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Phil Nowack

Phil Nowack

Well-known member
As I am putting together my long lines and decoy spread for next year, I have a couple questions. Of course my golden eyes will go by themselves, but do you mix your blue bills and canvasback? I always have but I don't know if that's the best way or not. What are your opinions?
 
I don't use longlines but I always put my cans in one group. Still part of the larger group of divers, but all the cans are in one group.
Down here we don't see many cans but when we do have them decoy, they seem to make a beeline for the canvasback decoys.
 
I probably should also tell you how many decoys I am talking. There will be 5 doz Canvasback 18 Goldeneye and one or two dozen blue bills.
 
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Phil,
With that ratio I would keep them separate. Generally I watch bills and cans together but with the cans being the small number in the raft. They are mixed into the bills in small groups of cans here and there. So in that situation I might mix the species. Yours in the opposite and not a situation I have been able to watch on the water. I suspect the bills would stick together in that situation.
 
My spread is just the opposite, 2-3 dzn scaup, 1 dzn redheads with 1/2 dzn cans.
 
Bills are much less aggressive than Cans, as well as the obvious size/weight difference, so un-like Widgeon the Bills aren't going to mix it up with the Cans when foraging for food. They are more likely to stay down wind and pick-up any floating remnants from the feeding Cans.
We position Cans at the "head" of our longlines so when deployed the Cans are grouped together. The Bills are arranged at the foot of the lines so they are also grouped to together when deployed.
From the layout boat we shoot Bills off our toes and Cans in alignment with our shoulders.
 
I agree with Tim, Phil. Plus, I normally leave the GE home until the first of November in our area or at the most put out just a few. Most GE start arriving around 11/1.
 
I just kind of mix them all together, it seems to work most of the time.

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