duck decoys for mud puddles

[Ed Askew]

I'm not sure what is up with the ducks this season, but all year long they have wanted to be in a couple of inches of water, no more. I have often watched them land on the dirt, next to the water. You could not begin to float a decoy in water that shallow. Also, if the dekes aren't moving, you are SOL. I don't think the full bodied field dekes will work (although I have some on order!) Once I watched a video somewhere of a guy who had taken his duck decoys and rigged them like goose shells, with motion stakes. He either removed the bottom of the deke or drilled a big hole in the bottom and put them on stakes, so they could rotate in the wind in next to no water at all. Any experience with this?

Ed.

 

[Capt. John O]

Maybe an aqua vac style would work and a few quiver magnets

 

[MLBob Furia]

Ed,

Check my post on the perfect pickleweed pothole. Believe it or not, I was thinking of your post after I stumbled on this little spot yesterday!

 

[Kris Schaumburg]

ed if you have access to the older greenhead gear decoys, they had a click in keel. I have a bunch of them that i use for potholes and flooded timber walk in. i used stout mono line with a bulky knot tied at the top end and inserted that into the keel slot as my method for attaching weights (hint you barely need any weight to hold them). Without the weighted keel, they weigh next to nothing and move in any breeze what so ever. I use them much more than i use my full bodies.

 

[Ray]

In one of the various waterfowl gear catalogs I saw a field stand for make keeled decoys into field decoys. Its just some bent wire in a loop to go around the keel and then the end gets stuck into the ground with plastic feet for show. Simple enough to make yourself.

http://www.dcvroutdoors.com/products

 

[Ed Askew]

All great suggestions fellas. I have already been out in the barn with my dremmel tool, messin' up some perfectly good decoys and 1/2" PVC conduit. Well see weekend after next if it works out and if it does I'll post some pics. Only problem I see is the weather forecast which is for more "heavy rain" up in AR. Last thing we need right now; too much water as it is.

Ed.

 

[Dave Church]

Maybe buy some mallard shells???? I have also seen the wire stands that go around the keels of plastic floaters. Never messed with either tho.

dc

 

[DeWayne Knight]

He either removed the bottom of the deke or drilled a big hole in the bottom and put them on stakes, so they could rotate in the wind in next to no water at all. Any experience with this?

Ed.

There are duck decoy shells on the market that use stakes just like goose shells.

 

[Jim Boyer]

I use my Avery FB mallard shells in very shallow water and on mud flats. The stakes provide for great motion in even the slightest breeze.

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[Tom Roberts]

Try the blow up type decoys made by Cherokee decoys. No keel and great movement in the wind.

 

[John Kirk]

I just got some Avery Full Body blacks for use on the mud flats at low tide. I'm getting more next year....

 

[noweil Mike]

What about a mojo on a stake with a remote? Or maybe a few full body goose decoys? Are there geese in the area? Duck season is over here but the ducks sure been working the goose decoys in the fields.

 

[Ed Askew]

Jim I like that spread. Looks absolutely deadly. I bet you murder 'em hunting over that. That's what I'm talking about.

Cherokees. I need to check that out, Tom. There's one place I can hunt that is quite a walk back in the woods. Those would be good for that too.

Mike I do have some goose shells and have been putting out a few of my speck shells when I hunt ducks. They don't have motion stakes but I just modified a few to go with my own DIY motion stakes. I'm a lot more interested in killing geese after I killed my first speck ever last week. My wife turned that into haute cuisine. Specks are essentially filet mignon in the sky. I had no idea.

Mojos don't work anymore even as far north as Arkansas. We gave up on them on the Gulf Coast several years back. I realized last year they were flaring birds up in Arkansas. Several of my hunting buddies have yet to see the light. They're killing fewer ducks than they would otherwise because of the spinners. Believe me I'm no purist. It's just they do more harm than good. Ducks up there have become a lot more wary in the last 2 seasons.

Yeah John I have some of those on the way from Cabelas. I'll be hunting with them next trip.

Also, I have made some of my floating duck decoys into shells to go on stakes. That's what I want to try out weekend after next. Too bad I gotta work this weekend.

Work is what really messes me up. If I didn't have to work I'd have figured this all out a long time ago.

Ed.