Duck Decoys

Birds of a feather flock together, and duck decoys are meant to encourage a flock. Sure, you can set up your hunting blind after scouting an area that’s ripe with game and use your duck call to get their attention, but without knowing where that call is coming from, your target might pass you by. Set out a strategically aligned spread of swimming, silhouette, or full body duck decoys and your targeted game will feel comfortable enough to investigate and land. The best duck decoys are designed with fine details and features, in colors and patterns that make them look lifelike from the bill down to the tailfeathers. And realistic duck decoys can entice the most particular birds. Choose duck decoys in the species you’re hunting for the best results. Whether you prefer swimming, spinning, or silhouette models, a set of duck decoys will make your spread more realistic and your hunting experience more productive.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What to look for when buying a duck decoy?

There are a few things to keep in mind when buying duck decoys:

• Buy decoys of the ducks you plan to hunt; whether it's a teal, pintail, blue bill, or puddler, grab a decoy pack full of them and add others as you go.  
• Choose quality over quantity. A few durable, well-built decoys might cost more, but they’ll last longer than a dozen cheap ones. 
• Go with duck decoys that are painted with attention to detail and look the most realistic on the water or in the field. 

What is the hardest duck to decoy?

Pintails and woodies seem to share the spotlight here, though ruddy and black duck get honorable mentions. Pintails are sharp and cautious, many times circling, and circling, and circling, until they decide that your decoy spread is full of phonies and land just out of your range. Woodies are hard to pin down, going all over God’s creation from dawn to dark, from one place to the next, so they’re tough unless you’re in the right place at the right time. Little ruddy ducks are nocturnal fliers and solitary birds who do not hang out in decoy spreads. Black ducks are alert, attentive, and will search until they find a feeding spot where no one will bother them—and then stay there.

What are the best duck decoy layouts?

Duck decoy layouts can vary when you're hunting different species, but there are a few tried and true spreads that work no matter where and what you're hunting. The best duck decoy layouts are the J, L, U, and X. All of these shapes allow you to funnel the landing ducks into a center point. The wind should be at your back or angled in from the side, since ducks land into the wind. Set your blind at a location along the apex of the J, U, or L. Set your duck blind in the middle of the X decoy spread so you can change directions when the wind gets fickle.  

What is the best length for duck decoys?

The standard length of a duck decoy line rig is between 24 and 72 inches. Line length depends on several factors, including water depth, wind strength, currents, and anchor weight, but in general, the deeper the water, the longer the line length. A basic chart of line length for a duck decoy rigs looks like this:

• Shallow water up to the knees: 36-inch lines
• Waist to chest-high water: 48-inch lines
• Deeper lake or river water:  60-inch lines
• Deepwater duck hunting: 72-inch lines

How many duck decoys do you really need?

It depends on where you're hunting, but in a small body of water or field, you really only need to lay out between six and 32 duck decoys. In a larger field or body of water where you have room to spread out, or in the middle of migration season, set out as many duck decoys as feasible. Four to six dozen duck decoys would not be considered too many.