Decoy spreads

[Brett Neffendorf]

As of right now Im in the rebuilding stage of my spread for next year. This next year Im looking at going with 8-9 doz. GHG hotbuys, 2 dozen wigeon, 6 canvasback, my spinner, and my jerk cord.
For the money I dont think you can beat the hotbuys. And with their size I can pack out more and more of them.

Whats everyone else going for next year in the way of decoy spreads?

Brett Neffendorf

[Ryan Vande Griend]

Mostly for divers-30 Bufflehead And 6 Goldeneyes

For Puddlers... a doz mallards with mallard shells on shore...

As far as when we go to North Dakota...just maybe 18 Divers and a couple doz puddlers (shoveler, widgeon, mallard, teal)

[quackaddict]

I will have about 10 dozen floaters next year. 6 dozen divers and about 4 dozen puddlers. All LS and OS series.

[Ryan Kleinschmidt]

This next year Im looking at going with 8-9 doz. GHG hotbuys


That is a load of blocks there!! Other than hunting divers, I have never ran more than 4-5 doz. mallards. Most of the time i run 2-3 doz. If your on the X, there should be no need for large volume. If your hunting next to the refuge and pulling in traffic, then I would want the large spread. There is nothing worse than having to pick up 10 doz. blocks after a long morning in the blind!!

[quackaddict]

That is a load of blocks there!! Other than hunting divers, I have never ran more than 4-5 doz. mallards. Most of the time i run 2-3 doz. If your on the X, there should be no need for large volume. If your hunting next to the refuge and pulling in traffic, then I would want the large spread. There is nothing worse than having to pick up 10 doz. blocks after a long morning in the blind!!

This here is some very good info from a guy who busts a pile of ducks each year. Divers are a numbers game. The only reason I own the numbers of puddler decoys is because I got them cheap and I use them as a filler in my diver spreads (we often get mixed flocks of puddlers and divers). Generally I only run about 2 dozen or so puddlers if im on an X. I will up that if im running traffic or have high competition.

[h20fow1er]

I will agree with both of you. If you are on the X decoys do not matter. But when the game changes and you have an X and have 2 competing blinds 125 yards from you. Rules have to change a little bit also.

I am going to offer a counter to Commanders statement.

The only thing worse then picking up 10 doz blocks after a long morning is picking up 2 dozen blocks on the same long morning of hunting and watching the guy a 100 yards down with 10 doz fill 3 limits.

Sounds like a great spread Brett

[Kevin Dirk]

No Pintail dekes for you Brett??!!! From the pics you posted this year it seems you get into em enough out there....

Have fun and let us know what you end up with...

KD

[Atlantic Flyway Gundogs]

Another dozen OS blackducks and 1 dozen FB blacks...... and one dozen OS mallards!

[Andrew O'Neill]

I need to add a few, but by late September I'm hoping it looks like this:

Puddlers:
3 Doz Mallards
1 Doz Teal
1 Doz Pintails
6 Widgeon
6 Black Ducks
1 Doz Wood Ducks

Divers:
4 Doz Bluebills
2 Doz Redheads
1 Doz Canvasbacks
1 Doz Buffies
1 Doz Goldenyes

[CRIPLE CUTTER]

puddle ducks
5 dz mallerds
2 dz teal
1 dz sprigs
1 dz woodies

diver ducks
5 dz bluebills
2.5 dz read heads
1.5 dz cans
2 dz buffleheads
1 dz mergansers
1 dz scoters
This spring i plan on buying 3 dz oldsqwals.
god i love decoys.:D

[Swan Bo]

Puddlers
1 doz mallards
1 doz teal
6 widgeon
6 pintail

Divers
2 doz bluebill
2 doz redhead
2 doz oversize redhead
1 doz goldeneye
1 doz ringneck

Location is everything

[CRIPLE CUTTER]

I forgot 2 dz golden eye.:rolleyes:

[Josh Carda]

For ducks i'd like to add at least another dozen mallards.

For geese at least another 6 actives

and a new power hunter or ground force

[Jonathan Rice]

Puddlers
24 doz. mallards
3 doz. widgeon
2 doz. blacks
2 doz. teal
2 doz. pintails
1 doz. Gadies

Divers
12 doz. Redheads
10 doz. Bluebills
3 doz. Canvasbacks
4 doz. Handmade Buffleheads
3 doz. Goldeneyes
We run a real big spread because we guide on big water with alot of competion.

[QuackerWacker]

I hunt western Washington and I use 8 or 9dz. wigeon, 1dz. mallards, 1dz. greening teal, 6 gadwalls, 6 spoonies, 6 bufflehead, 6 coot, and 1.5dz. ringnecks for puddlers when I hunt Inland. On the salt I use 12dz. wigeon and 4dz.pintails. I want to add another 6dz.wigeon to my puddler rig.

[Walt McCord]

Regular 80 Acre Rice Field
2 Dozen Mallard Drakes
2 Dozen Mallard Hens
3 Pintail Drakes
3 Pintail Hens
3 Greenwing Teal
2 WoodDuck Drakes
2 Mallard Feeder Drakes
1 Mallard Feeder Hen

Regular 80 Acre Corn Field
3 Dozen Mallard Drakes
2 Dozen Mallard Hens
6 Pintail Drakes
6 Pintail Hens
6 Greenwing Teal
4 Mallard Feeder Drakes
2 Mallard Feeder Hen

Flooded GreenTimber
6 Mallard Drakes
6 Mallard Hens
2 Pintail Drakes
2 Pintail Hens
4 WoodDuck Drakes
2 WoodDuck Hens
2 Mallard Feeder 1 Hen 1 Drake


One jerk sting at each blind with 3 Drakes and 2 Hens on each string.

[Brett Neffendorf]

Well, I guess I should have given you guys a little more insight as to where im hunting and how.

This last year I hunted the public WMA (wildlife managment area) about 40 times. Not only are there a ton of other hunters, your competiting for those birds day in and day out. In the area that I hunt, its all a numbers game. Yes, there are better blinds than others but no matter where we are at, we try to have atleast 10-12 doz duck decoys and a couple doz honker floaters.

Now, if Im hunting the private spots theres obviously no need for that many decoys. The fact is the public area I hunt is a traffic area. The birds are trading back from the refuge to the loafing and feeding spots and when there are hunts lined up all around you, the more decoys, and more movement only makes it look that much better. Hope you guys understand.

Oh, and I just love having a massive spread haha. Go big or go home is usually my modo. But like ive said it all depends on which spots im hunting.

Brett Neffendorf

[quacksmacker]

Holy Crap you guys hunt over alot of decoys!!!!!! I hunt over 2 dozen LS mallards, 6 LS Widgeons, and 6 LS Pintail floaters. All I do is Run Traffic and I pound the Crap out of em with just three dozen. In a field I think the most I have ever hunted of was 7 dozen fullbody Mallards. Goose decoys, thats a different story. The most I hunted over in a field this year was 35 dozen FFD's. Over water 10 dozen LS floaters and 15 dozen FFD's on the shore.

[Jeremy DeVries]

Wow. Your backs have to hurt everyday from bending over to pick em all up. I know some guys on duck clubs in California who put out 500 decoys, because the blind across the pond at the duck club has out 400 decoys. They all hunt the same blinds OVER and OVER and OVER. Are we talking about the same thing here? They leave the dekes in ALL SEASON and it has just escalated to ridiculousness. (is that a word:) ) I don't hunt any big open water though, and obviously no sea hunts. That is work. I tip my hat to ya.

[Kile Jones]

i use 24 mallards. 6 woodies, 12 sprig and 4 blacks. and 6 teal

[Tad Hartwig]

I guess I go the completely opposite direction with decoys than the rest of you guys. I've killed more ducks over 6-8 decoys than with larger spreads. I had an old guy tell me that he only has 6 decoys he hunts with and thats all a guy needs. So I decided to try hunting with a small spread and it works around here anyway. Something about the old duck hunters that makes a guy want to listen. Just my two cents!!

[Brett Neffendorf]

Nope, my back never hurts with these carts :)

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p117/BrettNeffendorf/OregonianDuckHunt028.jpg


The most decoys we hunted over this year was about 18-19 dozen duck decoys, 3 dozen goose floaters, 2 dozen fullbody mallards, 1 spinner, 2 jerk a decoys. This is all being hauled into public land with our carts at walks up to over a mile.

Brett Neffendorf

[gooser_12]

Well since me and the guys cant afford big spreads, we have

For Water:
2-3 Dz. Mallards
1 Dz. Woodies
1-2 Mojo's

Fields:
2-3 Dz. Goose Fullbodies

We dont have any problem killing either ducks or geese, we use less than that in early season!!!!

[CurrituckBoy]

For divers we use anywhere form 2 dozen to about 12 dozen bluebills, redheads, cavasbacks, buffelhead decoys.

for puddlers we only use about 6 decoys to 2 dozen mallards and blackducks

Michael

[QuackerWacker]

With the new info you gave us I would look at the decoy spreads around you and try to make yours look different. Public land is tough hunting and you need to make your dekes stand out from the rest, that is why my rig is based on wigeon and not mallards like everyone else.

[goetler]

I Use 6 widgeon 1-5doz malls and 2 1/2 doz goose floaters. It depends on the time of year and the compitition. I hunt all public water.

[Brett Neffendorf]

Yeah, the reason we go so big is because we are competing with people doing the same thing. 98% of the people dont have the access or ability to carry out the gear we have, thats why we say go big or go home. My whole question starting this thread is really about the hotbuys. What is your guys' take just hunting over Hotbuy mallards and not having the life size? What are all of your thoughts on the size and body style of them only instead of using LS? Money saver for me I guess is what it is

Brett Neffendorf