Decoy Patterns

[hunt4fun1]

Does anyone try and set up decoys in any particular pattern?
I've read that you should try and set different types of patterns depending on wind direction.
I just throw mine out and they seem to work well.

[WR]

Well i don't know , but my ? is does more dekes help in the later season or less help . Seems ducks have seen it all come to end of season . been thinking on that for a while .

[Shorthair]

No pattern in particular but I like to leave a "landing strip" within shotgun range.

[T2Q]

First question, The landing strip is one of the better ones for the south east. I have tried it all down here and this one seems to work the best. Now if you hunting swamp waters and there is no real opening spread the deks out about 25 yards or so for some in your face action. Now up north anything works so i have had to learn all over again 2 years ago.

Second question, decoy amounts, this is a good question but, the answer is B. The later in the season the less you should use.

In eairly goose and teal i will start out useing about 3 1/2 dozen mixed decoys and as season gose on i start taking away from my spead. at this time of year i am down to 6 deks out . This is unless your going to some where there is ALOT of birds, then you may want a little more out. It seams like the less you have out the more the birds are ap to come check them out, i mean like 2 weekends ago i had 18 deks out now i am down to 6.


now calling has alot to do in this roll to the less in the later season the better. At the begining of season some but still not alot but more than you would use now. Last weekend we never used the call at all and we had in your fase action for a hour or so giver or take 15 mins.


any more questions i can try to answer for ya'll ? more than happy to try. Love to help folks out anyway i can!

[flhuntress]

i usually try a "H" or "V" pattern....sometimes i just chuck them out there though.

[Covehnter]

Honestly, i think it is all about decoy placement. You've gotta play the wind and it's the key in having duck sit down directly in your face. Depending on situation, i use a J shape spread, a U shaped spread and one not many people use that i have begun to really have alot success w/ is kinda of a W shaped pattern w/ the 2 outer arms 15 or 20 yards shorter than the middle. You have to pay really close attenion to the ducks too. . . if they are just rafting up or if they are landing and staying bunched together according to species.

The numbers you use strongly relies on where you are. . . sometimes big water spreads must be huge. . . and sometimes fewer is more.

[flhuntress]

;D ;D ;D
i like the w....gonna try it this weekend...awesome idea.

[GADAWGS]

Depends on what bird I am hunting. Divers require a different set up. Mostly on puddle ducks i will have a small spread on each side of the blind. Most just thrown out in a random order. Then outside of one spread i will place a dozen or so goose decoys, genreally around 35 yards out. That is for yardage estimation and confidence also. The divers I generally use a "J' hook pattern. Later in the season I pay more attention to mating up the decoys or pairing them off.

[Shorthair]

The last Saturday I went after woodies I laid out a pattern that was two straight lines 20 yards apart. (I copied this from somebodies pics I saw at GWF.) I had 4 drakes and 4 hens in each line alternating between hen and drake. I had three groups come in that morning and try to land right in my "runway".

I like GD's method of splitting the blind, that best describes the pattern I use. I'm gonna try the goose thing too next year. They've got me talked into getting a dozen or so coots for confidence decoys.

[GADAWGS]

I have heard all the talk about the coots, but I dont hunt enough where there are coots to worry about them. Could just paint some 2 litre bottles black and be done with it I guess