Mojo placement in spread

[cwitherow]

Minnesota recently allowed the use of motorized decoys. When you put out your spread of decoys, where do you put your spinner decoy? A few points of clarification:

• I hunt sloughs with cattails. Water is typically waist deep.
• I try to set up crossing shots if I can.
• I have a dozen mallard decoys, 4 of which are on a jerk rig, and a spinner decoy.

My question is mainly upwind vs downwind. Any advice (other than leaving it at home) is appreciated.

 

[Scott85]

Ducks always land into the wind so I would place it on the downwind side.

 

[thomas89]

I no longer bring a spinner, from what I've seen, they are not worth the hassle since every swingin' d*ck has got one. When I lived in Washington where electronic spinners are illegal, I watched a guy using one illegally just absolutely piss pound the ducks. It was like they couldn't resist. I think that where they are legal, the birds actually get used to them and avoid the spreads that have that constant/consistent flash.

HOWEVER, from my experience, typically you'll want to set them up so other birds coming in will land in behind the spinner. I'd have it towards the front of the hole so birds center up. That being said, let the birds tell you what to do, if they are flaring off one side, move it. Don't wait for 4 or 5 different groups to react either, move it quick and be done with it.

I'd imagine you'll have more luck with that jerk rig than the spinner.

Good luck.

 

[Sask hunter]

Out where you wnat ducks to land but they will flare geese. Because if that I have them close to the blind so I can shut them off since I have no remotes lol

 

[Mallardsx2]

Put it 1 foot behind your layout blind so you can turn the things off when the geese come....

Or within a couple jumps from your hiding spot in a slough...

 

[beginnerhunter]

Conventional wisdom is that ducks wont fly over a spinner, so place just upwind of the edge of your landing zone. Given how far north u are a spinner should work better than it does down south. Also BWT loooove spinners, seem to land right on them.

 

[Gravelyctry]

I’ve got a couple and they are a bit of a hassle. Ducks do seem to figure out what they are since everyone has them. thats why I don’t set them up too close to me. They seem to work to help pull birds in from a distance - I’m guessing they’re curious when they see the motion, but they don’t seem to finish anymore like they used too. Now they circle and circle and then continue on down river.

 

[seeth07]

Teal, ringnecks and most divers over water and land, use as many as you can afford. I once hunted tall with only 8 spinners out and it was a great hunt.

Mallards in cornfields, again, use as many as you can afford.

Geese, good luck.

All other ducks over water and they work best really anywhere in your spread but the key is to turn them off before ducks approach close. Use it to draw them to you but not into you

 

[Nick87]

I use them religiously the first 30 minutes of shooting light. After that sometimes they like em sometimes they don't. Do yourself a favor and get one with the remote. Mainly for when geese are coming but a lot of times I run them intermittently for the ducks. I place them right where I want to land the ducks, usually that works best for me. Good luck and have fun!

 

[F250]

Absolutely get one with a remote if possible. As said above, geese will flare off them. My experience : some days they work, some days they don't, some days they only work for a short time. They work much better during the early season in Saskatchewan than the late season at home in public marshes. They are deadly in combined cornfields! Many times, they want to land right beside it.

 

[beginnerhunter]

OTOH, I've never removed the spinner and had a sudden improvement in ducks finishing. So I'm not sure I totally buy the concept of ducks flaring off them. Seems like hide and "being on the X" is just too big of an overriding issue. But early season and early morning do seem to be the best times to use them.

For geese I have no idea.

 

[mplane72]

I tend to agree that they are not near as effective as they used to be and at times flare ducks. I often move them from the landing zone in the spread to inside cover where they're not always in view of working birds.

 

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

Remote is a good recommendation.

 

[cwitherow]

Thanks everyone. Early teal season starts the 3rd so we'll see what happens!

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I like to set up with my hide crosswind.
That way the birds are not looking directly at me when they are coming into the wind.

I use MOJO flickers as I like their random on/off pattern and long battery life for weeks out of a remote camp.
The random on/off is to the left in this video, with most of the ducks coming in from the right.

 

[Zootownelk]

I typically put mine where I want birds to land, usually on the upwind side of hole. I also encourage using a remote.

 

[beginnerhunter]

I like to set up with my hide crosswind.
That way the birds are not looking directly at me when they are coming into the wind.

I use MOJO flickers as I like their random on/off pattern and long battery life for weeks out of a remote camp.
The random on/off is to the left in this video, with most of the ducks coming in from the right.

Have u had good luck with the flickers? I've wanted to try them but reviews kept saying they don't work for very long. I like the small size and randomness unlike a mojo just sitting there (spinning or not).

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Have u had good luck with the flickers? I've wanted to try them but reviews kept saying they don't work for very long. I like the small size and randomness unlike a mojo just sitting there (spinning or not).

Yes I've used them now for 3 years, ~50 hunting days, so so far so good.
I have read reviews that the on/off switch eventually breaks...if so you can hardwire to bypass the switch.
I hunt out of a remote camp for 2 weeks each fall and really like that those
flickers do not require lots of batteries and have along battery life.

 

[cwitherow]

Yes I've used them now for 3 years, ~50 hunting days, so so far so good.
I have read reviews that the on/off switch eventually breaks...if so you can hardwire to bypass the switch.
I hunt out of a remote camp for 2 weeks each fall and really like that those
flickers do not require lots of batteries and have along battery life.

Did you have to modify them at all for use in water? I've only seen ones for field use.

 

[thusby]

I have one in a pole in my boat blind with me. I turn it off and on depending on what happens.