Who took my decoys

anthony m coons sr

Well-known member
One afternoon in very late December my brother and I had a great day of ducking. We slammed those ducks and limited out. We hunted all day and right up to dark. I had six dozen new corks out and the tide was heading down. I told my Brother I'm going to leave these decoys out . It will be low tide and know one will be coming into the bay at night. As we were heading out of the bay .Flock after flocks of ducks flew into the area where my decoys were. I was pumped and ready for tomorrow hunt. After a much need nights sleep. My brother and I headed out for another great day of hunting. When we entered the bay in the dark. Ducks were quacking up a storm. Wings were beating all around us. We pulled up to our spot waiting for shooting hours to start. It got a lot colder over night. But still there wasn't any ice that we could see. As day light started to lift. Ducks were swimming in front of us. But I couldn't see my decoys. We took out the birds as they jumped. But there wasn't a decoy to be seen. As it got brighter ducks were all over the place. But know decoys. What the hell I said to my brother. How could some one come into the bay at low tide. Plus those decoys are heavy. I wanted to leave right then. I was sick as sick could be. Just as I was putting my gun in its case. I hear a pop then another pop then I look there was two of my decoys. Then a flock of blacks were flying over . They started looking into the cove we were in. As more decoys pop off the frozen bottom. More duck starting showing up and hitting the decoys. It took about a hour before all my decoys come to the top. But we had one hell of a hunt. I went from very sad to happy as heck. Limited out again that day. Never left my decoys out again. TRUE STORYView attachment IMG_2880.JPG
 
wow, good thing you didn't leave before they popped up. I would have been like you; absolutely sick to my stomach about the decoys being gone.
 
Derek

Thanks for your post . I was sick and so would just about anyone be. Just before that happen two dozen of my corks were stolen. I just took a ride into the back of the bay. When I came out two out of six dozen was stolen. Worse thing is It must of been someone I knew. I try to look at it in a godly manner. An tell myself they needed them more then me. But it was hard. Thanks Derek
 
That is a crazy story!
Couldn’t really happen here because we don’t get the tides like that, but y’all about effective decoy strategy. I’ve been thinking of ways to get the decoys to go under water and come back up to mimick ducks feeding but haven’t come up with anything simple yet

Great story
 
I agree, great story. I would never had thought they would freeze to the bottom, and then pop up. Who ever stole 2 dozen decoys, or even one in like the slime on the bottom of the marsh. No excuse for that.
 
Mike

Thanks for saying my story was nice. I didn't know cork could freeze to the bottom. But it was a happy site when they popped up. I never understood why hunters steal from other hunter. But it happens all the time. Its sad. Thanks for your post
 
Ben , I use a cinder block & pvc,long length of rope and a float to train a dog to dive. I attach the training duck to where the float was then send the dog like it is a cripple. When the dog gets close pull the rope ,duck dives to the bottom. Let the dog complete the retrieve once it has it . pull the duck back out and repeat . You could do the same with a jerk cord.
 
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