Spinning wing Decoys

[High-ball]

Whats everybodys opinion on this subject...Some state and federal waterfowl biologist are going for a season long ban.....do they really make that big of a difference...i just bought one this summer and will be my first year hunting over it.....i need some input

------------------
"keep your line wet and your gun on the shoulder"

[Guest]

I have hunted around many groups of hunters on large waters, and if you don't have one you are the minority and won't have much for birds at the end of the day. I have noticed these things suck ducks into a spread like nothing else, other days not so well. More often though, the spinners can be lethal.

I know guys that have 2 spinners in a field and nothing else. Minutes later they get their limit and go home.

I don't own one, and never will. I need more of a challenge in the field. I'm not always out there for the kill and the meat. That's just my opinion.

[honker23]

I think if you are wthout when everyone around you has one, you will notice a big difference, conversely if you are the only one with one you will see a big difference.

If everyone has one, then it goes back to the spot, calling, and your spread.

Biggest differnce I've seen is during the first hour of the season, when they can't see real well. They sure seem to lock in on the spinners. Just my experiences

[Guest]

I hope they out-law em.
That being said, I do own one and only for the reason stated above. Everyone else has one or two on the body of water where I hunt. It does make a difference if you do not have one, but since everyone else does, it evens the field and like honker said, it goes back to location, spread placement and calling.

[Grabs]

What are the current laws on these? Can you only use them certain times of the season? Only after a certain date? Are these motorized, or do they rely on wind power?

[Mark Christianson]

I also own one.
If they get banned, I will lose no sleep.
The trouble is that MN will ban them, and that goof ball senator down south will be buying stock in the "spinner" companies and be handing them out to anyone that buys a license in Louisana.
If they are banned, it better be nationwide.
Why "save" ducks in MN, only to have them harvested just over the border?

[bigdog]

I have a motor powered and a wind powered wing decoy. The wind powered one seems to need a fair amount of air movement to keep it going and then of course it varies its speed with the wind. The motor driven one works better. I hope they do not get banned, mainly because it can bring ducks in closer making it easier to ID drakes. I have found they work best when it is clear, I think the wings flash better than when it is cloudy or foggy. They work better earlier in the season and they don't work great with diver decoys.

[Grabs]

If I'm reading the regs right, they are banned until Oct 11th am I missing something?

[Mark Christianson]

Banned on "Public Waters" till then.
Private land/waters, you are free and clear to use Robo duck.

[Grabs]

But are guys talking about using them on Private land?? Sounds to me like most are talking about use in public lands. Its been said that if others are using them, I assume public lands are what we are talking about here?

I'm asking because I don't currently duck hunt, and with all the talk about these spinning wing ducks from co-workers and friends it sure seemed to me like they were legal. But a friend pointed out the regs to me this weekend after I said I saw two different people using them near Belle Plaine on opening weekend in public waters. And, I also spoke with someone who was out and said they couldn't get the woodies to come into them because they kept going to the guys on the otherside of the pond who had a spinning wing duck.

So are people really using them legally? Or are there some grey areas here regarding public of private waters?

Just seems pretty cut and dry to me, but seems like from an outsider that there are a lot of people not obeying this law.

[This message has been edited by Grabs (edited 10-06-2003).]

[Mark Christianson]

Pretty clear in the regs when and where they are legal.
If people don't read the updated regs each year, then we end up with a lot of people doing the wrong thing.
Then again, there are people that don't care one way or the other.

[Guest]

Why outlaw these and not everything else that increases the kill-rate?

I know this isn't the right forum for a political discussion, but this is where it is for now.

What is wrong with these things aiding in bringing the Ducks closer for a clean kill, especially with the lousy ballistics of Steel Shot? (which is another political issue in its own right).

Why not take the limit to 3-ducks using a spinning wing decoy and 6 for those without?

If you use an ATV to cover miles of Forest trails you get only 2-Grouse, walkers can take 5 Grouse.

Where does it all end?

I've used a spinning wing decoy a couple of times with friend's and I like the fact that I've had no cripples that skitter off a half mile with a broken wing only to become dinner for a Fox or Coyote (if at all).

Steel shot is horrible for Waterfowl hunting and I'm not a sky-buster.

------------------
Chells

[Mark Christianson]

With ya all the way on this one Chells.

My biggest gripe will be when MN does away with them, a lot of other states will still have them.
I just see it coming where we will be banned from using them.

[Mark Christianson]

IM4D,

Oh no!!! Just when I thought I could hide!
I gotta change my name on the board to report spinning wing decoy stuff.

I totally see your point and others. Its definitely got 2 sides; those for and those against.
I will stand by one of my previous statements. If they get banned, I won't lose any sleep over it. I don't have a deep seated passion. Kinda like Tom Herman says, "keeps the playing field a little more even". (I think that was Tom.)

Just don't ban them things here, and let em get slaughtered as they go south. But you know its gonna happen.

[IM4DUX]

BLB

I don't disagree at all on that statement. I don't want to see the ban apply to MN only either. If they are going to ban them, it has to be done on a federal level. My concern are not just with the harvest levels in MN, but the flyway as a whole. If we want ducks for the future this is one small step that can be taken.

I will be interested to measure the spinners effectiveness this year in a couple weeks. I will be hunting MN in a couple weeks again and will have a chance to compete with spinners. A couple of years ago, I was shocked to see their effectiveness. I watch a hunter who normally has limited success, pull the ducks from great heights. With 1 spinner, 6 floaters and no calling. That just aint right. He wasn't even set up with the wind direction correct and we could see him and his boat from 200 yards away.

[bigdog]

Just to clarify when you can use the motorized spinning wings on public water. They become legal on Sunday Oct 12. You cannot use them on the 11th, checked with the DNR this morning.

[IM4DUX]

BLB

Here we are not seeing eye to eye on this issue on another forum. That is alright, we have an understanding on this one. We don't agree.

Here is how I see it. Just because something makes it easier to kill ducks, it does not make it good for the sport. I do not using spinnning wing decoys and I have not had any issues identifying ducks or losing cripples. The spinners have made poor hunters average, average hunters above average and above average have stayed where they were before. Where will the technology end? Will we soon have motorized flocks that circle your decoys and land in your spread? Some consideration has to be focused on the resource and not just the harvest success. That is my 2 cents.

[myzee13]

IM4DUX,
i've been hunting with/without spinners for 3 years now, with varying success each time. some days they work miracles on tiny dots in the sky, bringing a flock of mallards in your face. other days, they can actually spook ducks. as far as your complaint with technology aiding a hunter, you might want to re think. if you fish, i'd bet there's some type of sonor in your equipment. you just got done using a computer to possibly better your duck knowledge. the list will continually go on with newer and better gadgets every year. i do agree with you, that if they are banned, it must be done on a federal level.
so far this year, i've used 3 wind spinners that i made.... i haven't had any great success, although last year they worked wonders a few times.