Know-How: A Duck Spread with Serious Drawing Power

by
posted on December 10, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
duck_spread_f.jpg

Contrast is what makes a decoy stand out, due not only to its color but also its size and the shadow it casts. If you want to increase your spread’s effectiveness, start with oversized, or magnum, decoys. Almost every top waterfowler I’ve interviewed advocates magnum decoys, including Kelley Powers.

“Oversized decoys are far more cost effective than standard-sized decoys,” says Powers. “At a certain elevation ducks have a hard time seeing standard decoys, but they can still see super-mags, in part due to the shadows they cast. In highly competitive areas, big decoys are a better draw initially, getting the ducks’ attention first.

“Any hunters who frequent Reelfoot Lake [Tennessee] in the early season have seen high-flying ducks pitch down to the beds of dried lily pads that stick out of the water as the lake dries up. When they get close enough, the ducks will see the pads aren’t other ducks and they’ll break away, but the lesson is clear: The big shadows cast by the tall lily pads create enough contrast to be visible from way up and look like they could be ducks.”

To increase your spread’s visibility, Powers suggests using drake decoys only. “We have 65 dozen decoys at our club, and do you know how many are hens? Not one. Hens are a waste of decoy-bag space. Their browns blend into the water too much, whereas the whites on a mallard drake really stand out. We also use pintail drakes, because of all the white, and also a lot of drake black ducks. Black is also visible from great distances, so use them even if you don’t have black ducks where you hunt.” If you’re wondering what to do with all those brown hen decoys, a can of flat-black spray paint could be your answer.

Latest

001 DTSD Cover 01
001 DTSD Cover 01

Range Review: DoubleTap Ammunition's SnakeShot Defense Loads

New for 2025, these hybrid rounds from DoubleTap Ammunition launch hollow point bullets with birdshot pellets.

First Look: LTT Impact Long-Range Tikka Rifle

Langdon Tactical Technology (LTT) has announced the launch of the LTT Impact Long-Range Rifle, in collaboration with Tikka.

Hardware Review: GPO Centuri 4-16x44i Super Compact

U.S.-based German Precision Optics (GPO) has introduced a Super Compact line of its signature Centuri riflescope, boasting a generous magnification range and the features it takes to be successful at any distance. Check out Frank Melloni's review of it here.

New for 2025: Gritr Caliber-Specific Gun Cleaning Kits

Gritr’s new Gun Cleaning Kits keep firearms operating at their best with expertly crafted components designed for specific calibers—everything needed to clean, lubricate, and protect in a compact, travel-ready case.

Why Triggers Matter

Any rifle is only as good as its trigger. Here's why.

New for 2025: Muddy Outdoors Carnage Die Cut Ground Blind

The Die Cut ground blind from Muddy Outdoors is designed to keep hunters completely undetected in the field. Crafted with textured die-cut fabric, the brand’s all-new blind blends seamlessly and naturally into its environment, breaking up its exterior outline while concealing movement inside

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.