Spinning decoys

Mark,
Higdon came out with a tip up goose some years ago. I has a fishing line attached to the bill which goes to an anchor as you pull on the line the head and neck go under water and the bird tips up, release the line and a counter balance weight returns the bird to a rest position. It works well and can create a bit of water movement. It is best used on still water. I still have mine and would sell it if anyone is interested. I river hunt and have no further use for it.
Bill.
 
I made a feeder duck jerk string using a long tent peg and a string... paint the bottom of a decoy white, tie tie a string on the decoy, anchor the line through the tent peg (with a groove in it), and when you pull, the duck feeds. No need for rubber bands or anything, and it works really well to bring ducks in.
 
I made a feeder duck jerk string using a long tent peg and a string... paint the bottom of a decoy white, tie tie a string on the decoy, anchor the line through the tent peg (with a groove in it), and when you pull, the duck feeds. No need for rubber bands or anything, and it works really well to bring ducks in.
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when i still had spots in the timber with ducks, i had a similar setup in a few holes. PVC pipe with a hole drilled crossways into the pipe a few inches from the top. The pipe was driven into the bottom, a string was run from a tree through the hole, and up out of the top of the pipe. At the end i clipped a large swivel and tied a fishing cork. upon arriving at the hole, you clipped the swivel into the keel of a butt up feeder and you were able to pull the butt under without needing a rubber band. The amount of splash is purely dictated by how hard you pulled the string. The cork keeps the swivel afloat when the decoy is not attached. Works well.
 
I used one 1 time , it flared every flock of teal that came in.
That is till I blew it of its stake with a load of steel shot, that ended the flaring teal.

I really try to make my setup look as life like and natural as possible, a decoy on the end of a stick with propeller like wings spinning just doesn't look life like at all to me. So I will never use one again, it does make a nice lawn ornament. LOL
But some guys love them.
 
I have always been fairly anti spinner in that I would never buy one. They are kind of a pain in butt if you have move locations. I have jerk string I use for motion on calm days. That said my hunting partner purchased a Knotty Duck decoy last year which is one of the pull string types. Early season it was like a magnet. Late season it was like a flashing warning sign. My hunting partner now needs it like a crutch and feels that without it he wouldn't kill a bird which I find more annoying than the spinner. We only use it on a piece of private property and don't take it when we hunt public because its a kind of a pain in the butt. As far as the decoy is concerned the mechanics are well built and sturdy. There is my two bits don't love em or hate em they are what they are. He had one of the wind types a few years ago and that thing was useless.
 
snow_goose_hat.jpg

 
That said my hunting partner purchased a Knotty Duck decoy last year which is one of the pull string types.
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For $150 the damn thing better work!
And I wouldn't by decoys from a "decoy" company that does not know that the correct common name for Branta canadensis is "Canada Goose" and not Canadian Goose. Good Lord, that bugs the crap out of me.
 
First, I appreciate everyone's input on this subject. I also appreciate the honesty. Without honesty there's no true reflection of answers/thoughts. I am an adult and can handle the good and the bad. I joined this site not to long ago, to help educate myself and learn to become a better duck hunter along with learning new ways to do things. I was not trying to knock the cart over, my apologize. I know there are the archives and there a great starting point but in some ways things change so fast that information can become old. I will in the future use that more. I do have a jerk rig that i use also. Thanks for the suggestion here too. Depending on many variables what works for one may or may not work for Another. Depending on your heritage,
age, pocketbook, part of the world, experience, etc... Can/ may/will dictate
how a person hunts. And that these big chain stores and companies are to
commercial. But unfortunately due to different reasons I am where I am
currently in life. From reading the posts here the majority of you are way
more knowledgable about this sport than myself. And i respect all of your responses. That why for me asking questions is important. Thanks to all for taking the time to respond to my post.
 
Do not bother with those things. The wings are loose fitting and make a lot of noise and seem to scare birds away.

Captain Jeff, where is the propeller to go with that beanie!
.
 
snow_goose_hat.jpg
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Where's the string?

I couldn't resist. No malice intended, the picture of you in the hat, and the discussion of jerk strings just naturally led to the next logical linkage.

Love the hat by the way. You lose a bet? Couldn't resist again.

Mark W
 
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Chris,

No need to apologize for asking a honest and sincere question. As you say, one just has to be prepared for any and all feedback. Then it is up to you to sort thru it all. Folks here and elsewhere can be very passionate about certain topics. As long as everyone stays civil, discussion is good. As Eric mentioned, rarely will those that are passionate (on either side of any given subject) change their minds, but that doesn't mean the debate is worthless.

Hope you have a good season, with or with out a spinner. :>) :>)
 
Here is my spinner. The black extension is another 10ft of shock cord I can easily add if I need the length.

D5D7DA29-7861-4E24-9D6F-93226FB8544E-25694-00001A1A6522195E.jpg

 
I have limited experience with these, but have hunted over them a few times. I have a good hunting buddy in MD that likes them but only on sunny days. If you are a mobile hunter, like out of a boat, my opinion is that they are way more of a pain in the butt than they are worth.
 
If you are a mobile hunter, like out of a boat, my opinion is that they are way more of a pain in the butt than they are worth.
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I second what Greg said. Even if you have another person to help you steady the boat, there's always wind, currents, tide etc which annoyingly move you around while trying to stick the &%$*"! pole in the water/mud. A big waste of time too. I had both the motorized (used twice) and the wind driven one (used once) - chucked them both in the garbage and gave the battery and charger away. Better to just toss out decoys, rearrange them if necessary and use a jerk-string if on a calm day. My $0.02.
 
To not get into the whole pro/con thing the only two cents I can throw in on them is that I've seen them to only work if you're hunting an area that is obscured from the birds view like flooded timber. Somewhere they can't get a good look at whatever spread you have out until it's too late. Motion decoys in big open marshes plus black ducks... not going to work.
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Could not have said it better, especially Black ducks, Ive seen days when the Black ducks would flare at the sight of live Black ducks on the water.
 
I have used Winduck ones for several years. They work great.. We use them Sea Duck hunting.. Just stick them on a pole on the boat or when we are hunting puddle or diving ducks in shallow water they work great.. Use cheap conduit painted oil drab.. No batteries.. Just need a little breeze. .If your near salt water you really need to lubricate the bearings.. Only problem I have had..
 
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