunted large water for years.  So, like I said, I use 3 dozen or so.  I have 12 on a stringer line.  I put a drake with alot of white on the end of the line.  I use different makers, so the size is different, and different species.  I have cans, bluebills and ringbills.  I always set up with a hook.  I've had 300 bills come into 24 decoys.  Sounds like we do it about the same. 

How is the hunting around Two Harbors.  I bought a place in Silver Bay, and if I move there permanently, will eventually just hunt around there I suppose.  It's a long drive from there to the Alex area, and the lake I hunt is probably freezing over now, if it's not already.

[trout whisperer]

this year around two harbors was the best ive seen in over 40 yrs......lakes to myself.......no sky busters.....and flocks of ducks- not one here or three there......early it was mergansers..i didnt waste my steel..then we hunted rice and found thousands of ringbills...sporadic green heads  -teal were gone by the opener..one gadwall ....then we had some sort of bufflehead hayday for a week straight.......then it was bluebills.....80 to a flock minimum....i got a scoter.......that took awhile to identify i can assure you...late afternoons were better than mornings later on....im off ducks for a few days and after bucks...but there is loads of time left this year...i switch to rivers when it all freezes......hopefully some late geese....maybe we gun them sometime my feather hunting brother.....tw

[dj]

That would be nice.  Just maybe that day will come.  I've been thinking of selling this place in the cities.  Sounds like a great season.  I had no idea that many ducks were in that area.  And all to yourself!

[SMIGRATOR]

Sean they look amazing in the water, sit up "higher" and the paint looks so much better than the averys. And you get the durability of the Dakota fields...I had to keep 4 avery honk floaters because the gf got em for my bday Ive broke 2 of the 4 heads and I have broke 3 of the 48 dakotas and I beat the crap out of em. 189 per 4 pack takes a hit unless you know someone...You been on Nathes much? Been out hunting the pumkin patch a few times this  year and had some fun.

You still blowing them fairy dusters?

I think this is real petty on your part Chris to come on here and make or poke fun of the Co. of calls i choose to use, i HAD RESPECT for you till this time, i am the one that got mikey into hunting waterfowl and he got you into it so for you to make fun of a Co. the way you did is BS.
This just goes to show your true colors pal.

Sean

[3willy]

I have had good luck by starting the season small and progressivly working my way up to everything I have. At the beginning of the season they are usually not in big groups more of a family group sort of so that's how i work it and as the ducks come down and the groups get bigger the decoy spread gets bigger. Don't be afraid to find a few of your larger decoys to put out especially on big water early they can be seen from a greater distance and have helped draw them in.

[PJ Maguire]

I think this is real petty on your part Chris to come on here and make or poke fun of the Co. of calls i choose to use, i HAD RESPECT for you till this time, i am the one that got mikey into hunting waterfowl and he got you into it so for you to make fun of a Co. the way you did is BS.
This just goes to show your true colors pal.

Sean

Are you on the Feather Duster Pro-staff or something? I used to live in GF so I know Davies.