Know-How: A Duck Spread with Serious Drawing Power

by
posted on December 10, 2016
duck_spread_f.jpg

Contrast is what makes a decoy stand out, due not only to its color but also its size and the shadow it casts. If you want to increase your spread’s effectiveness, start with oversized, or magnum, decoys. Almost every top waterfowler I’ve interviewed advocates magnum decoys, including Kelley Powers.

“Oversized decoys are far more cost effective than standard-sized decoys,” says Powers. “At a certain elevation ducks have a hard time seeing standard decoys, but they can still see super-mags, in part due to the shadows they cast. In highly competitive areas, big decoys are a better draw initially, getting the ducks’ attention first.

“Any hunters who frequent Reelfoot Lake [Tennessee] in the early season have seen high-flying ducks pitch down to the beds of dried lily pads that stick out of the water as the lake dries up. When they get close enough, the ducks will see the pads aren’t other ducks and they’ll break away, but the lesson is clear: The big shadows cast by the tall lily pads create enough contrast to be visible from way up and look like they could be ducks.”

To increase your spread’s visibility, Powers suggests using drake decoys only. “We have 65 dozen decoys at our club, and do you know how many are hens? Not one. Hens are a waste of decoy-bag space. Their browns blend into the water too much, whereas the whites on a mallard drake really stand out. We also use pintail drakes, because of all the white, and also a lot of drake black ducks. Black is also visible from great distances, so use them even if you don’t have black ducks where you hunt.” If you’re wondering what to do with all those brown hen decoys, a can of flat-black spray paint could be your answer.

Latest

AR Platform Rifles Becoming More Common Afield Lead
AR Platform Rifles Becoming More Common Afield Lead

AR-Platform Rifles Becoming More Common Afield

Forty-one percent of surveyed hunters used an AR-platform rifle at some time for hunting, according to the findings of research conducted by Responsive Management for the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation.   

#SundayGunday: Taurus Expedition

This week, we’re taking a closer look at the Taurus Expedition, the company’s first-ever bolt-action rifle.

Tips for Moving Your Stand During Deer Season

Hunt long enough and you’ll encounter the need to move a deer stand during the season. Here are some tips for the best ways to do so.

Behind the Bullet: .300 Savage

Having celebrated its 100th birthday in 2020, the .300 Savage remains a sound choice as a big-game cartridge—especially in the woods of the Eastern United States.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Hunting Public-Land Bucks

Perhaps the best thing a hunter can do to up their odds on public land is to cover a trail a buck uses to get to his bed at daylight. Look closely to find it, because you can be sure it won’t be covered in sign.

Ducks Unlimited to Rejuvenate Nesting Habitat in Nebraska

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded grants to Ducks Unlimited (DU) for three projects in the Great Plains, including $6 million to endeavors in the heart of Nebraska’s prairie wetlands.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.