Divers?

[FOWL CHASER]

I have never targeted just divers before so I have a question for you guys. I'm heading to North Dakota this fall and may take a day or two to hunt divers. What decoys would be the best to use to entice the divers into the spread? Don't want to buy a load of decoys but am willing to get a few to up my chances. Is it better to use just diver decoys or can I mix divers in with the puddlers to make the spread look bigger?

Thanks in advance.

[Double B]

We usually mix ours? I don't know if this is the correct way...but? We shoot em so.... But, as far as decoys to use, we just try to throw out alot of white when were goin after divers. We throw out some cans, buffies, ringbills, ect. Just get some white out there is what I would say? I may be wrong though????

[guppie]

I'm with double B, We also mix ours but with keeping divers on the outside of the spread. The more black and white on the decoys the better. We mostly use bills, with also cans, redheads and ringbills.

[Corey Sorensen]

We mixs ours but put the puddlers off to one side and the divers farther out and towards the other side in a few lines, so that the birds funnel in towards us...We run mostly bills (12-24), Redheads (6), Buffleheads (4-8) and Ringnecks (12) I would get as much white as you can...they are easier to see and this is what the divers are looking for.

[Double B]

Ya I should have specified. We put our divers on the outside, or make 2 little pockets of birds. So there not all mixed together!

[hoosier_duckhunter]

we used a string of 1 dozen blue bills and a string of 6 canvasbacks and we hammered the divers one day

[Kevin Kriha]

Usually we run both divers and puddle ducks together, but in two different areas of the spread, usually put the divers out in front about 25 yards or so. Puddle ducks usually off to one side in shallow.With the divers we usually try to run one or two lines out from the upwind side of the main group to try and bring them down our shooting lane(s). We usually through a few stragglers off of the line to break it up a little. Starting out, I would mainly concentrate on trying to achieve a spread with a lot of contrast(black and white). I would worry about the species to much just make sure you have a lot of white on some and a lot of dark on others. When I first started diver hunting, one of the guys that got me in to it, used mostly old bleach bottles painted white and black, he swore by this and honistly it worked pretty good we seemed to get a lot of divers over his spread. What I am trying to point out is that with divers my opinion is contrast between dark and light seem to attract there attention. Good luck and let us know what ya end up buying.

[FOWL CHASER]

Thanks for the help guys.
Before I posted this I was thinking about getting a doz. Bluesbills and a six pack of Canvasbacks, it sounds like that would be a good decision from the feedback I've gotten so far.

[quackaddict]

Thanks for the help guys.
Before I posted this I was thinking about getting a doz. Bluesbills and a six pack of Canvasbacks, it sounds like that would be a good decision from the feedback I've gotten so far.

That would be a good start, bunch up the bills and string out the cans in a line upwind of the bills, the birds will suck right down the line and into the blob, works every time.

[poutpro]

I think the goldeneye dekes provide some of the best contrast of all the decoyes.

[duckin82]

That would be a good start, bunch up the bills and string out the cans in a line upwind of the bills, the birds will suck right down the line and into the blob, works every time.
thats exactly what we do when were working the divers, kill the heck outta birds when they are there, we usually put a little group of puddlers off to our left, usually just mallards and blacks but we mix a few wigeon in with the bluebills.

[Drake Whistle]

Coots are always good confidence decoys.