Duck decoy spreads for field hunts?

[Go Big Red!]

What did we do wrong this morning? 

We scouted a fresh cut bean field last night and saw ducks circle and drop in.  Birds were also circling this local prior to harvest time earlier this week.  So we set-up with a Mojo, full body duck deks, and a few goose shells to fill out the spread and nothing came close?  Close enough to sky bust but slob hunting isn't my thing?  SO we tweak a few things with the spread and still nothing drops in close enough, quit calling much sooner than usual, and still nothing. We had excellent vegetation coverage (Reeds from a dried up field pond) including overhead concealment but to no avail.

Ideas?  Thoughts?  Hope your season has been more productive than ours!

[Cody Gruchow]

which way was the wind coming? what shape did you put your decoys in? enough space to land? all of these things affect how the ducks come in with the wind being your biggest factor, ducks like to land against the wind to slow them down for a softer landing im told. i dont really hunt feilds just ponds and marshes but all the same i think

[finch]

:happy1:exactly right.  the hunting ground makes no difference, they all like to land the same.  I've found and read that it's best to use a sort of horse shoe shape so as to give the birds a place to land amongst the decoys.

[Go Big Red!]

The wind was very light coming out of the NW/W so we set up (wind at our backs) with a "U" shape just like a water spread and they wouldn't buckle.  So we switched to string and block with the geese and a few dekes making up the block but still nothing.  Moved the mojo as well and still nothing.

Thanks for the input.  Happy hunting!!!

[SMIGRATOR]

There could have been a few things going on here,

1. How spaced were the decoys?

2. How far were the reeds from the spread?

3. Were you using laydown blinds or just the reeds?

4. Was there food in the area you were hunting or was it already ate out.

Sean

[Go Big Red!]

Smigrator-

#1.  3-4 yds. apart for ducks, geese 5yds. apart.  Mojo was 10yds. in front of the entire spread so about 40 yds out from us.

#2. Reeds were 20 yards from edge of spread.

#3. Just the reeds with overhead cover.  And 5 yds. of reeds in front of us so totally hidden from view.

#4.  Beans laying on the ground from spill over.

The 3 of us still cannot figure out why they were dropping in.  Still scratching my head!?!

[SMIGRATOR]

After reading what you wrote above it looks like the decoys were spaced to far apart, dont know how many you had out for sure, but the ducks should have been dropping in they didnt like somthing for sure. If i had to work with the same setup you had here i would have set the edge of the decoys 30-40 yds out from the edge of the reeds, gave them 10 to 15 yrds in the center and run the other set of decoys down the other side sort of making a u and meeting back up, the mojos i would have had spaced in the hole.

The reason why i would do it this way is because i want to keep the attention off the reeds and more on the spread. Hope this makes sence.

[Cody Gruchow]

ran into a similar problem today on the marsh, tryed a bigger set-up with more space inbetween the decoys and the birds would circle and circle and circle and cirlce then leave. i cut it down this evening and they landed dont really understand it though

[Go Big Red!]

Maybe the spread was too spread apart but still should have had birds at least come into shooting range.  On the other hand, it has been nothing but local birds and they, in my mind, have seen it all  from start to finish.  Would someone please turn on the cold, crappy weather machine and get those northern birds down?

Decoys include 12 goose shells, 6 full body field mallards, 12 water mallards (cleverly placed into the tractor tire ruts to keep the keels down), and a reg. size Mojo and a super Mojo.  We did play around with the spacing a bit, probably not enough and that is what did us in.

When you say 10-15 yds. in the center, I assume you mean the sides of the U is that far apart.  And where would the Mojo go?  In the bottom center of the U or further up the sides?  Centered? Offset to one side?

Thanks for all your input!!!  Greatly appreciated.

[JohnWester]

up in canada, we use the tear drop layout...with the point going out with the wind.  you leave some pockets for the birds to land in, they will always try to land in front of the other birds... up wind.  you place your layout blinds in among the dekes...
here is my lame paint attempt to show what I am talking about...
(the rectangles are blinds and the dots are decoys, the circles are open spots with in them.)

[attachment deleted by admin]

[guythathunts]

The placement of decoys IMO is all to do with where you want them to land and not so much weather or not they will give you a look. With that said it seems like they didn't like you from the start meaning that something is bigtime wrong. My opinion is that if they are local birds they have been shot at over a mojo. Mojo's are nice and can work like a charm, but if they have caught onto the mojo try shutting it off for a few birds and see if that makes a differance. If you are trying to decoy geese shut the mojo off right away. You will screw up a flock of geese with a mojo way b4 you decoy one in. I know gees will come in with a mojo on, but you are way beeter off leaving it off for geese.

[Go Big Red!]

John-

How dekes are we talking here?  We can use floater duck dekes if needed, but dropping a ton of $$$ for field dekes won't happen soon.

Guythathunts-

We did leave the mojo off and still nothing.

Oh well, if it was easy, everyone would be hunting.........

[fubar]

The ducks and geese usuly like to land in the middle of the field not next to reeds and other cover because predators can hide in them. i would get some lay out blinds or burlap and try it in the middle of the field. ducks dont realy care how far apart decoys are. if you are where they want to be there isnt much you can do to scare them away unless they see you (and if you are int eh right spot that dosnt matter sometimes) jsut make a general u shape. you dont need duck decoys if you have geese and a mojo helps alot jsut put it where u want them to land. i do alot of hunting out here in nodak and i truely belive in location not decoys. try the middle of the field and stay away from the cover.