On a windy day, or on flight days when large numbers of birds are on the move, simply setting a good spread in an area where ducks will see it can result in a productive hunt. What's the lesson in this story? Not every decoy spread has to be set in a prime feeding or resting area. By lunchtime we had a nice mixed bag of gadwalls, goldeneyes, and bluebills. Not every flock decoyed into our spread, but quite a few of them did. Ducks flying the river could see them from hundreds of yards away. But it was visible, thanks to the black-and-white diver decoys. The spread-a mixture of four dozen diver and puddle duck decoys-wasn't huge. We decided to set our decoys just off a large point and tuck ourselves into cover along the shoreline. Although we couldn't find big flocks of ducks concentrated in any one spot, quite a few birds were flying up and down the main channel of the Tennessee River. One cold and windy morning last season my hunting partners and I got a late start, so we decided to do some scouting before we set up. Here are 10 expert tips that will consistently help you close the deal. Setting a spread that can convince even the wariest waterfowl will give you an advantage over other hunters. Those that survive the gauntlet of the early season can be even more cautious about committing to the decoys. In areas with heavy hunting pressure, ducks and geese often get a crash course in what looks right and what doesn't. This last imperative may be the most important of all. Dedicated waterfowlers understand that to get a leg up on today's stiff hunting competition they must do everything possible to set themselves apart.

Floating layout blind