[bhack]

Hello all,
I'm new to this sight and fairly new at hunting. I have a couple questions about placing my decoys:
1. I have 4 doz mallards and 1 doz teal and just bought 1 doz Bluebills. I quit putting the teals out this time of year, but was wondering if I should mix the blue's in with the mallards. If so, where at in the spread should I put them?
2. I've heard that divers should be put on stringers, is this true and whats the best way to rig them up?

 

[ks_waterfowler]

First off, go ahead and throw the teal back out there. We have broke thick ice and still shot greenwings. Put the mallards in a group and put the bluebills in a group off to the side. Those black decoys are highly visible. Make a spaec in between the mallards and the bluebills for them to land.

 

[REDLEGGER]

if you never want tangled line in your bag just let me I tell you how to rigem so that isn't a problem :thumbsup:

 

[donell67]

what ks said. keep divers and puddles seperate. keep using those teal. more dekes the better. we kill teal all winter.

 

[h2ofwlr]

It is called long lining for the divers. check out the diver forum-lots already posted there about it.

As for sperating them, good idea. if hunting a point-put the divers in the more open water area with the mallards in closer . Basically form a big pocket for ducks to land in in front of you. 10yds in min between them, 20 yds is better.

 

[SLAMMINERIE]

I HUNT LAKE ERIE I RUN MY DIVERS ON 140FOOT MAIN LINES AND PUDDLERS ON SINGLE LINES WE RUN AN AVERAGE OF 240 DEKES EACH OUTING LAYOUT HUNTING MAKE A TIGHT GROUP WITH YOUR MALLARDS AND A STRAIGHT LINE WITH YOUR BLUEBILLS LEAVE A LANDING ZONE FOR YOUR DUCKS :thumbsup:

 

[texan68]

hunting with less then 2 doz divers......theres no need to put em on a main line.......just put em in a tight group away from the mallards.

 

[huntmq1]

I just picked up some GW teal dekes, do you guys mix em in with your puddle ducks, divers or off by them selves?

 

[Ducksbeus]

Off by themselves...throw ya one of them wave makers in the middle of em. Y'all have a nice day!

:salude:

 

[Robberwood]

First off, go ahead and throw the teal back out there. We have broke thick ice and still shot greenwings. Put the mallards in a group and put the bluebills in a group off to the side. Those black decoys are highly visible. Make a spaec in between the mallards and the bluebills for them to land.

Couldnt agree with any more.

 

[870]

I kind of agree with Texan68, you don't need a mainline with doz blue bills, just put them in a straight line leading to your Mallards. I don't like the idea of tight groups though. I've found with Mallards, in their world when they feel safe they spread out and feed. They come into tight groups just before a hen says LETS GET THE FLOCK OUT OF HERE. I hunt over 3doz Mallards early in the season, less and less as the season goes on. I also hunt big water only I don't know if this will help, but I spread mine out up and down the shore line [in range] from a few inches to few feet off the shoreline with a pair or two out farther swimming in.

 

[travo]

yeah, keep the greenwings in there. we shot some just a weekend before freeze up.

 

[texan68]

pudddlers and divers are very different.......when divers first land they sit in a line form. But when they feel comfortable with a place they will raft up in a tight group. Down here in texas on the bay flats the bluebills and redheads raft up by the thousands....... what a sight

 

[870]

With divers I agree, tight groups work the best, with your ganglines leading off. Just my puddlers I like to spread out. I'm glad to hear of the rafts you boys have down there. I love to see them myself and KILL as many as I can.