Darren wrote:...Probably best to spread them more so as not to look like a big blob right in front of blind...
...Any thoughts as to what is growing, why a farmer would plant it as such, and it's appeal (or not) to specks?...
Rick wrote:At my last rice blind, I experimented with scattering single, paired and very small groups of decoys all over both of my blind's cuts, say 20-30 acres, with bigger and more clustered bunches of my best decoys near the blind to make it look like unhunted water, instead of every other spot that shot at them. Initially feared looking the fool when everything landed wide, but found I had little trouble pulling most everything to the blind.
Rick wrote:Darren wrote:...Probably best to spread them more so as not to look like a big blob right in front of blind...
...Any thoughts as to what is growing, why a farmer would plant it as such, and it's appeal (or not) to specks?...
At my last rice blind, I experimented with scattering single, paired and very small groups of decoys all over both of my blind's cuts, say 20-30 acres, with bigger and more clustered bunches of my best decoys near the blind to make it look like unhunted water, instead of every other spot that shot at them. Initially feared looking the fool when everything landed wide, but found I had little trouble pulling most everything to the blind. Still have many times as many decoys as I use in the Mudhole stockpiled against the day that I find myself in the rice again and wanting to repeat that rig.
As for what's in that field, I suppose it could be winter wheat, but think it more likely the land's been prepped for planting this spring and that's volunteer greenery - which many specks seek, particularly in warmer weather. But don't bet br'er Harry it's either...
Darren wrote:One instance we struggled with was when the ice of Jan 7 weekend took our dekes out to middle of field, the teal, spoons and grays somehow developed an instant affinity for plastic they didn't show signs of previously, landing in them without issue and leaving me flustered in the pit with them well out of range. It was nonetheless comforting to see them take to our field so readily, so just a matter of tweaking to give more chances. There's one clip in my end of season video that shows some teal doing us exactly as they often did......pass wide of me headed to dekes and either lighting out of range or making a comparably wide pass on other end of blind without any decent shooting ops other than for guy on that end.
I'm thinking of ensuring what we have isn't too far out in the field but also drawing out the "wad" into smaller groups in a more scattered fashion up and down the levee. When I drive past unhunted ponds in the area the birds are scattered all over for sure, it's just not easy to achieve this with any kind of strategy for gunning.
Darren wrote:Guess at this point we'd rather realism on the water to do much of our drawing then rely on calling to get our shot.
Rick wrote:Darren wrote:Guess at this point we'd rather realism on the water to do much of our drawing then rely on calling to get our shot.
Can't get any more "realism on the water" than decoys scattered everywhere. But best of luck with whatever you do.
Rick wrote:That "intro to water" is a mighty important step.
johnc wrote:It is my opinion that at some point,responding specks will be looking for what is calling at them. It seems as if they are coming only to the sound sometimes,but that is a mighty hard trick, to decoy specks with no decoys,whether it be a pair of decoys,or whatever. It can be done,but to do with consistency is damn near impossible.
johnc wrote:1---hide your ass off,especially over the top,in stubble their are many choices,in plowed usually cedar branches---once again cover over the top,those dark wholes between hunters over the top can be seen very far
2---let the strongest caller work the birds AND call the shot---another caller can fill in on occasion but very conservatively
3---instruct hunters not calling to keep their face hidden at all times,and do not move,you will give directions on when and where the shot will be taken
4---use good decoys as explained earlier---DO NOT BE AFRAID TO USE NUMBERS HUNTERS NEARBY ARE NOT DOING
5---use notes on the call that you know you can execute correctly regardless of what the bird is vocalizing or someone tells you--unless you have a big blind bag of sounds you can match the bird with,stick to what you can execute while working on furthering your skill set out of the blind
6---if you can replicate a few notes and you get a big bunch working,,listen and match the bird you know you can---I know when working a big bunch and the birds are calling it sounds like chaos,but if you listen closely you will hear one or two types of yodels repeated---try to match that---real tempting to roll on the call when large bunch of excited birds responding---fight the urge to over call---give them space and match what you can
7---use big enough shot to cause significant trauma---2's,1's or BB's
8---if you get them over the top of the blind centered on the pass before the" land in the decoy pass"---SHOOT the hell out of them---playing with major fire to let them go one more round for the PERFECT shot---lot of times will slide off or just keep going
9---Stick with what is working for you in your situation---there are a plethora of "experts" out there---some giving viable advice,but it you hit on something that consistently works in your situation,stick with it
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