size of decoys

[scottiet33]

i have just one size of duck decoy and i am going to by some more for the upcoming season so i was just wondering is it better to have a variety of size or would different sizes scare the ducks away? thanks for the help!

[Duck-o-holic]

scottie--

I've shot ducks over mixed rigs for years for puddle ducks and divers, and have never had problems due to the different sizes. I've hunted a lot with Gull Guide on Mud lake, and he's actually got three different sizes in his spread... and the birds have always decoyed well.

Go with what you can afford, and keep adding a few new dekes every year. I did this back in grade school, and before long I had a pretty nice spread of dekes to work with!

Good Gunnin'

Duck-o-holic

[jlm]

I use several different sizes in my spread as well, I really do not think size makes a big difference in big spreads. In a small spread, it might help the ducks to see it, so bigger deeks work better for visibility. Contrary to most, I prefer a small spread over a large one. I feel it is more effective and if you are a good caller, they can be just as or more effective than a large spread. Plus you don't spend half the day setting up and picking up when you are done. If you are hunting in large bodies of water, you may need to use a larger spread however. If you look around, you can pick up pretty decent deeks for next to nothing. Duck deeks are far less expensive than goose deeks. Good luck!

[Guest]

Like Duck said, we have had very good success using multi-sized spreads, although I think that location and calling have a lot to do with it too. Larger dekes in the spread not only makes your spread look larger, but it also makes it easier for ducks to see at a distance.
It's amazing how a duck will land right in the midst of super mag decoys and think nothing of it even though those dekes are 4 times their own size!
The only drawback is that larger dekes take up more space so it is somewhat of a trade-off. Bigger dekes equal better visibility but fewer numbers in your spread.
Only 3 months to go!!!

[loc9fisher]

i've read reports from field tests that say they've proven that ducks and geese usually show little hesitation at landing with decoys that are bigger than life.

waterfowl may not have the depth perception to distinguish unnatural sizes from natural ones, or more likely, they lack the reasoning power to understand that oversized ducks and geese are unnatural.

the reason doesn't matter to a hunter. results are what matter, and its proven that waterfowl respond well to oversized decoys.

[scottiet33]

hey thanks for the posts guys, i really appreciate it!

[wallygators]

the guys are right it is good to have differeint sizes of decoys the most important factors what you are putting out Early in the season it is best to use more hen decoys that drakes at least for mallards becasue the drakes haven't reached full plummage yet and the spread with more hens looks far more realistic. The bigger decoys are easier for the ducks to spot from long distances to bring thme in. I am not a pro but i have gotten my share of curls\