# Duck Field Spreads



## ErieAngler

How do you guys set them? 

Do you mix them in with geese?

Do you set up small family groups?

Do you mix the mallards with pintails and blacks or keep them segregated?

Where do you put your feeders in relation to actives, resters, sleepers?

How about mojos?

I personally set my mojos behind my blind. And Ive found that setting too many deeks behind the blind will draw the birds away from you. I try to keep the ducks concentrated in serval small areas rather than spread out among 1 or 2 large areas. Ive kept them segregated from the geese as well. 

Last year I had a lot of birds that didnt decoy where I wanted them too (ducks). Any advise is appreciated, I have the itch already!


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## ducky152000

When i set up in dry feilds for ducks and geese i use a L patern, I have my ground blinds and goose decoys in the upwind part of the L and the ducks are in the downwind arm of the L I also like puting a small group of geese on the rite side of the L so there is a landing hole rite in front of the groundblinds. Use all the mojos you have for ducks in feilds the more the better usualy, but make sure they are off when geese are comin. I put the mojos in the duck decoys to make it look like there is ducks hoping up and getting in front of the other ducks to get grain. yellow smiles are ducks blue is geese


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## goose commander

i think trying to decoy birds(ducks) into a dry field is one of the hardest tasks you can attempt. now if those birds are already pounding the field no prob small spreads with a little motion because there already coming your just directing the traffic at this point.

now if there flying by and we trying to bring them down because there feeding were we cant go..legally
1. we set were they can see us from a long way off and hopefully we see them coming.
2. we set large spreads of goose decoys with a solid 2-3doz of ducks and at least 2 motion dekes and flappers, with a slight mix (give me a sec I'll show yeah what i mean)
3 we put our best duck caller (my son) calling the rest of keep working the goose calls. we just try and quiet it down some.
4.watch the heads (eyes) of the first few ducks that dint commit. What are they looking at and what do I need to do to fix it.
5. Now we have better luck with a 12-15 duck spread with a mojo just behind our geese. about 10 yards
not sure if this will work but Y=ducks o=geese B=blind m=mojo soory tried to draw it up but it wont come out right


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## ErieAngler

Goose - I actually find it easier to get the ducks to come into dry fields than I do hunting water like a marsh or river. 

We'll have to talk sometime so I can clearly understand your methodology there, but I think I get it. It always helps to have a few different spreads in your aresenal so they dont see the same or similar things all the time.

Thanks for the info!


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## ducky152000

ErieAngler said:


> Goose - I actually find it easier to get the ducks to come into dry fields than I do hunting water like a marsh or river.
> 
> We'll have to talk sometime so I can clearly understand your methodology there, but I think I get it. It always helps to have a few different spreads in your aresenal so they dont see the same or similar things all the time.
> 
> Thanks for the info!


I agree, i love shootin ducks in dry feilds once they make one or two passes there usualy commited and locked, Ive shot more pintails in dry feilds than i have in water, pintails are suckers for feild huntin. NOTHIN BETTER!!!


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## Mushijobah

My Method:

Do what ErieAngler does. Hope this helps. 


Good info though guys, keep it coming!


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## ErieAngler

ducky152000 said:


> I agree, i love shootin ducks in dry feilds once they make one or two passes there usualy commited and locked, Ive shot more pintails in dry feilds than i have in water, pintails are suckers for feild huntin. NOTHIN BETTER!!!


I haven't seen a pin in central ohio *while hunting* yet. We shot several of them in SE ohio down around the Hocking and Ohio rivers though. I suspect most of the ducks I see are locals and the migrators come down late in the year dont stray too far off the major rivers.


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## ErieAngler

Mushijobah said:


> My Method:
> 
> Do what ErieAngler does. Hope this helps.
> 
> 
> Good info though guys, keep it coming!



Ha! As long as that doesn't include missing them!


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## ringmuskie9

Shootin ducks in the field is hands down my favorite... ducky152000 - We usually do not see to many pintails around... espcially in the fields. thast's awesome though. Heck I'm still waiting on my first pintail.


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## goose commander

i agree guys that field hunting for ducks is good but man there is in my mind nothing better than working ducks over a water spread. especially late january when the mi graters are here. now 90% of our geese are off big field spreads and i oh so love that! does anyone do any big water hunting? that is what i want to learn and try.


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## ErieAngler

goose commander said:


> i agree guys that field hunting for ducks is good but man there is in my mind nothing better than working ducks over a water spread. especially late january when the mi graters are here. now 90% of our geese are off big field spreads and i oh so love that! does anyone do any big water hunting? that is what i want to learn and try.


I have a couple buddies who hunt sandusky bay exclusively. I dont know anyone who hunts lake erie, but i think it would be a trip for sure! You must hunt the scioto if you hunting water in January?? Everything I can think of is froze up by then. In fact, the spots I have permission for can be real hit or miss that time of the year depending on the food in the fields and how froze up everything is. I wacked the geese every time out in the last part of the season, except for my last two outings where I couldnt pull a bird in or I could get them even close. They were moving too far off the edges of the rivers. When the reservoirs are open or have some open spots, it makes a heck of a difference for me.


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## goose commander

i know it can be rough that time of year but im pretty blessed with the spots i have. we seem to stay into the birds, wishing the season was a little longer.


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## ducky152000

goose commander said:


> i agree guys that field hunting for ducks is good but man there is in my mind nothing better than working ducks over a water spread. especially late january when the mi graters are here. now 90% of our geese are off big field spreads and i oh so love that! does anyone do any big water hunting? that is what i want to learn and try.


I hunt all the mwcd lake we kill a few divers when the migration is on my little bro killed a awesome redhead last year we kill mostly ringnecks and buffys though on big water.
first golden eye








one of many great goose days








solo hunt


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## Mushijobah

Getting pumped up already!


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## goose commander

ducky, dude love the goldeneye i have yet to shot at one myself. last year as we were getting out of the boat and 2 flew by couldnt believe it. what is the mwcd lake? not trying to muscle in on ya, just dont know! how old is your chocolate? i have a 2y/o myself.

erie, yes i do have a few spots on the river we hunt pretty hard. like i said i work, live and hunt in an area that has a few quarrys that in turn hold late season birds. its not unsuall to watch 3000 geese lift off the water and head to our fields. if i could ever learn to post pics i would!!!!!

like i said guys lets find a nutural spot and hook up for breakfast or coffee...talk ducks!


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## ducky152000

The mwcd lake are lake around my area, tappan,leesville,,atwood,clenndening they were made to help flood controll, we ususaly get to hunt them till mid january then they freeze up, but we kill some ducks on em.my choc was a year old last season hes grew a good bit since then.
little bros redhead on a mwcd lake








shovler on a mwcd lake








ruddys on a mwcd lake








Hunted a private feild 300 yds from a mwcd lake, awesome dry feild duck hunt but geese were not wanting it only killed 2


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## ringmuskie9

ducky - Great pics.. I love the mixed bag of birds. 
Goose Commander - I'm not to far from you.. I'm always looking to talk hunting. Let me know sometime if you want to meet up to bs


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## goose commander

ducky not sure what i like more, the pics of the ducks or seeing youth in on the hunt. great job passing on the tradition. hey how far are you out of lancaster?

ring sounds good man. lets see how far duck is out of lancaster and maybe we all can meet up. erie will join in im sure.

anyone heard from quackpot in a while?

without a doubt we need one big hunt next year. i have a spot that last year looked for as many men as i could find for a morning hunt.. put 7 men in the field and we were done in 45 minutes...needed more guys!

still need help with posting these pick...anyone....buler....buler


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## ducky152000

goose commander said:


> ducky not sure what i like more, the pics of the ducks or seeing youth in on the hunt. great job passing on the tradition. hey how far are you out of lancaster?
> 
> ring sounds good man. lets see how far duck is out of lancaster and maybe we all can meet up. erie will join in im sure.
> 
> anyone heard from quackpot in a while?
> 
> without a doubt we need one big hunt next year. i have a spot that last year looked for as many men as i could find for a morning hunt.. put 7 men in the field and we were done in 45 minutes...needed more guys!
> 
> still need help with posting these pick...anyone....buler....buler


TOO far for me man, i live in tuscarawas county.


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## ErieAngler

goose commander said:


> ducky not sure what i like more, the pics of the ducks or seeing youth in on the hunt. great job passing on the tradition. hey how far are you out of lancaster?
> 
> ring sounds good man. lets see how far duck is out of lancaster and maybe we all can meet up. erie will join in im sure.
> 
> anyone heard from quackpot in a while?
> 
> without a doubt we need one big hunt next year. i have a spot that last year looked for as many men as i could find for a morning hunt.. put 7 men in the field and we were done in 45 minutes...needed more guys!
> 
> still need help with posting these pick...anyone....buler....buler


I havent talked to Quack in a few weeks, Im sure hes busy fishing. Its about time I give him a call tho. If Im not fishing this Saturday maybe we can get together then. I may run upto the OW bootcamp in Morengo too. Let me know if your interested. I'd definately be up for a big hunt this year. Unfortunately most of the fields I hunt near Cbus are a little cramped with houses relatively close or other non hunting land owners. I have some good fields around Delaware that we can get several guys on though. If youre up for a drive this season we can get a bunch of guys up there!


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## ErieAngler

Nice picks Ducky, I see all those ducks at the spillway a mile from a field I hunt, but havent seen them hunting?? Hopefully this year with the corn will bring more species


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## wildman

Just seen the conversation I hardly ever seen duck and goose talk on here. I am down in Cincinnati and I would drive to New Philly to hunt for the morning hunt. Nothing is to far. LOL Of coarse that was when I was just getting started on the duck hunting.

One of you guys said that they hunt the hocking area. I never new that area was very good for the fowl. I do a lot of deer hunting there.

I agree it is a lot easier to bring the ducks in to the field but you have to have the right set up standers are most definitely needed. and a mojo on a remote.

As for the spreads I have never really set anything up in particular as long as there is a runway for them to land in front of me. I do separate the ducks and geese. 

Other than a feeder call and the come back call that's all I use. We have had ducks land in the dek's many many many times with out even calling them. Of coarse half the time we are look behind us.

LOVE DUCK & GOOSE TIME!!!!!!


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## firstflight111

well i will put up some pic from last year


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## quackpot

just setting back trying to learn something.


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## ErieAngler

First Flight, thats a nice pile of birds there! My problem is I rarely take pictures, I wish I took more. 

Wildman, the hocking is a well kept secret! Prob p'sin guys off reading this. I cut my teeth on waterfowl hunting down there. Ive floated that river from where it begins as a creek all the way to the ohio and have shot woodies down every stretch. Late season the mallards, blacks and some pins show up, but you want to be a little further toward the ohio r. If you can lock up a field or two on the river, near the Ohio you will be in heaven. There are a lot of quarries down there that will hold a lot of resident geese.

As for mojos, a remote is awesome, but I have just as much sucess placing it behind my blind where I can reach out and turn it off quickly. Keeping it close to my blind seems to bring the ducks in closer as well.

If you want to try a hunt up this way, get ahold of me this season and we'll see what I can do for ya!


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## ducky152000

wow i wish i could find a duck hole that holds that many banded mallards, was you huntin in a city park j/k lol! awesome pics.


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## firstflight111

ducky152000 said:


> wow i wish i could find a duck hole that holds that many banded mallards, was you huntin in a city park j/k lol! awesome pics.


no but was really close lol... no i have my own private place ... i can keep the water open all season even when it - 15 out just for me ha ha ha ha ..we shot 37 banded ducks the last week of duck season 

this was day 1









this was day 2









day 3


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## ducky152000

That is insane 37 duck bands we kill 1 or 2 if we are lucky, and only kill around 10 goose bands a year. wow!!!


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## I_Shock_Em

that's freakin awesome...I have goose jewelry, but no duck jewelry...hopefully this season changes that


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## ErieAngler

Ive been averaging 1 band a year.... 

Although, last year was one leg (think it may have been private band) and a neck collar.

I put a lot of birds down last year, I think getting bands has a lot to do with where you hunt and where they band the birds. I most likely shot locals until near the end of the second season. Just about every band I have was from OH. Regardless its sweet to load the landyard up with bling!


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## firstflight111

heck i even have a band from a coot, and one from someones racing pidgeon


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## ducky152000

Piegon bands! I gots plenty of them!


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## wildman

ErieAngler I may take you up on it. I live that area. I Graduated from to Hocking Collage And still make it up there several times a year. Thanks for the offer! What do you float in when you float the rivers? I have several small crafts that I use to float the little Miami here around Cincinnati.










This is one but mine is a little older. Nice to use. I also have an old town canoe. I love going on float trips, but I also love to field hunt. I live buy a golf coarse that when it's not frozen then it is like pulling them in on a string. A lot of fun...


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## firstflight111

ducky152000 said:


> Piegon bands! I gots plenty of them!


but is it a racing bird


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## ducky152000

one was i still got the radio transmiter, i figured someone pi$$ed off would come to my house a week or so later but no one showed up


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## firstflight111

ducky152000 said:


> one was i still got the radio transmiter, i figured someone pi$$ed off would come to my house a week or so later but no one showed up


thats cool


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## Redhead Brian

I've been hunting for just under 10 years. I have just 1 band off a hen mallard from Berlin Res. How do you guys find all these ringed birds?!$


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## BaddFish

Great forum guys... your definately putting the hammer to them!

My group have slayed geese for years in fields and swamps... ducks are the different story. I've never shot a duck from a field... the only area that I know it happens in n.e. ohio is near mosquito lake.

I'll be hunting the lake alot this year... 

last year was terrible- very low water and weather & seasons didn't cooperate.... I did have a redhead fly not 15yds in front of us but none of us shot cause we didn't know what it was! (until it was too late) 

I hope you guys are putting the hammer to those flying carp today!


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## dixiesdad

Hey you guys from all over or are any of you from SW ohio near springfield. Im looking to find some goose hunting buddies. Im new to goose hunting and still trying to get my feet wet, but dont really know where to start.


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## firstflight111

i am in n.e. ohio


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