A few questions re: duck silhouettes/full body decoys

[TheCoachZed]

Like your average poor waterfowler, I got into duck hunting with a few cheap Flambeau plastic dekes. Have since mostly replaced them with cast-offs from my great-uncle's old stash, but am thinking about getting some fullbodies or silos.

My thinking: Everywhere I use floaters, I see ducks standing on the bank if I'm walking in for a jump shoot. So, the ducks are used to seeing their kin standing out of the water, and nobody around here uses fullbodies near the water that I know of, soooooo it might be extra tricky ... plus, I hunt a lot of snowy days too, and I suspect the black duck silos would be like a magnet in the snow.

Plus, in some spots around here, floaters are a massive pain to use on sand bars, as you have to move them around regularly as the tide drops.

But, I've never used fullbodies, and most people I see online use them in fields. If you use them on a beach or river bank, will ducks land in them, or do they fly downriver to splash down in the water, then swim in?

And I know goose silos are pretty well-liked, but do ducks work well too? I notice there are far fewer companies specializing in them.

 

[swinginberrys]

If there is water involved that's where the ducks will touch down. I like using full body decoys on the shore depending on the situation.

 

[FLHTCUI]

I am far from an expert here in the lower Fraser Valley but...
We have never had success with geese landing in decoy sets or ducks into geese decoy sets.
Either in a veggie field or on a sandbar ...
But, thats just the experience I have had....
Rob

 

[TheCoachZed]

I've never seen geese land in ducks, but I have seen ducks land close to goose spreads many times.

 

[sherlockbonez]

I wrapped burlap on 2x6s and anchor them down with sticks and wire fullbodies in my floater spread before.

 

[the spank]

I've never seen geese land in ducks, but I have seen ducks land close to goose spreads many times.

I have hunted often using both full bodied and silhouette duck and goose decoys on shorelines and sandbars. You need to select the decoys that look natural in that environment. When you see real birds in that environment generally they are loafing so you need decoys in sitting, preening and resting poses. A sentry with a group of feeders is out of place and the birds recognize that flock has something not right about it. Ducks will always land in the water in this kind of spread so be sure to either have a couple floaters on the edge of the sandbar or be positioned where you will have an in range shot as they land to approach the spread. Geese will land on the water 99% of the time in this situation as well so a mixed floater/shoreline spread is the best bet. Geese will land with duck decoys in these situations but my experience has shown it to be singles or pairs that 9/10 times I have talked into coming in. However if you can't speak goose well you're best to stay quiet and let the decoys and natural layout be your enticer.

Mixed spread of duck/goose floaters and full bodies.






And of course getting it all there! As you can see my 15' Mod V is loaded. Fortunately this spot was a river launch with banks we could walk and tow the boat by hand if need be to the river mouth rather than ride in the boat. We wore waders and pulled the load using the boat to cross the river only at the mouth which was about 15 yards shoreline to shoreline and a max water depth of maybe 3 feet.

 

[Longwalker]

Ducks will NEVER land on shore in a water set with full bodied decoys on the shore. They always land on water, and then swim in. It is far more secure and comfortable for them. Don't know what "silos" are, to me they are large cylindrical objects used to store livestock feed. Ducks will land in goose decoys, proved that for the hundredth time yesterday. Geese will ignore duck decoys like previously mentioned.

 

[sherlockbonez]

Silo are silhouettes. Having fullbodies raises the height of the water spread and gives more visibility.

 

[TheCoachZed]

Ducks will NEVER land on shore in a water set with full bodied decoys on the shore. They always land on water, and then swim in. It is far more secure and comfortable for them. Don't know what "silos" are, to me they are large cylindrical objects used to store livestock feed. Ducks will land in goose decoys, proved that for the hundredth time yesterday. Geese will ignore duck decoys like previously mentioned.

Thanks guys! It was what I figured, but never having shot over fullbodies, I was just guessing.

Might go out and try for some action tomorrow again, but it's too windy to take the boat up the river and I'm sick of retrieving in leaky waders. ... I need a dog.