What do you guys use for a decoy spread? What I mean is, can I use 12-15 mallards, or should I put some others in there , too? I have always went with other people and never paid attention to the decoy spread (shame on me), I just dropped them where they told me to. I'm looking to buy my own now, but I would like to get the mix right the first time instead of wasting alot of money on the wrong stuff.
Just about all species will decoy to mallards but ducks do like to congregate with their own. My typical puddle duck spread has a dozen mallards 6 blacks
6 teal and a few pintails and gadwalls. I set them with the mallards and 4 of the blacks in a group, sepearate the the others in small groups of their kind and have 2 of the blacks away from the rest (usually right up against the shore).
If you are seeing more of anyone species in your area, think of going heavier on that species.
I agree with what RBR said and definitely don't forget those two blacks off on the edge. They will mix with mallards, and most of them are part mallard anyway, but they also have a tendency to be pretty weary and sit away from the noisy bunch.
My bigger puddle duck water spread is 3-1/2 dz mallards and blacks. A few pintails in the bunch, and geese.
The wid, gaddies, teal and pintails are used in areas where I target them and don't expect many mallards. One of these days I'll have about 100 of these species for a few big places I like to hunt, but not quite yet.
Also a mojo is nice for mallards, but can mess up a toll from geese, and other ducks. Teal seem to rape the thing though!
First off what type of water are you hunting, because you would want to use different spreads for different size waters. I pretty much go with two theories. First I would recomend you buy six of the most realistic decoys you can afford and find a way to make them move! (NOT a spinner!) Now the only thing you have to do is scout a find where the ducks want to be. I am confident that I can kill twice as many ducks with two or three good swimming decoys and my calls on the dash of my truck than someone with three dozen flambueas calling like they are on main street Stutgart. Now if you are not confident enough to stick it out over three decoys and trust me it takes confidence, (Kinda like sticking to a spread of all blue and white witches and ballies when your buddies want to put out the fru fru, stick to your guns and have condifence.) here is plan B. Feel the damn water with decoys! I am talking 15-20 dozen more if you got them. Put the geese floaters on the up wind side and make the water black with decoys all the way down the bank the "Hot Buy" decoys do good for filling out a spread. Now if you can get a quartering wind hunt the down wind side of your decoys mass. Lastly if you are having trouble still getting them to come in to the big spread this is the real kicker, take your three pretty decoys and walk down wind about sixty to seventy yards from the spread. Leave your goof ball buddies and their calls in the blind to flare all the birds and you kill their asses on your your little spread of swimmers just stay still and covered! I know this is not the norm but trust it kills birds.
I have used the same basic pattern for the better part of my life
12-25 mallards up the middle. 5-10 off to the right and half a dozen geese to the leroy. Put a dozen or so teal right behind the geese.The teal sit with geese and pick up the scraps they drop because they cant get to the bottom. All your teal will hit the geese and your big ducks will have three holes to work. Time for bed ,4am comes early.
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