[ohsobad_hunter]

I have always used Mallards only, but this year i will be using two dozen mallards, a dozen pintails, and a dozen teal. How do you mix the breeds in with each other to look realistic??
Any web sites or book recomendations will be helpful as well.

Thanks guys.
Mat

 

[Duckhunter16]

Yeah I know what you mean I am faceing the same problem this year to. so any info will be helpfull guys.

thanks,
shane

 

[mallardhunter]

Yep I am in the same boat too, but I think I am going to mix them up.

 

[SteveInTN]

Put the pintail dekes on the outer edge of the spread to take advantage of the white.

 

[ks_waterfowler]

We just mix them up. Never seemed to bother the ducks. If we have any diver decoys with us we seperate the two groups though. Thats my $.02

 

[winchesterx2]

i hunted a mans blind that used the X pattern on open water and each of the ends were different deks. Bluebills on one leg, mallards on the other, pintails on the other and another breed for the forth one. worked great ! More ducks were shot from that blind than any other in that hole ( approx. 50 acres ).

 

[JON]

Ok guys...

I don't know why a person would always use mallard decoys unless the only duck he ever sees is a mallard. Then it makes sense. I have mixed decoys since I began hunting and here is my advice.

Scout the area with a good set of optics before the hunt...and don't hunt a spot unless the ducks want to be there (success wil be low). Watch the ducks in action. Watch whether they land into the existing group or on the edge...and then swim in. Most species will always intermix and not seperate according to species. If in your scouting, you see a seperation of species, take note and set your spread accorddingly.

Last tip: One thing I have found effective is isolation. In Oregon where we hunt the main ducks I see are mallard, widgeon, pintail and teal. No matter what I do within the main body of my spread I will always isolate some mallards closer to shore(this is the species I see most of the time huddled in close). Likewise I will also...as someone already pointed out, isolate a few pintail a bit further out from the spread in order to make them visible. (Pintails will usually sit the furthest from shore). Then again in the middle of the spread I will have som elarge holes where I put some widgeon or teal. (I have had many of these two species of duck land directly on the isolated group in the spread). One other tip is always use your most realstic decoys in these isolated positions in the spread. It will help out a bunch.

Keep in mind my hunting locations are lakes, bays, rivers, sloughs, and flooded fields. I have little experience with timbered and wooded areas. Hope I was of some assistance. Thanks.

JB

 

[jmike]

one thing that i think helps is to tie off some of your deks at the butt end if you see aflock of birds loafing , they are all swimming or pointed willy nilly , i have 2 or 3 per dozen that way , unless its really windy out then they all are pointed into the wind , i also use about a dozen duk butts , when im setting up it verys how i do set the rig up , if im using the blob i try to put some of the deks with white on the edges , or a group of them at the up wind side , or i will make my tail of the j set using those deks with white , i also agree with jon, you guys got to mix it up , heck i use mallies , pinnies , widgens, coots , even have some old cans ................goodluk jmike