Magnum vs. Life-Size

BrentS

BrentS

Active member
My hunting buddy bought 6 Magnum black duck decoys (probably un-intentionally), where all the rest of our other decoys are life-size. This past season we set these magnums blacks a little ways away from the all other decoys. But, do you think this size difference is a potential spooker? A major issue? etc?
 
You have to realize...ducks aren't that smart. We hunt ducks/geese from a 6 foot goose decoy blind (pics on our website) and they work great.

When WE see a big decoy, we think...Wow, that's a big decoy (sounds like Staples commercial doesn't it). When a duck or goose sees a Big Decoy, they think....Cool, I'm close. Size relates to distance. The bigger something is, the closer they are to it. It's simple...easy, smeasy.
Lou
 
Brent I dont see the Magnums hurting you at all as long as the rest of your rig are quality stool, I guided out of Buddy Toomeys in Amityville for years. In that area 90% of the ducks you'll kill are Blacks. Now I hunt out east and ond the North Shore. So my rig is a lot different now than it was back then. I still use my McCormick's but back then all I ever used was 15 Black Ducks 2 Pintail and a Mallard. The Pintail and Mallard were McCormicks painted with appropiate colors and it worked fine.
 
Brent, do yourself a favor and start experimenting with the over-sized blacks. Put a pair or two in and around the other blocks to see what the reaction is from incoming ducks. How else will you know. I use both regular sized and over-sized decoys in the same set and never have problems. Always try different combinations remember what works and what doesn't. Good luck.
One day I experimented with a pair of GWT decoys. I found out that if I keep them on a short line with a little extra weight when hunting on the river, they become extremely active more so than larger decoys like mallards and widgeons. They move all over the place in the current and makes the spread come alive.
Al
 
Decoy size is the least of my concerns . . . you should see the dekes I hunt over - I carved some of them myself! Eeee Gad !

NR
 
Hmmm......I'm thinking we have way too many duck decoys...........I think we have around 4 or 5 dozen, and don't even bother setting them all. And most are mallards, however they seem to just stay up in the canals in my area. I just bought a dozen bluebills, because they seem even more prevalent than blacks in the east nassau/west suffolk south shore area. Maybe I'll sell-off or just store a bunch of mallards for this coming season....


Brent I dont see the Magnums hurting you at all as long as the rest of your rig are quality stool, I guided out of Buddy Toomeys in Amityville for years. In that area 90% of the ducks you'll kill are Blacks. Now I hunt out east and ond the North Shore. So my rig is a lot different now than it was back then. I still use my McCormick's but back then all I ever used was 15 Black Ducks 2 Pintail and a Mallard. The Pintail and Mallard were McCormicks painted with appropiate colors and it worked fine.
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