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Goose floaters for ducks: am I crazy?

Discussion in 'The Duck Hunters Forum' started by bulldogeverett, Oct 25, 2013.

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  1. Oct 25, 2013 #1
    bulldogeverett

    bulldogeverett Senior Refuge Member

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    Peoria, Illinois
    I drew a stake (1 of 15) at a public walk-in area for mid season. It's literally a line of stakes down a mile stretch of bank. Can be really good for puddlers. Almost everyone there will probably run the usual 3 dozen mallards and 2-3 spinners. My stake isn't the best in terms of where the action will be (based on past observations). Trying to talk my buddies into running all goose setup (as many as we can take on a walk-in) with maybe a half dozen mallards in the hole. Was thinking this might get the attention of some far out flyers and might entice them to swing by and check it out. There aren't many geese there though. Didn't know if that might be a red flag to the ducks. Thoughts?
     
    bulldogeverett, Oct 25, 2013
    bulldogeverett, Oct 25, 2013
    #1
  2. Oct 25, 2013 #2
    boykinsbuddy

    boykinsbuddy Elite Refuge Member

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    North Carolina
    2 dozen coots and a pair of widgeon, and one black duck...period. Put the coots in a tight wad with the ducks on the outside.
     
    boykinsbuddy, Oct 25, 2013
    boykinsbuddy, Oct 25, 2013
    #2
  3. Oct 25, 2013 #3
    PutUmDown870

    PutUmDown870 Senior Refuge Member

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    New Jersey
    Coots? 2 Dozen? I have never heard that before but hey I will try anything I guess lol. I use more goose decoys than ducks depending on the spot and what I'm after. Teal and wood ducks I usually use teal and mallard dekes. Goose decoys will definetly work on ducks.
     
    PutUmDown870, Oct 25, 2013
    PutUmDown870, Oct 25, 2013
    #3
  4. Oct 25, 2013 #4
    Squaller

    Squaller Elite Refuge Member

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    Fresno, California
    I think it will really depend on your location...

    In my area, there is no doubt that goose decoys not only don't help the duck hunting, but probably hurt it (mostly snow and speck decoys as that is what we are shooting)...

    While hunting in Canada, we had multiple groups of ducks come into honker decoys though....
     
    Squaller, Oct 25, 2013
    Squaller, Oct 25, 2013
    #4
  5. Oct 25, 2013 #5
    Native NV Ducker

    Native NV Ducker Mod-Duck Hunters Forum, Classifieds, and 2 others Moderator

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    Sula, MT
    Run a jerk string. Makes no difference what decoys you use. Put some motion on the water. You will out-draw those spinners, 5-1.
     
    Native NV Ducker, Oct 25, 2013
    Native NV Ducker, Oct 25, 2013
    #5
  6. Oct 25, 2013 #6
    DR CABELA

    DR CABELA Banned

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    I know in KY we always throw a pair or two of goose decoys usually on the edge of a spread......ducks don't seem to mind and Im a big believer in ducks being able to easily see your spread.....and big ol goose decoys do just that...heres something even crazier.. sometimes we just blow goose calls to the ducks...that goosecall can be heard a long way off
     
    DR CABELA, Oct 25, 2013
    DR CABELA, Oct 25, 2013
    #6
  7. Oct 25, 2013 #7
    Canteen Boy

    Canteen Boy Senior Refuge Member

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    Ohio
    Be different, back in the day, if you wanted to be seen, they put out a swan decoy.
     
    Canteen Boy, Oct 25, 2013
    Canteen Boy, Oct 25, 2013
    #7
  8. Oct 25, 2013 #8
    ILPLATEBOAT

    ILPLATEBOAT Elite Refuge Member

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    Like mentioned, I think it depends where you hunt. Mallards around here always key in on goose blocks before they take mallard decoys, and 9/10 times, will try to land with the goose blocks.
     
    ILPLATEBOAT, Oct 25, 2013
    ILPLATEBOAT, Oct 25, 2013
    #8
  9. Oct 25, 2013 #9
    Billy Bob

    Billy Bob Elite Refuge Member

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    I can't even count the number of ducks I have killed over a goose decoy spread without a single duck decoy in it. Try it, if it doesn't work you can always try something else.
     
    Billy Bob, Oct 25, 2013
    Billy Bob, Oct 25, 2013
    #9
  10. Oct 25, 2013 #10
    perfmarine

    perfmarine Elite Refuge Member

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    Atlantic
    Has worked great for me this week. I had way more flocks come take a look than when I did not have honkers in my spread. Just let me say I hunt a large river area.
     
    perfmarine, Oct 25, 2013
    perfmarine, Oct 25, 2013
    #10
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