I’ve read a lot on here on spinners... I know the major consensus is they are a negative, and I know they are illegal on wmas. Is this because they educate ducks? is it because they allow for more younger ducks to be killed when they normally wouldn’t? Is it a little bit of both? Or is it a stigmatism due to the controversy that they are connected to money ruling the sport these days?
None of that for me. It was that they basically put nubes on a level playing field with a guy that had been killing ducks for a decade or two. They were so effective at first that ducks would fall hundreds of feet out of the sky just at the sight of them. Basically I felt as though they robbed me of the advantage of having years of experience and being a "better" hunter. But then I'm a snowflake and get my feelings hurt easily.
I think this was a lot of it. At first, almost everyone used them. Then, the so called purists quit using them and began to hate them because less experienced hunters could use them and kill ducks too - and it irritated the heck out of the experienced hunters (got their feelings hurt in other words). Then, it became more - especially on crowded public ground where the spinners were adversely affecting the hunting of other duck hunters - either by causing swing birds to dip or flaring them off. There is also some that think - probably valid - that spinners brought an increase in duck hunters that contributed to crowding - that would not have taken up the sport had they not been able to use spinners. The last few years, where I hunt, it became almost impossible to kill a mallard with a spinner in the spread.
For $150 anybody could go kill a limit of ducks any day they wanted. Everything about them was bad for the sport. I won’t beat the dead horse anymore than I already have on this forum.
I don’t think they are as effective as they used to be here because of there use up and down the flyway north of us. I think most would agree that the easiest ducks to fool with a spinner is a juvenile. If large numbers of juveniles are being taken before they get to us then the older wiser ducks is what we get to hunt. That’s just my opinion and of course it is pure speculation on my part since I have zero research to back that up. I would just think that if they were equally ineffective north of us that northern hunters would stop using them as well.
That is exactly what the early studies found - that a much greater percentage of ducks killed over spinners up north were juvenile birds - leaving a greater percentage of older - and smarter - ducks to make it down to us. Ducks around here are not only spinner shy - they are afraid to land with other ducks.
They can be now but they didn’t used to be. I have to keep telling myself that was almost 20 years ago. Seems like just yesterday. Younger hunters probably think we went from live decoys to spinners. I hate getting old.
I just don't understand why you would need a spinner up north especially Canada.If you need a spinner in Canada you just need to quit duck hunting.Though I can't speak from experience lots of young ducks and old ducks shot at the first of the season should be very easy to kill.
I think there are a couple of reasons they use spinners a lot in Canada. A lot of field hunting up there means a ton of decoys. They can probably get by with fewer decoys with a couple of spinners in the spread. Less time to set up and tear down. Also, when field hunting with big spreads, it can be difficult to get the ducks to work in to good gun range and the spinners would help position the ducks for better shots. A lot of the duck hunting in canada is done by guides with clients - most hunters traveling 1500 miles to hunt probably base the success of the hunt on the number of dead ducks. I would bet most of those guides would put the spinners up if the clients insisted on no spinners.
I hunted in Mexico last winter and fully expected to see a spinner in the spread with most of the ducks being teal and gadwall. There wasnt and I asked the guide about it and he said no need for it. He was right. Ducks came in to six unpainted decoys sitting in the mud like it was there long lost friends.
For those of you who feel like you need to high ball, kick water, and run a jerk string to feel like you are the reason you killed the ducks - I dont recommend a hunt in Mexico.
I remember my first experience with spinners many years ago. I had hunted that morning and only killed a couple of ducks. One of our members had some of town friends in and wanted me to go with them that afternoon. I said OK but told them I didn't think we would have much luck. We get to the blind and one of the guest pulls out this spinner and said do you mind putting this out. I don't think any of us had ever seen one or even heard of one. It didn't look anything like the ones today and came from California. I put it out and here came the ducks. You saw the ducks, called, they saw the spinner and here they came. I have never seen anything like it. I got one for Christmas. As I remember, they were only a shell with no bottom to it. I have several now that I use sometimes. I usually put them to the side of my spread and in brush. I don't use them much. I do think water movement is more important especially on still days. I like jerk strings and kicking the water beside a big oak or cypress in the timber.
oh the days of half painted milk jugs for decoys and that was it and a pull cord made outta decoy line and bicycle inter tube ( this was before bungee cords) we've come a long ways. I miss the good ole days........
I painted some milk jugs back in October. Right now finding water...better yet water they use, is usually a good trip with regular decoys and jerk string. I haven't used the jugs yet but I remember my 80's youth days hunting out of the Jon boat with Grandpa with a spread of a dozen painted milk jugs, half dozen painted Refrigerant cans, and 4-6 slightly painted plastic mallard decoys on a homemade jerk cord. There were days my shoulder would hurt from firing the Mossberg 20 gauge and my ears ached worse from Gramps blasting the old 870 12 gauge.
I keep saying I'm going to use the old school spread but just haven't yet.
We never used the bicycle tube, my grandmother was a seamstress and we had access to left over elastic. Those days.
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