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Puddle Pack #6616061 01/04/17 05:42 PM
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Charlie817 Offline OP
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Hi guys,
Puddle pack has teal, widgeon, and pintail. In relation to the bank or shoreline, how far out would you place each species? Thanks.

Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6616068 01/04/17 05:47 PM
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Teal right along the bank. Wigeon a bit further out and/or mixed in. Racist pintails off on their own, just within shooting range.


Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6616182 01/04/17 06:46 PM
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Step 1: Carefully place each decoy in perfect position in accordance with your well though out strategy.

Step 2: Orient yourself toward the center of your spread.

Step 3: Close your eyes.

Step 4: Blindly launch your Teal decoys into the middle of your spread.

**Apply no rhyme or reason as the actual Teal sure as hell aren't going to.

Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Kilo11] #6616230 01/04/17 07:08 PM
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Originally Posted By: Kilo11
Step 1: Carefully place each decoy in perfect position in accordance with your well though out strategy.

Step 2: Orient yourself toward the center of your spread.

Step 3: Close your eyes.

Step 4: Blindly launch your Teal decoys into the middle of your spread.

**Apply no rhyme or reason as the actual Teal sure as hell aren't going to.



roflmao


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I just turned it on . I was looking bird dogs in the butt this morning.


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Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6616239 01/04/17 07:11 PM
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lol

Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6616277 01/04/17 07:30 PM
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The Wigeon we shot this morning decoyed EXACTLY where we were trying to get them to land. 15-20yds, feet down, hanging like piñatas.

Not the damn Teal though. They'd come screaming in, downwind, and barrel right into the middle of the decoys as per usual. The hen swam around to every single deke in the spread like a gossipy woman. "See Susie over there? I heard she's been pair-bonding with Drake. Blah, Blah, Blah."

Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6616306 01/04/17 07:49 PM
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No kidding, in my experience the teal land right in the thickest wad of decoys in the whole spread. I usually have to let them swim around for a few then get away from my decoys before I spook them up to shoot... or water swat them...LOL


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Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6616362 01/04/17 08:21 PM
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I usually don't put out teal dekes in big duck season unless I know GWT are there. When I do, more often than not they'll fly over the other species and land next to the GWT dekes.

When there are no teal dekes, they will go for the thickest part of the spread. They don't seem to have a sense of a comfort zone... blastin' all in and landing right on somebody.


Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6616428 01/04/17 09:05 PM
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I usually put out 2-3 dozen mallard decoys in two groups and birds decoy well on the days they decoy. I bought the puddle pack to possibly increase the pull on the birds. Birds look over well then depart. I'm thinking puddle decoys are out of sequence in the layout and could be causing the flyby. Could be over thinking this too. hammer

Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6616494 01/04/17 09:30 PM
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Originally Posted By: Charlie817
I usually put out 2-3 dozen mallard decoys in two groups and birds decoy well on the days they decoy. I bought the puddle pack to possibly increase the pull on the birds. Birds look over well then depart. I'm thinking puddle decoys are out of sequence in the layout and could be causing the flyby. Could be over thinking this too. hammer


Yeah, I think you're overthinking it. Have you ever looked at a bunch of ducks on the water and seen them completely segregated by species? I haven't. Ducks just kind of do their thing.

I don't shoot a lot of pintails, but I have heard that they kind of like to see some of their brethren in the spread. As for Greys, Mallards, Wigeon, Teal...they don't seem to care what's down there as long as it's ducks and the ducks match what they're hearing (your call).

This morning, I put out some mallards, wigeon, and greys. Wigeon and teal are what were flying, so I blew a wigeon whistle. I just like having a few in the spread so they don't hear a wigeon whistle yet see only mallards.


Last edited by Kilo11; 01/04/17 09:32 PM.
Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6617062 01/05/17 02:42 AM
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Thanks Kilo,
Lot of good info.

Re: Puddle Pack [Re: LarryCopper] #6617096 01/05/17 02:54 AM
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Originally Posted By: LarryCopper
Teal right along the bank. Wigeon a bit further out and/or mixed in. Racist pintails off on their own, just within shooting range.


+1, I put my teal shallow, gadddies and widgeon then pintails and mallards then divers at the very edge of shooting range.


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Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6618402 01/05/17 10:48 PM
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Thanks Larry and Scuba, your answers are what I was looking for but I learned something from everyone! Thanks again.

Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6619294 01/06/17 03:56 PM
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After 35 years of duck hunting, I have come to the conclusion that it just doesn't really matter. You are either in the spot they want to be or not.

I now take a dozen decoys at a time and helicopter them over my head and thrown them as far as I can. I hunt them where they land.

I have found no discernable difference in where the birds land.

It drives my anal retentive hunting buddies nuts cheers

Last edited by Woodlands Water Turkey; 01/06/17 03:58 PM.
Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Woodlands Water Turkey] #6619354 01/06/17 04:36 PM
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Originally Posted By: Woodlands Water Turkey
After 35 years of duck hunting, I have come to the conclusion that it just doesn't really matter. You are either in the spot they want to be or not.

I now take a dozen decoys at a time and helicopter them over my head and thrown them as far as I can. I hunt them where they land.

I have found no discernable difference in where the birds land.

It drives my anal retentive hunting buddies nuts cheers


I agree with the sentiment of your post (I think people over-think it WAY too much). It's not rocket science and I'm no duck-hunting pioneer. I've hunted with a few very accomplished duck hunters (one of whom posts here, although not as often as he used to) and I take knowledge/advice from them and apply it. The "how to" was figured out long ago and ducks are still the same ducks they were back then. No sense in reinventing the wheel.

However...being in the area where they want to land and getting them to land EXACTLY where you want them to so that you have a shorter range/higher percentage shot are two completely different things.

Think of it like a parking lot. That parking lot is where they want to be, but because of the limits of your shells/shooting ability, you really need them to land in a certain part of the parking lot, maybe even a select few spaces. If all the parking spaces are open, they'll land wherever they want. The easiest way to do that is to park decoys in the other parking spaces and leave them fewer choices. Rule out the places they are NOT going to land (the farthest spaces from the door since nobody parks there if there are better spots open). Pick their most likely landing area (generally into the wind and into the bank), then limit their options within that area and make them choose to land on your X. Now it's still their choice where to park, but they're choosing from the options YOU dictate to them.

***Except Teal. Teal are the waterfowl version of a motorcycle rider who will park wherever they want as long as there's enough physical space for their bike. smile

Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6619983 01/06/17 10:46 PM
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However...being in the area where they want to land and getting them to land EXACTLY where you want them to so that you have a shorter range/higher percentage shot are two completely different things.

Another thing I would like to add (didn't read entire thread- sorry if repeat)

Placing decoys so attention is AWAY FROM YOUR BLIND, can be CRITICAL in shooting a couple or no birds under difficult wind/ lighting conditions (cloudy) or shooting a fat strap of ducks- Helicopter approach is fine if you have fresh birds, you are 100% on the X, or just big numbers- I still feel like the more your spread differentiates you setup, the better likelihood for success

Last edited by Greekangler; 01/06/17 10:52 PM.

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Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6620007 01/06/17 11:00 PM
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I agree Greek, if you are on the X and its small, you don't even need decoys... if you are on the Y or the Z and there is no recognizable X around e.g. Big flat or flooded lake where you are trying to get them to pick you out of 10 spreads your setup can make all of the difference


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Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6620015 01/06/17 11:02 PM
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I agree Greek, if you are on the X and its small, you don't even need decoys... if you are on the Y or the Z and there is no recognizable X around e.g. Big flat or flooded lake where you are trying to get them to pick you out of 10 spreads your setup can make all of the difference


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Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Charlie817] #6620028 01/06/17 11:08 PM
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yes sir- big water (even 10 Acre plus private) vs puddle or small pond is totally different ball game- hunting puddle sunday- 1 jerk rig w 3 ducks- few around it, and maybe 5-6 lesser silhouettes on bank

if water mostly locked up- may just do silhouettes, standing mallards, and 1 bubbler in water

Last edited by Greekangler; 01/06/17 11:18 PM.

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Re: Puddle Pack [Re: Greekangler] #6620136 01/06/17 11:52 PM
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Originally Posted By: Greekangler
However...being in the area where they want to land and getting them to land EXACTLY where you want them to so that you have a shorter range/higher percentage shot are two completely different things.

Another thing I would like to add (didn't read entire thread- sorry if repeat)

Placing decoys so attention is AWAY FROM YOUR BLIND, can be CRITICAL in shooting a couple or no birds under difficult wind/ lighting conditions (cloudy) or shooting a fat strap of ducks- Helicopter approach is fine if you have fresh birds, you are 100% on the X, or just big numbers- I still feel like the more your spread differentiates you setup, the better likelihood for success


I've been thinking about this a lot recently. If wind or other weather conditions are poor, I'm going to start making it a point to orient the spread in a way that makes the most sense for the birds and the blind not right in front of where they will be landing, since most of their attention is right on that spot, especially with stale or wary birds.


Originally Posted by bill oxner
I just turned it on . I was looking bird dogs in the butt this morning.


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