How many decoys do i need?

So i finally got my first duck last weekend :mrgreen: ... After missing a shot while a pair of ducks flew by me, i followed them were they landed on a pond approx. 200m away from where i was. I snaked behind them and shot one while they there flying away. 45yrd shot. i spent 3 days at the estuary ... It was painful seeing other birds flying directly towards other hunter's decoys and the hunters bagging 1-3 ducks/geese per every flock of birds that approached them. I was able of calling geese and ducks but they were never got close enough to me.

I am now thinking in investing on a few decoys. The only reason stopping me is the cost of the decoys (maybe also my wife). I want to buy some duck decoys from wholesale sports for $50 but I dont know if this will be attractive enough for other ducks if i only use 2-6 decoys. For geese ... Ill wait until end of season since geese decoys are really expensive everywhere.

i dont have much storage space available at home. i also enjoy walking around when i go to the estuary so i dont want to make it a burden carrying the decoys from one spot to the other.

so what are your thoughts on the ideal number of decoys for one person and the type of decoy to buy if i just buy a two or six of them? What is your success rate when you have used decoys vs when you havent?

The more you have the better, it comes to a point us how many can you push, pull, drag or carry. The bigger the spread the better off your shoot will most likely be. Larger spreads draw more attention, calling properly too. I have dozens and dozens of both geese and duck deeks ....... U can never gave enough or too many:mrgreen:

Be careful decoys can become an obsession. I have probably 6 dozen duck decoys but use anywhere from 1 dozen to 6 dozen depending on the situation and the amount of other hunters. I'm probably in the class of overkill but it is what has worked for me. On the other hand I feel under gunned when it comes to goose decoys I only have 3 dozen. They are expensive and storage is a problem.

Get yourself a Mojo or another type of spinning wing and have fun! K

I was in the same boat. I fully agree that if you hunting fields you can never have to many. But you said you hunt in the estuary so things are different. Take some time to see that the ducks do naturally. Where I hunt I hardly ever see more than a dozen ducks together on the water. Most often it isn't even that many so that is what I try to replicate. You can have great success with a dozen decoys properly set up where the ducks want to be, and good calling.

To answer your question, I would start off with a dozen duck decoys and go from there. Learn to call and proper lay them out with a landing zone in range and your success will go up significantly.

(this applies to ducks on water. Geese and Ducks in fields are a totally different ball game)

This is what would do. Get a mojo robo (I like the teal spinner) duck and stay away from wind spinners. I find them noisy and they scare the ducks off. ( geese also hate any type of spinner.). Next, get a half dozen mallards and half a dozen mixed decoys (pins and teals). This will get you started. The best thing you could do is get some geese deeks, I find ducks feel comfortable when geese are around.
Remember IMO, bigger is not always better... but you'll learn that ;)
Ps: where you hunting ?

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Originally Posted by limit time

This is what would do. Get a mojo robo (I like the teal spinner) duck and stay away from wind spinners. I find them noisy and they scare the ducks off. ( geese also hate any type of spinner.). Next, get a half dozen mallards and half a dozen mixed decoys (pins and teals). This will get you started. The best thing you could do is get some geese deeks, I find ducks feel comfortable when geese are around.
Remember IMO, bigger is not always better... but you'll learn that ;)
Ps: where you hunting ?

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i went to nanaimo but i will also go to cowichan bay

Hi
Depending were you hunt. I hunt in farmer fields. I use full body decoys, floaters for the puddles, and silhouette. Silhouette are great if used correctly. I have decoys for ducks and geese. Mojo are a must but have a remote to turn off on, since geese do not like them when they are in.
Enjoy it

What is much more important then decoys is being in the right spot. Go to the estuary after the early flight of birds to see where they have settled in. In the estuary birds will indeed fly all over the place but there will always be the concentrated spots. Get in one of those concentrated spots the next morning and conceal yourself very well. If its a spot that the birds are using you will kill limits of birds with 6 decoys no problem. Much more about location then decoys. Decoys just gets them in the 20 yard range when you're in the right spot.

Longshot jr.

There is no single right answer to decoys. The truth is you need different strategies for different times of the year and different conditions (weather, water conditions, and hunting pressure). I have found early in the season big spreads and spinners work. In the interior this time of year, after the ducks have been shot at and everyone uses their spinners, the ducks are reluctant to come in. I use 4 decoys on a jerk line. DU has some good tips in their email news letters.

Good Luck,

Shel