diver hunting tips

[Call em n Maul em]

i was just wondering if anyone had any good diver hunting tips for me. i am relatively new at it and the lake always is packed full of hunters. i was wondering about tips to attract them to me more than anyone else. do they love the big open water in the middle of the lake or more closer to the bank by a big cove or what. any input is appreciated. thank you

[Mark Brendemuehl]

Scouting will help you decide where to place your decoys. I like hunting points for divers. I also like big sets of decoys, in fact as many as I can put out in a reasonable amount of time. We like to use Canvasback decoys for added visability, and usually set them up in a straight line like a "wall" for the birds to hit, and follow to our pocket. Divers like big numbers, so give it to them! Be prepred for deep water, and a lot of work... but thats what makes it so rewarding.
Dont spend the money on a "diver call." You can easily replicate their calls by "burling" into a mallard call. In a lot of cases, you wont need to call anyway- they will see the large raft of decoys and swing by for a look!
You may consider putting your decoys on a gang rig too... that will speed up the setting up and taking down process, and makes making a straight line easier too!
Mark

[Brett Beinke]

Just as Mark said scouting is important. Divers will work the same areas reguardless of wind direction. There are some spots that I set up with the wind right in my face. The reason is becuase that is where the feed is and that is where they want to be. Quite often the windy side of a lake is just a productive as the calm side. Numbers is key. Although you can do well with a small spread you had better be right where they want to be or right where they are flying. Big water usually will mean big spreads with lots of white. The Oversized Cans,Bluebills and Goldeneyes are the ticket here. Sometime I set out lines and sometimes I don't. It depends on wind and blind placment. If you are running a line do not have the line coming right in to your boat. There will be a lot of little eyes watching down that line and if there is anything wrong they will flare out. Leave pockets for the ducks to land in. Otherwise they will land short. I hope this helps!

[featheredfriend]

Follow the advice given here, it's right on. Scout your area well, normally divers raft out on the open h2o (in your case middle of the lake) and then fly in the morning to the feeding area. You can set up somewhere in between the roost and feeding area or on the feed bed. Most often it's best to set in between so there is less of a chance that you will blow the birds out of the area.

YOu can hunt middle of the lake, on points or on straight shorelines. Divers love to flock up, so the more decoys most times the better. Also, having more "white" on the h2o means a better chance of turning flocks.

Setting so many dekes in deep h20 means the best method is longlining or ganglining. Setting lines of dekes as opposed to each one individually.

If you shoot a diver and it hits the h2o w/ its head up make sure you put a slapper load across it right away. Chasing crippled divers can be a long frustrating affair and oft times you'll miss on many other flocks while motoring around trying to finish that diver.

There's much more to be said on diver hunting, but simply put; good location + decoys + divers in area = tons of fun!!!

[Hest]

Lead em a long ways!

[Kevin Corry]

Call'em,
Go over to the Refuge to the Divers Hunters Forum. I can tell you there is a tremendous amount of knowledge on this forum. From long line sets to lay out and sea duck hunting. It spans from the east to west coast and a number of different diver hunting scenarios.

[pkdu]

Try a winglock!

[Webbedconnection]

I agree to a point (no pun intended) with what the other guys say. White shows up well. Put extra white on your decoys where it's possible, like on the Bluebills sides, and big what check patches on the hens, try painting about a 1" white line along the water line of your drake Redheads. The white will flash when they rock on the water.
Drake Cans are great to attract Cans. Like an old timer said, "In the fall they're here to eat not Scr@w!" He never put any hen Cans out.
When I look back at my spread when chasing cripples, it's the magnum Blackducks I see the best, then the Cans. I always runs about 3 dozen BIG Mallards(1/3) and Blacks(2/3) in front of my divers. We rarely shoot mallards out there, but we decoy more divers than most guys out there...

Have trailer (full of decoys), will travel. 'duck'

[Jeff "Pitboss" Coats]

to add alittle from above, i find loaction is the most important thing... feeding area or just in line where they are flying.
and then having a decent spread of decoys... white and black for divers and all black for seaducks.

good luck!

jeff

[Jeff "Pitboss" Coats]