Texas Hunting Forum

Puddle Pack

Posted By: Charlie817

Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 05:42 PM

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.
Posted By: LarryCopper

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 05:47 PM

Teal right along the bank. Wigeon a bit further out and/or mixed in. Racist pintails off on their own, just within shooting range.
Posted By: Kilo11

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 06:46 PM

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.
Posted By: Duck_Hunter

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 07:08 PM

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
Posted By: wal1809

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 07:11 PM

lol
Posted By: Kilo11

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 07:30 PM

The Wigeon we shot this morning decoyed EXACTLY where we were trying to get them to land. 15-20yds, feet down, hanging like piņatas.

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."
Posted By: yakinthebox

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 07:49 PM

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
Posted By: LarryCopper

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 08:21 PM

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.
Posted By: Charlie817

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 09:05 PM

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
Posted By: Kilo11

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/04/17 09:30 PM

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.

Posted By: Charlie817

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/05/17 02:42 AM

Thanks Kilo,
Lot of good info.
Posted By: scubaarchery

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/05/17 02:54 AM

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.
Posted By: Charlie817

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/05/17 10:48 PM

Thanks Larry and Scuba, your answers are what I was looking for but I learned something from everyone! Thanks again.
Posted By: Woodlands Water Turkey

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/06/17 03:56 PM

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
Posted By: Kilo11

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/06/17 04:36 PM

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
Posted By: Greekangler

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/06/17 10:46 PM

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
Posted By: scubaarchery

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/06/17 11:00 PM

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
Posted By: scubaarchery

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/06/17 11:02 PM

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
Posted By: Greekangler

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/06/17 11:08 PM

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
Posted By: Duck_Hunter

Re: Puddle Pack - 01/06/17 11:52 PM

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.
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