I was cruising down a no-name county road when something caught my eye. It was a flash of white in a low-lying area on the side of the road. I hit the brakes and came skidding to a stop.

I pulled out my binoculars and found that the motion that grabbed my attention was a duck stretching its wings. If it wouldn't have flapped its wings as I drove by, I would have never have known that duck was there. After looking more closely I found that there was actually about 150 ducks there hidden in the overgrown marshy vegetation.

A flash of white or rippling water can act as a great visual tool that can serve two purposes. It can help us find ducks, but more importantly it can help the ducks find us, or at least find our decoys. Movement, splashing and color are often the first thing we see when we are out scouting for ducks and ducks themselves look for the same things as they fly overhead.

Movement in the decoys can make your spread more lifelike, whether you choose to use a Magic Wing Decoy, a motorized decoy or even if you just kick the water to create a few ripples. The more lifelike your decoy spread, the more likely it is that the ducks will make that final pass.

The best type of motion system will allow you to vary the amount and intensity of the movement as ducks approach. For instance, if you spot a group of high-flying ducks you will want to create as much movement as possible to grab their attention. With a Wing Magic decoy you can work it quickly creating splashes, ripples and wing movement. As the ducks work closer you can slow down the movement so that it will appear more natural.

It is typically most effective to create motion in the decoys while ducks are "in the corners" or as they are circling away from your blind. You should be using motion, just about the same times you would be using your calls.

Movement in your decoys may not guarantee you a quick limit, but it is a tool that every hunter should be ready to use when you are hunting on calm days, in a secluded area or when you are targeting pressured ducks. HOME