Ducks that land in the middle of a big pond

[Gottogo49]

Has anyone ever solved this problem. Ducks avoid the blind and body up in the middle of the pond. Thought about putting in a sunken blind out there. I did that once at another lease but it was a lot of work. We dug up marsh grass and replanted it around the blind. It looked great and worked good for one season but the wind and waves washed away all the grass and even messed up the blind anchors. Anyone ever try a scarecrow/scareduck?

[Vermillionaire]

change up your spread and brush up your blind. It helps if you put out and pick up every hunt.

[Top Dawg]

We tried a scarecrow once. It worked for like a day. Then they got used to it and kept rafting.

[Spunt Drag]

A picture would explain things easier.

[bgizzle]

First figure out why they doing that. If they doing to sleep n nothing else find out where they feed n cut em off. If you can't do that then change the game by patterning them on a week that's going to be same wind and make its not happening on a certain wind. If all else fails cut more brush. What I ask myself n I'm no Phil Robertson but I ask myself what I'm doing wrong not blaming it on the duck. They have their mind made up 8O% the other 20% is shear luck IMO if you lookalike your surrounding, have (workable) birds, and stay hidden until ur done you should kill birds bra.
I love to talk about duck hypothesis so pm me n we can figure this thing out I'm acccredited.

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by Gottogo49

Has anyone ever solved this problem. Ducks avoid the blind and body up in the middle of the pond. Thought about putting in a sunken blind out there. I did that once at another lease but it was a lot of work. We dug up marsh grass and replanted it around the blind. It looked great and worked good for one season but the wind and waves washed away all the grass and even messed up the blind anchors. Anyone ever try a scarecrow/scareduck?

Sounds like you already have your answer A little hard work and doing something different than the others are doing around you will make all the difference in the world especially with local ducks - they have seen it all. If you have a MOJO, that would be the first thing to go also. Sometimes the ducks just wanna go sit somewhere and have some peace and quiet

[latravcha]

I have had this happen in sloughs I hunt. I typically don build blinds. I park the pro drive about 100 yards away from where I hunt and pirogue to the spot I plan on hunting. I have had piles of birds landing in the front part of the slough and not near where I set up. What I did a few times is move the pro drive out of the woods and anchored it in the middle of the slough where the ducks were landing then move back to where I was hunting. It has worked for me several times.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by latravcha

I have had this happen in sloughs I hunt. I typically don build blinds. I park the pro drive about 100 yards away from where I hunt and pirogue to the spot I plan on hunting. I have had piles of birds landing in the front part of the slough and not near where I set up. What I did a few times is move the pro drive out of the woods and anchored it in the middle of the slough where the ducks were landing then move back to where I was hunting. It has worked for me several times.

^THIS
When hunting dry fields we have parked the truck/trailer in the field they want into if they fly over and it stops them. That's why I don't give much credence to camo boats if I am hunting grass, the brighter the better.

[Ragin_Cajun]

I have gotten out of the blind, left all decoys and robo duck like it was normal. I proceeded to grab 6 decoys and put them out on the other side of the pond and squat in the grass.....some of the best hunts i EVER had! Have also used this method with boat blind. Just a suggestion.

[Ray]

They are aware it is a blind. You need to change something up to make them change their mind.
Lot less decoys, lot more decoys. Move decoys away from blind. Change where you hunt, like Ragin Cajun said.
Hunt the blind on weekends only. Hunt the grass on weekdays.
It is pretty early in the season for them to know what a blind and decoys are.

[all star rod]

Likely local ducks that fly over the same area every day and see the same decoys setting there everyday...

Last year I hunted this marsh pond about 40 acres....later in the year the birds would funnel into the center of the pond....best solution is to pick up your decoys after you hunt or at least every other hunt.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by all star rod

Likely local ducks that fly over the same area every day and see the same decoys setting there everyday...

Last year I hunted this marsh pond about 40 acres....later in the year the birds would funnel into the center of the pond....best solution is to pick up your decoys after you hunt or at least every other hunt.

Yep. After a front, fresh dumb ducks always follow.

[latravcha]

I will be more than willing to help you figure it out

[Gottogo49]

Thanks for all the suggestions, it's my buddy's lease where it happens the most. He tried the scareduck and it worked pretty well. Another pond that I have been able to hunt has a similar situation but we are killing limits most every hunt anyway. There are about 200 resident coots and the ducks pile in with them where ever they are. The coots usually swim over and hang near the middle while we are hunting.