Spinning wing decoys
 

Do you use them at all? All season? Only the first split? Most of the people that I know use them the first split with great effectiveness and bring a remote with them to turn off the units if geese come in so they do not flare them. Then they put them up for the 2nd split.

Another good friend of mine keeps his on the entire first split near his blind where he wants ducks to land and he then moves them to the outside of his spread for the 2nd split because he believes they will not finish in the 2nd split after having seen so many spinners at that time. However he still uses them both splits.

What works for you guys?

Don't have my own place to hunt, but me and Shawn talked about this, this season. One thing not a lot of people think about, but those ducks have seen it all as they come down the flyway and the season is open in the other states as they come down.

I use two for teal season and after that I don't use them anymore

Mind if I ask why?

For one I mostly hunt geese over dry fields. And if I do duck hunt its in the reserve where every yahoo has two or three goin and it's just more bs to carry. Plus i used to just hunt lacassine so we didn't kill many teal. Big ducks like greys, mallards, mottled ducks will come to a call. I would rather kill a duck I called than a duck that dive bombed in bc I bought a decoy that had spinning wings. Not knocking people who use them, just my preference

In line with Casey's question. Is there days you find they are more effective than not?

Like cloudy days, calm days, etc.

I honestly have no clue. Since we have had one, about 5 years ago, I might have used them on 15 hunts during big duck season. I used to hunt lacassine religiously and we hunted a small pothole and killed mostly mallards, mottled ducks, greys, with a few teal and spoonies. I personally was not impressed with a robo duck and the first bird that flared off it I pulled it up. I think it works good during teal season bc they get down here so quick so they aren't getting pounded like later migrators such as mallards. The robo duck works ok on greys. as far as putting a pattern on the weather vs how well the robo works, I don't have enough experience with them.

It's fun to piddle with decoys and what not during the offseason, but during the season, I think people focus too much on all the gadgets and forget about the real important basics like hiding. That's more important to me than any decoy

use one in first split but only because i have a remote. i would never use one without a remote. cloudy and rainy days i leave it at the camp. Sunny north wind days with new mallards it seems to work pretty good but i find myself always turning it off after the first or second pass. Like cmcnabb said i would never use one on a refuge. greys teal pintail widgeon love them early in the season

As far as spending 200 bucks on one, buying 3 dozen more decoys in my opinion works just as good. jerk strings and wake makers are probably better options than a mojo, unless you kill mostly greys and teal

Ducks don't seem to respond to them as well as they did in the first few years. The only person that I know that finds them highly effective has 5 or 6 plus mallard 2 mallard machines. That is too much crap too deal with early in the morning.

95% of the time, I leave it home.. Only time I bring mine, teal season, or when there are Squealers in the area. Them things love a mojo. Can't really call them in other than whistling.

To me, the wake maker would be your best option as far as a useful thing. When we hunt timber, motion is our best friend.

Gotta have one for teal season. First few weeks of big duck I will use them but usually take em down before 8am when the big ducks really start flying. I find greys and teal really love em. By the split I hardly use them anymore. Just think about it, you got people that use 3-4 of them at a time. So if a duck passes over my area, they prob see 25-30 mojos going so I think they figure it out and go where the mojos aren't. When they first came out, they were so much more effective. First few times i used one, I would see grey ducks literally fly up to it during teal season and it looked like they were "humping" it. Jerk cords work alot better IMO.

It's better used on sunny days. If its overcast, the white side is too white but some people put painty holes over the wings to help dull the white reflection.

I agree with fool, ripples in the water is better.

I have a friend that uses 9 in a rice field in Whiteville and they have one of if not the best blind in that area. That blind might do just as well without em, it's all about trial and error. If the ducks are flaring make changes ASAP

Casey, stop pizzing money off my friend. Duck hunting is about learning through trial and error, take the time to build the experience. It ain't "Bean Counting"! Slow down buddy, you'll get there just enjoy the journey.

X2

We used to use a mallard machine and that thing worked better than anything i have ever seen.

they will get your money......

During teal season i use a mojo teal and dove everyday, cause them suckers suck right into it. During big duck season i always bring em, but don't put them out unless the ducks just won't work to the call. One day last year they just wouldn't respond to the call so i walked to the boat got it, put it out and the grey ducks just started dive bombing t the spread. I never use it on a cloudy day, cause i feel the wings are to white. The best thing to do casey is practice with the call, and trial and error.

We use em all year but this year we goin with the real motion flapping mojo. Much more realistic looking. We will see how it goes. Should do well even with so many mojos around. They look alot more like a real duck than the spinner wings

No truer words have ever been typed on the SaltyCajun ! Ultra A personality!

Man screw all them batteries and crap. We always think we're gonna bring em but end up forgetting them cause I'm a little hazy in the am.....

U need to come see what real intensity is and train with me. Promise not to cry.

Lol, you can be a little type A yourself. I don't know if I could handle a day with you Sarg...:rotfl:

Man I really try to be calm. A buddy of mine told me to drink at least one beer at 5:00 every morning when I wake up and the another at noon and I should "normal like most people" all day.

All joking aside, what I have learned is there is more to duck hunting than I would have ever thought. There is no quick fix or magic decoy, I just need years of experience and you cannot buy that.

I create threads like this one just to try and learn from all of the guys on this site, that is a good starting point for me, we have some very knowledgeable folks on this site.

The best advice I would give you is forget about all the gadgets. Duck hunting is not about going big. Learn how to hide. Learn how birds wanna see your decoys. Learn when to call. In my opinion, to do this you need to leave all the motorized crap at the house

I pretty much echo what everybody else says. Mojoes are great for teal, early mornings, and timber hunting. I really like motion in the water better than flapping or spinning. If you can create ripples on the water and a little bit of motion in the decoys then that's game over for any ducks flying over. I like jerk rigs too, but be careful because one of my buddies bought one last season I think it was a Mojo brand and didn't work worth a damn. Those quiver magnets work good for creating ripples with only last about two hours on a set of batteries usually.

rigem right makes a great jerk cord

Good advice

Thanks, I appreciate it and I know you are right. November can't get here soon enough.

very good advice, but how many of you have been out in the middle of the spread retreiving a cripple and 5 grey ducks come right in the hole. I've had this happen on more than one occasion.

I know what you are saying. My oldest son and I were hunting in the refuge last year and we were struggling to get the birds to decoy (all of it was our fault, couldn't call right, etc..) then finally at 10:00 before we left a flock of several pintails made a pass and we were able to call them back, we took several birds down from that flock. To us, that was as good as a two man limit. There is no better feeling than struggling and then finally figuring out what you are doing wrong and having some success.

You mean September right?;)

Mcnabb has hit the nail on the head. 3 things you need to learn fully, and you will be able to hang with most.

Hiding
Calling
decoy placement

Sure you can get away with half azz all the above, trust me.. I did it most of this past season. But being the way you are ;) I know your not wanting to settle for this. So with that being said, when you think you have enough cover, add more.
Go with the people who have been doing this for a long time, watch their calling habits.
Decoy placement aswell, watch how they set them up with wind,etc.

With as much info on the web these days, you probably can figure it out for the most part.

I agree 100%. You may have to come show me a few things this year...

McNabb hit it on the head

I am really really not going to voice my opinion on spinning wing decoys b/c I would get banned! BUT, if every single thing that ran off batteries or electricity for use to attract game, or scout for game was made illegal I would be very happy:)

You will kill more ducks by putting in the time to watch where they go and try and figure out why they are going there whether it be for food, or as in most cases to get away from all those ducks that have a metal pole stuck up their butt and never want to light on the water!

You will get a thousand different answers about this if you get one . I have a pile of useless "fad" junk around here I have collected over the years. No matter what you use there will be good days and bad days in the blind . The most important thing is to always pay attention to what the birds are doing ,and how they react to what you are doing . There will be days when you cant get a bird to even react at all ,and there will be days when you cant do anything wrong . It all boils down to if the birds want to be there or not. Personally I rarely use the spinners unless I get customers who want me to put it out . Save your money for quality decoys instead.
Remember, sometimes it just aint their day to die !

Get a well trained dog and be ready those moments.

Agreed

I tend not to use them anymore since, as previously stated, birds have seen them throughout the entire flyway to here. However, when I would use them it would be during the first split. Setting them close to the water with small strings through the edges of the wings would pull in more birds than no strings at all. This creates a bunch of ripples especially if you have 2 or 3 birds set out.

I will agree with 2 of those. Calling and hiding. If you get those 2 down there is really no need for decoys. Do I bring decoys? Yes. Bout a dozen. When I hunt lacassine I don't bring any decoys. Decoys are over rated. Once you learn how to call and blend in they will come looking for what they hear. You will not find a spinning wing decoy in my spread. I hate em and wish they were outlawed.

Great thread going on here, that's what this site is about. I'll b the first to say I use them and believe in them. There are a certain times to benefit from them and times where they will kill you. All you can do is watch the birds and act upon them. The birds will always tell you what they want. I catch myself a lot more these days watching them and seeing how their wings motions are. They will tell you what it takes to get them up close. To me duck hunting is all about seeing what you can do to get them up close and personal. I'd rather kill 10 birds that were right in the decoys then kill a limit on passing shots. To each is on and come on September!!

Why would anyone want to punish themselves to that extent!

I fall in this categoryof opinions, i bring them daily and pull them often. Good luck cuttin em boys!

Just throw a sack of sweet tators out in da pond and your done!!! lol We use motions on our lease,but we all up in the timbers! I find the swimmers that spin in circles are alot more effective than the birds on a pole. something about that bird swimming and making ripples looks very natural!!

I'm not a real advocate of the motion decoys, but my hunting partner is. I hunt in a rice field mostly for goose hunting. I have to admit they do have their moments. Number one rule is have a remote control, geese will flair off the robo ducks if they are running. Geese will not flair if robo is turned off. They seem to work best in early morning duck shoots before the geese start flying. I can do with or without them. Specklebellies are number 1 in my book.

Casey get you a mojo and a pull cord or whatever else you can use to your advantage. Espescially is there are alot of teal and greys in the area. I understand you have a son that you would like to put on as many birds as possible. Brush your blind right, adjust your decoys with the wind, learn when to call, and don't move. Once you get better with the call try no mojo, but right now try whatever will help you. September will be here before we know it!

Guys, I think Teal is going to open September 15th.

IMHO....get a MOJO or two or three, the more movement in the spread the better, BUT..there are times that the MOJO's will spook ducks and they will not come in, found this usually on cloudy days, foggy days, clear days best for MOJO...get the remote on each MOJO, that way you can turn them off or on...or hook them up to a battery with a switch..never did this but know other people that have, and like cajunforeman said, "watch the ducks, they will always tell you what to do"....and another point that 80% of the people do not do is let the ducks work...I never shoot unless the legs are down and they are trying to land in the decoys, if more people did this everyone would kill more ducks.....and one more thing, teal will try to land on top of a MOJO, and you can also use a dove mojo in your spread, especially for teal season.

IMO, we're letting technology run our hunting instead of the primal knowledge of the hunter. Too much in gadgets; not enough in hunter preparation. As stated before, learn to conceal, how to rig decoys and proper calling techniques will give a far better and more enjoyable hunting experience than letting electronics bring in the ducks to your spread. Its just not the kill, its everything that we, as hunters, do to prepare long before the season starts. We need to re-examine ourselves at times to return to the time honored basics of a wonderful, traditional outdoor sport of waterfowl hunting.

Teal season, I'de say a must.

We hunt the mouth of the river and without many if ANY mallard down there teal finish a limit for us more times than not, so I use one in Venice.

Rice fields, not so much.
Hi pressured areas, not so much..........hiding and five decoys are the better option.

I agree with many of the posters that Techno is challenging our youth to "cheat" a little in the sport.

What I find ironic though, is many say the motorized decoy is too easy, but do not see the same in thier 25K surface drive.

I think if you learn the sport the traditional way, then the gadgets are a bonus.

I lot can be learned by poling to the blind in a pirogue before sun up.

Calling down here IMO needs to be minimal at best.
By the time ducks get here they have heard bad calling and shotgun blast for weeks.

Hide.........Hide............Hide........
Few decoys........
A good quack and no feed call in most cases does it for me.