The art of decoying waterfowl is almost as old as hunting itself. Crude decoys made from mud, feathers, or straw were the undoing of waterfowl even before gunpowder and firearms made their appearance.

Decoys have gone through an amazing transformation in the last century. The decoys of today are a far cry from those used just 30 years ago. As a kid hunting mallards and bluebills, my dad and older brother used blocks turned out on a wood lathe, others carved from cork and crude models molded from pressed paper.

Some years later my brother brought home a decoy-making kit produced by Decoys Unlimited. The rage of the times, these blocks were made by oven baking/melting foam pellets in an aluminum mold. Amazingly durable when given reasonable care, we added bolts to the mold for ballast and painted the blocks with paint kits ordered from Herters, Inc.

The decoys I hunt with today are near perfect replicas of the birds they were designed to attract. Molded from lightweight but strong plastic, every feather is molded into place, the colors are expertly painted, both upright and sleeper heads are available, models are produced in almost every species imaginable and each block rights itself when tossed into position.

It has taken many generations of waterfowl hunting, but decoys are as close to perfect as they need to get. Trusted manufacturers including Flambeau, Carry-Lite, and G&H produce high-quality decoys at reasonable prices. Despite decoys that would have outproduced the market hunter's live bird decoy spreads, the hunt savvy waterfowl of today aren't waiting in line to become feather ticking.

The most successful waterfowl hunters are those who equip themselves with the best possible equipment and take a common-sense approach to decoying waterfowl.

Magnum vs. Regular

The size of decoys has increased steadily throughout the years. Some of the Super Magnum mallard decoys currently available are larger than standard goose blocks!

A frequently debated topic among hardcore waterfowlers, bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to hunting decoys. Not every hunting situation calls for these super-large decoys. Hunters who must carry their blocks into remote hunting areas are still better off with smaller and lighter standard-size decoys. Also in areas where hunting pressure isn't heavy, waterfowl are just as likely to decoy to standard-size blocks as the super-magnum versions.

The Dakotas are a prime example. Both North and South Dakota enjoy huge flights of puddle ducks and geese. The birds pour out of the Canadian prairie lakes region and rarely see a decoy or duck hunter until they arrive in the Dakotas.

The hunting is so good that at times decoys seem like an unnecessary luxury! In these situations, the extra cost of super-magnum decoys is money that would be better spent on extra boxes of steel shot. A modest number of standard size decoys almost guarantees hunting success.

As a comparison, one of my favorite waterfowling spots sees more hunting parties per day than some areas in the Dakotas experience all season. On weekends there are usually more hunting parties than available hunting space. Competition for the prime spots is intense with some hunters choosing to set in the marsh all night in order to lock up prime hunting areas come first light.

Most of the guys who hunt these pressured marshes are serious about their sport. They come prepared with super-magnum decoys and lots of them.

Faced with competition like this, it makes sense to have the biggest and highest-quality decoys. Large spreads of 100 blocks or more are common and usually two or more guys go in together to help out on the cost of decoys.

When hunters are faced with heavy competition or when hunting large bodies of water, super-magnum decoys come into their own. The larger size of these blocks makes them easier for approaching waterfowl to spot.

Hunters who spend most of their time on isolated marshes, backwaters, ponds, and other small waters will find that standard-size decoys are more than adequate.

Selecting Decoy Species

Duck decoys are available in all the most popular hunting species. For puddle duck hunting, mallard or black duck decoys are tough to beat. These birds are common throughout the Mississippi Flyway and all puddle duck species will respond to mallard or black duck deeks.

Adding other species to a decoy setup sprinkles in a touch of realism. Widgeon and pintail are favorites because these large birds have a lot of white areas that show up well at great distances.

Wood ducks seem to decoy best to their own species. When hunting flooded woods and other areas where woodies make up the majority of the kill, it makes sense to use as many wood duck decoys as possible.

Diver duck hunting calls for scaup, ring-neck, redhead, or canvasback blocks. Diver rigs tend to be made up of more decoys than the average puddle duck setup. The best way to accumulate diver duck decoys is for several hunters to pool their funds.

Don't overlook the opportunity to mix a couple goose decoys into a duck spread. The large size of goose decoys lures birds in from maximum distances. Goose decoys also make excellent blocker decoys to prevent birds from landing in certain areas.

A dozen floating goose decoys positioned along the upwind edge of a duck spread encourages approaching ducks to land near the center of the decoy spread. When mallards and other puddle ducks are coming in to land, they seem to avoid flying directly over geese resting on the water.

This simple trick lures decoying ducks into the sweet spot of a decoy spread and also pays off in bonus opportunities for geese.

When building a goose hunting spread, Canada geese are the most popular species throughout the Mississippi Flyway. Adding a few snow geese decoys gives a decoy spread a touch of realism, but it isn't likely to attract many snows. Snow geese are normally attracted to large numbers of their own species. However, having a few all-white blocks in the spread makes the overall decoy layout more visible and more effective.

Field and Floating Decoys

Both duck and goose decoys are available in shell or field models for dry land and floating models for hunting over water. Hunting over dry land requires a larger investment in decoys than water hunts. Because decoys are tougher to see when set on dry land, hunters compensate by putting out rigs that typically range from 100-200 decoys.

Shell and silhouette type field decoys are less expensive and easier to work with than the new full-body blocks on the market. Cost aside, full-body decoys are so realistic you'll have to look close to make sure they aren't honking. Amazingly effective, full-body goose decoys are the ultimate lure for field shooting situations.

A Word on Placement

There has been much written on how to position waterfowl decoys. Unfortunately most of the printed material hasn't been read by migrating waterfowl.

Sticking with the basics is the key to successful decoy placement. When hunting over water, never put a decoy outside effective shotgun range. Keeping the decoys close to the blind guarantees that when birds approach to land they will provide good shots.

In field hunting situations there are so many decoys used that it is often difficult to keep all the blocks within range. In this situation position the blind near the upwind side of the decoys and take the birds as they pass within range or space out hunters in two or more blinds.

Fancy decoy patterns also don't fly in common sense waterfowl hunting situations. Ducks and geese rest on the water in a haphazard manner. Study a group of live birds and you'll note that they point in every direction of the compass. The only time a group of birds is found all pointing into the wind is immediately after they have landed or just before they take off.

When attaching lines to decoys tie some at the front and some at the rear of the decoy. Rigged in this manner the deeks point in different directions, creating a very life-like decoy spread.

Most hunters also make the mistake of bunching up their decoys. The overall decoy spread is what attracts approaching birds, not individual blocks. By spacing out decoys 10-15 feet apart the decoy spread appears to be a large flock of birds. Also the generous spaces between the decoys makes them easier to spot from greater distances and provides perfect landing zones for incoming birds.

Also, when hunting among cattails, bulrushes, flooded corn, or other cover, position the decoys away from the cover so they show up readily.

A few decoys spaced properly has a better luring power than a large group of decoys all bunched up. Following these guidelines, hunters can have excellent success using fewer decoys, especially if they choose the large super-magnum blocks.

Wind direction and decoy placement is also a frequently debated topic. The wind doesn't need to be coming from directly behind the blind for a successful decoy placement. In fact a quartering or crossing wind allows birds to work the decoys and land without having to come in facing directly into the blind.

If approaching birds seem reluctant to land, flare off at the last minute, or land consistently outside the decoy placement, chances are the birds are spotting the blind, hunter movement, or something else that makes them nervous. Don't be afraid to move the blind or decoys if necessary to lure birds well within shotgun range.

The time it takes to move the decoys or blind will be well spent when a flock of mallards decides to hang over the decoys with wings cupped and legs dangling! That's the name of the game in decoying ducks and geese.