Duck decoy question

[Gspman]

Hey guys. Im in need of some no BS info. I went to the San J work day to meet Tom and get to know the place. Plus giving back is always on my list of things to do. It was a good day. I met some great guys and reconnected with a friend that had some what disappeared on me.I go the lay of the land and saw that most of the blinds are water walk ins, and the dry walk in i was told are not so good. Ive got around 50 assorted decoys and waders so thats not a problem.

But i have 2 questions.

1st, what do you guys use as carts? do you sled pull or do you have a cart and a sled or just a cart? Im thinking maybe add some wheels to a sled? like the wheels old aluminum fishing boats used to come with?

2nd question. This is the one that can get costly and stop me from hunting ducks. If i have to do this id rather sell the used Decoys and my new waders and get out now. I was told by my old friend i trust (but i trust you guys more especially steve) that if i don't have a motion set up of some kind either swimming decoys or mojo type battery flying decoys i have next to no chance to hunt San J and get birds to come in?
Do i really need to spend more money on moving decoys? I know duck hunting is expensive but with all the other hunting im doing as well as the big game hunts i have planned im not able or willing to spend a few 100 more.

any help? Thanks a whole bunch.

 

[utahduckhunter]

well I just use a deer cart to hull my decoy out with I got my cart at bass pro shop for 70 buck

 

[stikbrandon]

Spinners help but you can not use them till dec. place a few decoys out (less is more on the refuges) , learn how to get the ducks to turn wwith a call when flying away, blast away.

Opening day if your on the refuge don't worry about all the BS, placement of decoys calling ect.....


Birds will haVe no idea what's going on when shooting starts. Duck hunting is an addiction so don't be surprised if you sell all your other sh#%for next season

 

[stikbrandon]

Iv shot many ducks over refuge ponds with no decoys on it. In some ways I think the ducks mid season want nothing to do with other decoys and that's why motion decoys work so well late season ,it is because they literally move which catches the eyes of the ducks.

Get an extended range choke unless your hunting with guys on the refuge that can get ducks to come in and lock up.

Don't over think it man and just have fun. You don't need to shoot limits to have fun. If its slow and you want to run your dog shoot coots there is a kabillion of them things out there.

 

[Huntndogs]

If you need motion without the cost of a spinner, make a jerk cord..a small anchor (old brake rotor works) some surgical tubing and some ingenuity and your making waves. Lots of ideas on the web and how/when to jerk it...

 

[KID CREOLE]

Although I don't hunt ducks any more, here are some things that might help.

I'd go with quality decoys over numbers

Motion will always help if done correctly

Place decoys instead of throwing them

Coot decoys are a sign of safety and food

San Jac is mostly pass shooting and not decoying

 

[Gspman]

Thanks guys I needed that. I'll stick with it. I'll build a simple jerk rig and have some fun. I don't mind spending the money slowly just this year is tight. Heck I did not know the walking was so much at San j either know I have to build a cart

 

[KID CREOLE]

Find a Cabelas mag hauler, get a sled, walk out in boots, put your waders on at the waters edge

 

[fish dog]

I hunt SJ almost exclusively any more. This is what I use as a decoy cart....

https://socalhunt.wordpress.com/2015/08/08/gear-review-update-cartblind-formerly-duck-bucks-cart-blind/

The beauty of this is that you can load it at home, wheel it out of the truck, when you get to the pond, if its an island blind, it just floats out to the blind. No more loading, unloading and shlepping gear across the pond with 4 or 5 trips back and forth.

As for moving decoys, yes, they'll help. There are really two keys to SJ. First is Mystic Lake. In case you're not familiar with Mystic it is a intermittent dry lake right next to SJ. In wet years (pray for rain!) it will appear and then you have good shooting all day at SJ as the birds will flee to Mystic at the initial fly off (morning massacre, LOL) and then, after sitting on Mystic a while will come back off and on throughout the day. Without Mystic they fly off to Lake Perris or Diamond Valley and then don't return as they can't see SJ from either of these places (out of sight, out of mind). The second key, if Mystic isn't there, is to get out in the morning via reservation or the sweatline. Shooting is pretty much over, with occasional exceptions, by about 9 am or sooner.

 

[Gspman]

thats a great idea. the $500. price tag is pretty rich but i can get a medium or large drag boat and build that for next to nothing. Ill build one then post pictures and results. With the price of a drag boat at around 100 a can built the rest for less then 40 bucks. great post thanks.

 

[SluiceCoot]

A cart isn't needed at SJ. The blinds are very easy to get to. Some of the larger refuges, I would suggest a cart. Just have everyone in your hunt party carry 1 doz and you will be fine.

DON'T USE MOTORIZED DECOYS UNTIL DEC 1st....IT'S ILLEGAL.

Buck Gardner once said that if he had to choose between a duck call and decoys on a jerk rig, he would choose the deeks every time.

Don't overthink it. Toss 'em, place 'em, coots, no coots. Just leave an area where they can land, and get some motion in your deeks by adding a simple jerk rig.

 

[fish dog]

DON'T USE MOTORIZED DECOYS UNTIL DEC 1st....IT'S ILLEGAL.

If you're talking about motorized spinning wing decoys, you are correct. Anything else, like decoys that "swim", feeders with a bilge pump, flapping (not spinning) wing decoys or anything else you can think of, as long as the wings don't spin, is legal all season.

 

[SluiceCoot]

Thanks FishDog! I thought it was ALL electronic decoy devices.

(c) Prohibition on Electronically or Mechanically-operated Devices. Electronic or mechanically-operated calling or sound-reproducing devices are prohibited when attempting to take migratory game birds. It is unlawful to use devices that are either electronically-powered, or activated by anything other than natural wind, to directly or indirectly cause rotation of decoy wings or blades that simulate wings, when attempting to take waterfowl between the start of the waterfowl season and November 30.

 

[ilovesprig]

Doug,

There's tons of options out there.....Carts are a back saver and many things can be used to transport decoys. I've seen kids wagons modified, baby strollers modified, and garden carts modified. Swap meets normally have tons of these kinds of things cheap.....Mag haulers are what I use on a normal basis. The sled fits right inside it.....There's also smaller collapsible haulers that are much cheaper. A mixing sled from Home depot fits inside of that.....Almost any cart is better than no cart, even at San J IMO

Motion is one of the most important things. I'd much rather have a smaller spread and more motion, than the opposite.....Big spread and a lot of motion is the optimum situation.....Lots of forms of motion can be achieved....Jerk string is always with me, Weasel Balls (cat toy), shakers, just to name a few.....Hell, I've even thrown rocks into the spread for ripples.....lol

Wind ducks are something that I carry out just about every time.....A bit of warning.....Only buy the direct wing shafted Winduck brand.


ps....Don't buy the magnum Quiver Magnets.....They go through batteries like crazy and don't shake any better than the 4 battery style.

 

[Gspman]

Thanks Steve and every one else. I'll find a cart get a drag boat of some kind and I've made a jerk string set up already

 

[Bonejour]

Steve, there is a guy in my neighborhood that walks around with a cart and his dog. I thought he was homeless; now I realize he is a waterfowler!

 

[ilovesprig]

Steve, there is a guy in my neighborhood that walks around with a cart and his dog. I thought he was homeless; now I realize he is a waterfowler!

Don,

I'm sure he's a very sick person....................