Minimalist Decoy Setup
- Thread starter yycapp
- Start date
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Are we to assume you are hunting waterfowl?
Best he regulate himself to being a pass shooter by finding those hidden pockets that feeding ducks are heading too.
Three is hardly enough to garner much attention from ducks ..unless they are sitting at a hole in an pond that is icing over.
Silhouettes are what he might need to cut down on the volume of bulky full bodied decoys and thus improving his spread ....
Then again , maybe there is something I am missing in his question?
Rob
I like smaller teal decoys as a spread filler or just on their own if I'm humping into a remote location. 12 teal takes up about the same as 6 mallards. If I really wanted to limit the number of decoys im bringing in, I'll focus on motion. 1 floating baby mojo (smaller version of the standard mojo and no need for metal poles) and 6 teal on a motion ducks spreader.
That said, when going remote I still haul in more decoys if I can. For the past few years I've been bringing jet sleds hunting. They drag easy across vegetated terrain and they float. I tow one (sometimes 2) behind my kayak. Once in place, cover with camo netting. Even if I dont have my boat, if wading across a marsh, pulling a floating sled is a lifesaver.
That said, when going remote I still haul in more decoys if I can. For the past few years I've been bringing jet sleds hunting. They drag easy across vegetated terrain and they float. I tow one (sometimes 2) behind my kayak. Once in place, cover with camo netting. Even if I dont have my boat, if wading across a marsh, pulling a floating sled is a lifesaver.
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fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Field etiquette seems to be changing, my SIL wont set-up unless he has time to set all 1000 deks he has.
All the time I was growing up my old man had 6 goose decoy ( field set-up, never decoyed over water) and we killed a lot of geese, when I started working and making money, I bought a dozen deks and a hunting buddy also bought a dozen so we had 2.5 dozen to carry now,,,,and I can remember often discussing & #####ing "about carrying all this $hit into the field, because we werent killing more geese than we did when we only used 6".
All the time I was growing up my old man had 6 goose decoy ( field set-up, never decoyed over water) and we killed a lot of geese, when I started working and making money, I bought a dozen deks and a hunting buddy also bought a dozen so we had 2.5 dozen to carry now,,,,and I can remember often discussing & #####ing "about carrying all this $hit into the field, because we werent killing more geese than we did when we only used 6".
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
Had some wonderful marsh shots over 1/2 dozen L.L.Bean cork Black Duck Decoys !
In the field hunting ducks and Canada geese I use 12 magnum shell goose and 12 magnum shell mallard decoys works just fine
On water 6 floating Canada goose and 6 floating magnum mallard decoys sometimes 6 various other decoys if on a shore line I will put a few goose decoys standing in shallow water
On water 6 floating Canada goose and 6 floating magnum mallard decoys sometimes 6 various other decoys if on a shore line I will put a few goose decoys standing in shallow water
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
I used to hunt a rice marsh on Nipissing for years when I lived in Ontario. When ducks were pressured from all the activity and got used to those 1-3 dozen spreads I often set out a pair of ducks, usually a hen and drake mallard together and a lone ringneck, scaup or Canada goose decoy about 15 yards from them. I cannot tell you how many limits I shot over a tiny spread like that and 99% of the time the birds came right in feet down without hesitation. Shot lots of Canada's too over a single floater Canada decoy or small group up to 6 decoys. Field hunting late season I've killed a lot of Canada Geese over nothing more than a pair of full body Canada's when I owned full bodies. Now I own nothing but silo's and not a single floater any longer as I do not hunt water. Nice realistic looking decoys will draw birds in just fine in very limited size sets. If I was going to hunt water or field with a tiny spread continually I would have nothing but a drake and hen mallard decoy, a lone or pair of Canada decoys and a spinner duck decoy such as a lucky duck. I do not own a field duck decoy except for two lucky ducks, I keep one in the blind for a spare backup most days and run a single in my goose spread for ducks...everyone tells me they would commit better if I had duck decoys for them to look at, that a lone spinner in a goose spread doesn't work?! 
https://youtube.com/shorts/nLNRkXF95C8?si=fCakxDyzHFMqRBgb
https://youtube.com/shorts/nLNRkXF95C8?si=fCakxDyzHFMqRBgb
