Brant decoys

Zach Houvener

Zach Houvener

Active member
I haven't been able to get out for awhile due to being super busy with my new class schedule and am in need of some inspiration!

WA state has a 5 to 7 day Brant season if the January counts are higher then 6,000 counted on the bays were you can hunt them (This year had a count of over 16,000!)...I've never been brant hunting, but after having read Hagerbaumer's Brant book and Big December Can's, about hunting brant on the west coast I will be starting to carve some in the off season.

I'll make some wooden Y boards with silos for the bulk of the spread, and fill it in with hollow jelutong and cork swimmers.

Out of all decoys, Brant are a favorite of mine to look at and research, Anyone care to share pictures of their brant rig?

Back to my schoolwork,


Zach
 
haven't checked the tides yet, but if I'm out and you have that time off you're welcome to a seat in the boat....

Steve
 
haven't checked the tides yet, but if I'm out and you have that time off you're welcome to a seat in the boat....

Steve
Click to expand...


Only a fool would pass up on that offer.
 
Hey Zach,
Glad to hear that you are going to get after the Brant!
I hope some other shore hunters (east coast) join the thread as well.
I have a few E. Allen Brant that I put out near the sod banks.

These Brant just flew in and swam/waded through my longlines.
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Out here we don't have to put out a lot of Brant decoys, any birds will work. They are fantastic flyers, and fun to watch. Very social birds.

I like the swimming pose of the bird when they are looking down into the water while feeding - the neck is forward, and the bill is pointing down about 60 deg., really looking into the water.

Here's another flock that landed and swam by



3193488918_e7e1be7e7a_b.jpg



Good luck - and let's see some West Coast Brant as well!
Dave
 
you read my mind, i was just thinking about how much I have always wanted to gun for them. unfortunately i have to miss end of season but i will have about half the year off this year so .3 months of end of summer carving and scoutin and the entire season of hunting
 
chris, we will have to get together and carve a rig...save your pennies and get a sneakbox! you'll love it, Also congrats on the expected baby!

Zach
 
yeh i'm going to, my rat was deadly so one of those in my spots would be DEADLY. I thought you said you sold yours? I can't wait to get back and get steve to give me a ride in his, pretty sick boat.

thank you, the wife and I are pumped man, got my boy!
 
no, i have the bbsb, then a four rivers marsh boat...although you don't need either when the whole area is under water, just need a flooded field, there spread out all over the place!




Quane, sweet shots! Looks like there in thick over there! Do you ever use stick-ups or full bodys? I think that would be cool to see/hunt over..

Zach
 
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yeh i went this weekend to a wheat field that had four feet of water in it. Several thousand wigeon mallards and pinnies rafted up about three hundred yards from us and it was hard hunting but was able to call a limit off of em. right on man. what size motor is that in your pic zach? how fast does it go?
 
If your not taking Steve up on that offer I'm getting a plane ticket!

Just another example of what makes this site the best.
 
I don't have any brandt decoys as of yet but plan on carving some this year. I, like Mike just put out blacks and buffs and they come in. I hope the Pacific brandt are as cooperative as their Atlantic counterparts.........Kevin
 
Zach

Glad the files finally got through. I cropped one down this morning for the rest to see, this is from a picture of Grayson Chessers brant rig, sent to me by PG Ross. It nicely showes the Y-board laying on the surface. Due to wind direction, most of the carved decoys had their back end to the camera.

graysonsbrantYboard.jpg


Like I told you last night Zach...if I were doing a brant rig, I'd be thinking canvas...

Chuck
 
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Quane... good pics. That second one where they swim instead of fly into the spread was the story of my short and frustrating duck season.

We learned late in the season to bring the deeks and boat out another 50 yards further out on the long bars... and finally connected with flying brant. We don't shoot swimming brant.
 
Heck, if I thought I could get away with it, I'd even start looking for plane tickets from MObile to the left coast to take him up on that offer!
 
Zach,

I hunt brant in NJ with a dozen repainted lifesize Herters goose floaters. The brant I've been hunting are not real picky, being at the right place is much more important than decoys. I'd go with Y boards and a few floaters to really target brant. When I target them I put out my 12 flaoter and two goose butts with a few buffies for confidence. The goose butts made a difference.

Nothing beats a good brant hunt!

View attachment lukebrantcroppedforemail.jpg

Gene

View attachment lukebrantcroppedforemail.jpg
 
I've never "targeted" Brant but have had them come in to both Canada goose & bluebill spreads (before the Brant season was open)
 
Good to see brant are high on all the guys list! And I already contacted Steve guys! I wouldnt let an offer like that slip by...

Zach
 
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