mallards/ blacks

C

chris goldsworthy

New member
Question for any boddy with some good decoying info will a mallard decoy to a black duck decoy and will a mallard decoy to a black also will they inter mingo ??? Thanks for your time fellows
Got Wings? Kill It
Chris Goldsworthy
 
I have found that they do, In fact in my spread I'll put out a half dozen of one with a dozen of the other and through some geese over there. Then I'll put in a Heron for good measure about 80 yards away.

Just how I do it

Sab
 
I use mallard and black duck decoys interchangably. I have 80% mallards, 5%blacks, 5% other ducks , (gadwall, woodies, etc. depending on where I'm hunting) I found that they look pretty similar, and the ducks don't really care. You can change hen mallard decoys to "black ducks" by coloring over the white on the speculum so it's just blue and black. Just a thought.

Christian
 
Yes mallards will decoy to black duck decoys and black ducks will decoy to mallard decoys. I use more black ducks than mallard decoys in my spread for several reasons:
A) I see more blacks than mallards in my area
B) Blacks are naturally more wary than mallards.
C) Black duck decoys show up better from a distance than mallards do.

I have a buddy that has done some bird surveys for his state's DNR via helicopter and he told me that the first bird that was visible from the air was the black duck.
 
Sure they'll decoy to both , but where I am it's 90% Blacks ducks , So that's all I use. Regardless of popular opinion Blacks just respond better to a nice rig of their own kind...............and Mallards are kinda like the new kid at school. When they show up on the salt marsh they'll land gung ho with the blacks ducks just to fit in...............
 
Since we're allowed 4 mallards and only 1 black duck, I bias my blocks number wise toward the Mallards. By my observation, while the blacks and mallards both hang together, the blacks are often on the edge and hang together rather than mixing in totally randomly with the mallards. I try and mimic this by having my small group of BD blocks slightly off on their own so they stand out better and in my opinion look more realistic. Does this work better than a [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]hodgepodge[/font] of mixed blocks? Don't know the ducks that stay aren't telling and the ones that flew off aren't any more helpful either.

Have fun working out what works best for your area.

Scott
 
Scott , I completely agree with the way your setting up...............I find if everythings scatted ho hum...it just doesn't look right...............and my other pet peeve is decoys spread WAY apart. In my view I put them as tight as possible W/O the lines tangleing or the dekes bumping together...................
 
I use a 2/3 mallard to 1/3 black duck mix. The influence for me had been that the Black duck profile stands out more to the higher flying ducks and that duck on the water were seen as black profiles against the water to wildlife officials doing bird counts. So, I'm trying to make my fairly small spread more visible to distant ducks. I haven't shot any greenhead mallards over my spread this year-but I did have a couple hens. Only shot gadwall, teal, mergansers, and a buffie over this spread for this season.
 
Thanks Fellows Heading Out here now me and the chessie (mag) going to try inter mixing 1/3 mallard and se what happens its cold this morning and snow so going to have a soot or at least try in this -18c brrr
Thanks Again fellows for your time
Got Wings? Kill It
Chris Goldsworthy
 
I have gone to 9 blacks 3 mallards hen hunting out of the Kayak If I need more dekes I add 6 Gadwall and 6 pins. that the limit for me and the pup in the Kayak. I add to mojo's with intermittant timers back in the corn or cover so they can see the flash but not what it is. worked great all season Ikeep the species well seperated with the blacks furthest up wind and the Mallards seperate but appearing to move towards the gaggle of blacks. Even educated bird seemed to pile right in. Keir, is that a WHPG like mine, a Drathaar, or a GWP?
PA150680_3_1_1_4_1.JPGDSCF0010_3_1_1_1.JPG
 
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