Small spread make up.

B

BobThompson

New member
When I stopped duck hunting several years ago I got rid of most of my stuff so I’m slowly replacing things. Among the things I kept were a few decoys, around a half dozen, and I think all mallards. You guys that run small spreads hunting puddlers from layout boats, what do include. Species, confidence decoys, spinners? What works for you in a small spread?
 
Bob, match the hatch. Drive around and see what is hanging around where you will be gunning. We do not see many brant here, but if I gun further west I take 8-9 brant decoys.
 
Small spread for me might only be 3 decoys. If mallards are the target, often 2 drakes and a hen. Maybe one or two on a jerk cord if there is no wind. If I'm using a small spread, no spinner for me. 2 or 3 goose floaters have been good to me goose hunting.
 
Bob,
Where are you hunting?
what birds are the norm?
I’d mix it up a little, add mixed 1/2 don of what ever other else is the norm.
Maybe some feeder butts on a jerk cord too
 
Carl said:
Bob,
Where are you hunting?
what birds are the norm?
I’d mix it up a little, add mixed 1/2 don of what ever other else is the norm.
Maybe some feeder butts on a jerk cord too
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I’m in east central Missouri, small impoundments and occasionally smaller rivers. We have mallards, gadwalls, shovelers, teal, the occasional pintail. Geese are also common in the area. Back when I was actively hunting this area years ago it wasn’t uncommon to have some divers cruise the decoys.
 
BobThompson said:
I’m in east central Missouri, small impoundments and occasionally smaller rivers. We have mallards, gadwalls, shovelers, teal, the occasional pintail. Geese are also common in the area. Back when I was actively hunting this area years ago it wasn’t uncommon to have some divers cruise the decoys.
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I’m based in Central Missouri (Jefferson City) and have been duck hunting for just a little over 25 years. My main decoy focus is mallards, with a mix of wigeons and pintails, though I’m still hoping to add some gadwalls and shovelers to my list.

Back in the day, I used to think bigger was better—running 5–6 dozen mallard decoys with a few pintails mixed in for massive spreads. I believed numbers equaled success. But now, in my late 50s and often hunting solo, I’ve shifted gears. These days, I’m experimenting with smaller spreads that focus on variety instead of sheer volume. It’s a work in progress, but I’m enjoying the process of fine-tuning my approach.

I’ve also considered adding 3–6 Canada goose decoys to the mix, but the extra work of hauling them in has me hesitating. For shallower areas or dry spots, I’ve got some mallard shells and Bigfoot Canada goose decoys that work well into the mix of floaters, but I’m still figuring out what’s worth the effort in different situations.

Most of my hunts are on Missouri Conservation Department (MDC) Managed Waterfowl Areas like Eagle Bluffs, assuming I can get drawn. I got into waterfowl hunting right after the 1993 Missouri River flood, when the MDC started converting flood-damaged farmland into managed hunting areas. For me, these spots have defined the bulk of my experience.

One downside of hunting these areas is the limited access and fierce competition. Because of this, I mostly hunt alone—many of my friends aren’t as committed to the early mornings and the costs for just a few hunts a year. Nor having to deal with the process of trying draw in and ultimately getting sent home or having to come up with a Plan B. I always invite them along when I draw a spot, but it’s hit or miss.

Unfortunately, I don’t have much experience with alternative Plan B locations, like other public lands or private areas. My scouting has been limited due to time constraints and life in general, so most of my hunts revolve around MDC-managed areas.

If you’re new to Missouri hunting, I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned about hunting the MDC-managed areas over the years. But again my experience is limited.

Looking forward to swapping stories and learning from your experiences as well!
 
BobThompson said:
I’m in east central Missouri, small impoundments and occasionally smaller rivers. We have mallards, gadwalls, shovelers, teal, the occasional pintail. Geese are also common in the area. Back when I was actively hunting this area years ago it wasn’t uncommon to have some divers cruise the decoys.
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MIght want to get one of those "puddler packs", which have a mix of gadwalls, pintails & wigeon. And maybe a couple of canvasbacks.
 
I think decoys are as much for the hunter as they are for the ducks. I hunt small backwater sloughs and ponds where mallards, teal, and wood ducks are the most common species. I'll put out 6-12 mallards and sometimes a few teal, but I've killed numerous species with just mallard decoys. I think location, good calling, and hiding are much more important than what species of decoy you use.
 
Depends where you are. I rarely ever hunt more than 14-15 decoys here in NJ for ducks. My spread is usually:

6 black ducks - Almost always.
6 of a staple species that's around - It might be gadwall, or pintail, or sometimes even mallards if I'm in an area with a good amount. Teal in the early season.
2-4 of a color species - Might be 2 drake mallards and a hen, a pair of wigeon if they're around, or sometimes I'll throw 2 drake pintail and a hen.

Like Scott said, your staple species will draw in all sorts of stuff. Here in NJ, everything decoys into black ducks. I like to add some color in always just to catch their eyes from afar. In the south, that's probably mallards. On the west coast that may be pintails. Texas it might just be wigeon.

Sometimes I'll just do 6 black ducks and 6 mallards and call it a day.
 
I rarely put out more than a dozen but almost always have a jerk string. Little bit of motion makes a big difffence in my opinion especially with a small spread. Either Mallards or Widgeon or both since that is what I most typically see on the Columbia river. I've done well with 2 mallards on the jerk string and thats it.
 
I had heart surgery earlier in the year so I had not been going at it too hard. Just me and my dog sitting on a stool. I have a military knock off back pack that holds a stool, 3 mallards, a but up shaker, 2 black ducks and either a pintail or a couple teal.
 
On days when the black ducks and mallards are moving mostly as singles or small groups, a classic "spread" here is a group of 2 or three magnum black ducks separated by 15-20 yards from a pair of magnum mallards. (It's Maine, so the preferred decoys are George Soule LL Bean corks.) Birds tend to land midway between them, but may also land with either group. Teal and the occasional pintails or wigeon we see tend to decoy well to the big duck decoys. Wood ducks in the early season will at least give them a pass. My experience with jerk cords is that they work really well to get attention from the ducks, but in the natural cover "blinds" or grassed boats we hunt from, the birds also tend to notice whoever is jerking the cord, and flare away at the last minute. We've had terrible luck keeping those shaker decoys to keep shaking in the cold and wet, but they do add attraction when they work.
 
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