Jim Cunningham and Jason Mitchell go into detail on how to make the most realistic duck hunting spread with spinning-wing and flocking decoys.

Spinning-wing decoys continue to become more durable with better recharging systems and remotes that allow hunters to synchronize several decoys on one remote system. No more D batteries or wings that won’t last an entire season. That said, in the eyes of ducks all spinning-wing decoys are equal if the wings are spinning fast enough to blur, according to Jason Mitchell, Passion for the Hunt TV host and long-time waterfowl guide near Devils Lake, North Dakota. Mitchell, an astute judge of hunting gear and its effectiveness, offers up a few more tricks for using spinning-wing decoys when field hunting. “I like to keep the stakes short,” he says, “so the ‘spinners’ are low to the ground, mixed in with the field decoys. Ducks can still see the spinners, but they don’t get as good a look at them as if they’re higher than the other decoys. On sunny days, stretch some women’s nylons over the wings to subdue the flash.” Spinning-wing decoys can be critical for field hunting ducks at early light and are an important tool for many duck hunters. But, they can also “completely turn off conditioned or stale ducks,” says Mitchell. As a general rule, hunters have better success with spinning-wing decoys across the northern half of the flyways.

Movement is one aspect of decoy-spread realism, but the hot trend is ‘flocking’ the finish on decoys. Flocked decoys first became popular with Canada goose hunters, notably the black on Canada goose decoys. Recently, flocked duck decoys have gained believers, especially when it comes to treating the heads on drake mallard decoys. “Flocked duck decoys make a huge difference on gray-sky days, because they look so much more real.”

For the full article and more ways to better you duck hunting decoy spread and concealment tactics from Jim Cunningham, be sure to check out the October issue of MidWest Outdoors magazine, available the first full week of October at a newsstand near you.