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Small Spreads
#7715012
01/12/20 03:05 AM
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 459
HVILLE HNTR
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 459 |
Ok it’s late season, let’s talk small spreads. How small is small? Hunting a 1 acre tank and having problems with them landing out of range and swimming in. Right now lm using a dozen dekes (about 3 to 4 feeders along shoreline and then scatter remaining extending outwards and away. It’s more of a check mark than a V. Debating on just going to half of this and putting them right in front of me so landing out of the spread is now in range. What do you guys think?
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7715027
01/12/20 03:20 AM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,268
BradyBuck
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,268 |
On a 1 acre tank, maybe a half dozen and hunt the wind.
Pattern doesn't really matter.
Put yourself where you get the shots if they are landing outside the spread.
Screen shot a satellite photo of the pond and post it.
Last edited by BradyBuck; 01/12/20 03:22 AM.
HRCH Washita's Kimber Locked N Loaded GRHRCH Firefly's Rally The Troops MH
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7715276
01/12/20 03:03 PM
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Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 12,331
Duck_Hunter
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 12,331 |
Jerk rig with four dekes on it. Nothing else.
I just turned it on . I was looking bird dogs in the butt this morning.
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: Duck_Hunter]
#7715473
01/12/20 06:43 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 10,606
Greg
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 10,606 |
Jerk rig with four dekes on it. Nothing else. Yeah I’d run that, but I’d probably keep a couple full body feeders on the edge. I’m a big fan of jerk strings.
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7715819
01/13/20 12:53 AM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,505
tophorsecop
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,505 |
On an acre of water, with "decoy shy" birds, i run 2 or 3 widgeon, that way I can whistle instead of quacking away...something the birds have heard daily...I've even been known to put out a full spread on the other side of the tank...to "force" the birds to work to the side I'm on...little to no blind, just some die cut camo material looseley draped over me to brake up my outline...
"Guns don't kill people, Guns kill dinner!"
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7715840
01/13/20 01:13 AM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 280
zbot11
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 280 |
How about big lake hunting? In the past I’ve used small spreads. This year I’ve gone a little bigger, but I’m not sure it’s working. I’ve had great decoying birds early, and then lots of working and not a lot of committing later in the morning.
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7715923
01/13/20 02:05 AM
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,084
2flyfish4
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,084 |
Movement is key, I also like fully flocked decoys when using small spreads
Instagram - 2flyfish4
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7715984
01/13/20 03:07 AM
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 324
Charlie817
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 324 |
I liked to put them in pairs or small groups, 6-8 decoys.
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7716308
01/13/20 03:54 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,847
LarryCopper
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,847 |
We have a similar setup at our deer lease. Even smaller than an acre tho. I like to setup a cross shoot when possible. Like other said, a jerk rig works great on ponds. 90%+ of the time they'll land right behind those decoys. Usually I'll put out two small pods of dekes to either side of the jerk rig, trying to match species. They don't hesitate, sometimes I have to whistle the wigeon in but they immediately commit and it's right in the hole. Gaddies drop straight in of course. Saturday's hunt from that spot with a pretty quick 2 man limit, cross shoot setup with jerk rig. 6-8 wigeon on one side, 6-8 gaddies on the other. 3 loner mallards blocking the far side of the pond. A bigger spread than you might think for a small pond, but it holds a lot of ducks. Try to match what you see.
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: LarryCopper]
#7716316
01/13/20 04:00 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 166
tdogg
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 166 |
We have a similar setup at our deer lease. Even smaller than an acre tho. I like to setup a cross shoot when possible. Like other said, a jerk rig works great on ponds. 90%+ of the time they'll land right behind those decoys. Usually I'll put out two small pods of dekes to either side of the jerk rig, trying to match species. They don't hesitate, sometimes I have to whistle the wigeon in but they immediately commit and it's right in the hole. Gaddies drop straight in of course. Saturday's hunt from that spot with a pretty quick 2 man limit, cross shoot setup with jerk rig. 6-8 wigeon on one side, 6-8 gaddies on the other. 3 loner mallards blocking the far side of the pond. A bigger spread than you might think for a small pond, but it holds a lot of ducks. Try to match what you see. Great advice here. I don't pond hunt anymore, but when I did jerk rigs were deadly. If your pond is relatively free of vegetation, a swimmer decoy works great as well.
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7716351
01/13/20 04:34 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,847
LarryCopper
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,847 |
I forgot to mention, a big part of the cross shoot is that it puts you downwind of the decoys. If they land short, like that sprig did, they're still in range.
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7716364
01/13/20 04:56 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 5,573
Leonardo
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 5,573 |
Adjust your position relative to the spread in order to shoot the birds. Block an area, cross shoot em, ect…
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: HVILLE HNTR]
#7716390
01/13/20 05:13 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 849
Boudreaux
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 849 |
Late season and I actually increased my spread size this year. Reason being, we haven't had a lot of bird numbers during season, it seems they are just now showing up with this last weather push. Seeing more birds during scouting, so we added more decoys, it seemed to work well.
Stickin' gills and Stackin' bills
In a world of compromise..... some dont....
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Re: Small Spreads
[Re: LarryCopper]
#7717034
01/14/20 02:20 AM
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 324
Charlie817
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 324 |
Are your pods parallel to the wind or perpendicular?
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