# Quack Attack?



## Timber Cruiser (Oct 14, 2009)

Can ducks even smell?  I've heard of other "bait" methods like dried molasses, brewers yeast, and all that bull but really?


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## wingding (Oct 14, 2009)

Heard about the dried molasses here on the forum, IT WORKS!


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## Hooked On Quack (Oct 14, 2009)

Sweet potatos too!!


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## DUhollywood1 (Oct 14, 2009)

i just toss i few of them fake ears of corn in my dekes and let them float around! Then you can water wak'em


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## Nicodemus (Oct 14, 2009)

Ain`t but one kind of bird that has a sense of smell, and it ain`t no duck.


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## Medicine Man (Oct 14, 2009)

Nicodemus said:


> Ain`t but one kind of bird that has a sense of smell, and it ain`t no duck.



Two kinds...


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## Nicodemus (Oct 14, 2009)

Medicine Man said:


> Two kinds...





Buzzard, and what?


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 14, 2009)

Seriously fellas, I'm sick so I've been researching this all day long.  Half say ducks can smell, half say they can't.  Which is it?


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## dawg2 (Oct 14, 2009)

Timber Cruiser said:


> Seriously fellas, I'm sick so I've been researching this all day long.  Half say ducks can smell, half say they can't.  Which is it?



All birds have a sense of smell, just not a keen sense.  It is generally not used for finding food.  An exception to this are Turkey vultures that are know to use a sense of smell to find dead animals and the King Vulture that uses its sense of smell to find carrion in thick jungles.


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## injun joe (Oct 14, 2009)

I'm still wondering how they can hear. Where dey ears?


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## roostinwoodies (Oct 14, 2009)

*Similar Topic*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can ducks even smell? I've heard of other "bait" methods like dried molasses, brewers yeast, and all that bull but really?-


So I'm doing the best I can to spruce up the ol duck hole/holes and I'm thinking of trying some new methods this year and would like a few opinions from anyone who has something to offer. I am looking into buying some birds to put in a larger pond, hopefully mallards with their wings clipped.  Where could i find some?  Whats the best strategy in this situation?  Also a few of you mentioned molasses earlier in the thread, could you elaborate?


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## DUhollywood1 (Oct 14, 2009)

call up to skeeter branch and see if they would part with a few


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## Medicine Man (Oct 14, 2009)

roostinwoodies said:


> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Can ducks even smell? I've heard of other "bait" methods like dried molasses, brewers yeast, and all that bull but really?-
> 
> 
> So I'm doing the best I can to spruce up the ol duck hole/holes and I'm thinking of trying some new methods this year and would like a few opinions from anyone who has something to offer. I am looking into buying some birds to put in a larger pond, hopefully mallards with their wings clipped.  Where could i find some?  Whats the best strategy in this situation?  Also a few of you mentioned molasses earlier in the thread, could you elaborate?



Go to your local feed store and ask them if they've ever heard of powered molasses..I'm not sure if there is a such thing  I'm just saying it may be worth a try..


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 14, 2009)

Alright, I've never baited a duck hole in my life.  Not interested in the baiting aspect of it.  Interested in the biology of it.  CAN DUCKS SMELL OR NOT.  By the way, haven't seen any pics from the early season from ANY of the ones with smart comments.


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 14, 2009)

Medicine Man said:


> Go to your local feed store and ask them if they've ever heard of powered molasses..I'm not sure if there is a such thing  I'm just saying it may be worth a try..



There is such a thing.  Some farmers use it to feed various animals including ducks.  But, a farmer throwing it out to some white pekins don't mean wildfowl can smell.


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## DUhollywood1 (Oct 14, 2009)

Timber Cruiser said:


> Alright, I've never baited a duck hole in my life.  Not interested in the baiting aspect of it.  Interested in the biology of it.  CAN DUCKS SMELL OR NOT.  By the way, haven't seen any pics from the early season from ANY of the ones with smart comments.



dont know who you were talkin about but here ya go


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 14, 2009)

Not too bad there newby.  Next time, try answering the question and not being a smart alleck.


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## DUhollywood1 (Oct 14, 2009)

Timber Cruiser said:


> Not too bad there newby.  Next time, try answering the question and not being a smart alleck.



My answer to your question would go like this. Quack Attack is nothing more than a scheme for someone to make money targeting greenhorn duck hunters and or duck hunters that have way to much money to blow. People now a days will believe and buy anything and all the companies knows this.


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## redfishwater (Oct 14, 2009)

come on guys really??  the ducks dont smell the molasses, they taste it in the water and like it just like we like coke (molasses) better than water


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 14, 2009)

DUhollywood1 said:


> My answer to your question would go like this. Quack Attack is nothing more than a scheme for someone to make money targeting greenhorn duck hunters and or duck hunters that have way to much money to blow. People now a days will believe and buy anything and all the companies knows this.



O.K.  I'm gonna speak real slow.  C a n  d u c k s  s m e l l  o r  n o t ?  I AIN'T LOOKIN FOR A REFERENCE ON QUACK ATTACK.  Is there a wildfowl biologist in the house?


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## 2bbshot (Oct 14, 2009)

Yes, ducks can smell, meaning they posses the sense of smell but they cant smell very well. They arent going to fly by your duck hole and get lured in by the smell like I do when a waffle house is near the boat ramp. If you want to attrack more ducks to your pond either drain plant and then flood it or put mass quantities of corn in some real shallow water.


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## DUhollywood1 (Oct 14, 2009)

Err, no, they don't smell their food! In general, the olfactory senses of ducks are rather limited and not so great, especially if used underwater!

Of the ducks most commonly thought of as 'ducks', like the mallard, these are termed 'dabbling' ducks, because of the way that they find their food, often at the surface of the water, they also do some upending.

Other ducks are 'diving' ducks (like smew or pochard) because they dive underwater (who says that scientists are unimaginative??) and search for their food mainly through sight.

A few other ducks, notably wigeon, graze on grass at the edges of lakes and don't have to do a lot of searching for their food source!

Birds (well, diurnal birds) all have excellent colour vision, so smell is not utilised to a great deal in most. Turkey vultures in particular do have an excellent sense of smell but this is due to the fact that if it is soaring over dense rainforest, it can't see what is on the forest floor, so relies on the smell of rotting meat to guide it to food.

Hope that this answers your question.


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 14, 2009)

DUhollywood1 said:


> Err, no, they don't smell their food! In general, the olfactory senses of ducks are rather limited and not so great, especially if used underwater!
> 
> Of the ducks most commonly thought of as 'ducks', like the mallard, these are termed 'dabbling' ducks, because of the way that they find their food, often at the surface of the water, they also do some upending.
> 
> ...



The first sentence is all I was looking for.  Don't know about your credibility at this point, but I'll take it.  So I guess Phil Robertson is just full of it.


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## DUhollywood1 (Oct 14, 2009)

"So I guess Phil Robertson is just full of it" 

I wouldnt say full of it because there is no telling how much money has made with his name on that suff


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 14, 2009)

DUhollywood1 said:


> "So I guess Phil Robertson is just full of it"
> 
> I wouldnt say full of it because there is no telling how much money has made with his name on that suff



2 shay.


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## illinoishunter77 (Oct 14, 2009)

*I,m gonna say yes...yes they can!*



Timber Cruiser said:


> O.K.  I'm gonna speak real slow.  C a n  d u c k s  s m e l l  o r  n o t ?  I AIN'T LOOKIN FOR A REFERENCE ON QUACK ATTACK.  Is there a wildfowl biologist in the house?


I beleive they can smell and that is the whole idea behind powdered molasses quack attack or any other type stuff. The Idea is to spread it out into an area that is already holding ducks, the current ducks interact with other ducks that SMELL above said product and eventually migrate to the baited area. Atleast that is my take on it. Again yes ducks can smell and I didn't use google on this so it may be right and it may be wrong.


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## illinoishunter77 (Oct 14, 2009)

DUhollywood1 said:


> "So I guess Phil Robertson is just full of it"
> 
> I wouldnt say full of it because there is no telling how much money has made with his name on that suff


Phil Robertson puts his name on this stuff??


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## PaulD (Oct 14, 2009)

It's like watching all 4 sides of the light turn green all at once.


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 15, 2009)

illinoishunter77 said:


> Phil Robertson puts his name on this stuff??



No, he doesn't.  I've just heard him talk about ducks being downwind and smelling him.  Still not sure about the whole thing.  You've got to wonder.  If turkeys could smell, you'd never kill 'em.  Except with a .22 magnum out the truck window.  Personally, I think Quack Attack and any other smell attractant for waterfowl is a crock.


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## illinoishunter77 (Oct 15, 2009)

Timber Cruiser said:


> No, he doesn't.  I've just heard him talk about ducks being downwind and smelling him.  Still not sure about the whole thing.  You've got to wonder.  If turkeys could smell, you'd never kill 'em.  Except with a .22 magnum out the truck window.  Personally, I think Quack Attack and any other smell attractant for waterfowl is a crock.


 It wouldn't shock me if he did though.


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 15, 2009)

illinoishunter77 said:


> It wouldn't shock me if he did though.



Me either.


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## MudDucker (Oct 15, 2009)

I am sure they can smell.  Why many mornings when I am full of gas and poutin', I don't see no ducks.  Fellas in the boat told me so.


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## dawg2 (Oct 15, 2009)

Timber Cruiser said:


> O.K.  I'm gonna speak real slow.  C a n  d u c k s  s m e l l  o r  n o t ?  I AIN'T LOOKIN FOR A REFERENCE ON QUACK ATTACK.  Is there a wildfowl biologist in the house?



Did  you not see post 9?  Yes they can smell but do not use it for food.


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## dcarter (Oct 15, 2009)

Timber Cruiser said:


> I've just heard him talk about ducks being downwind and smelling him.



I might believe they can smell Ol' Phil. Anybody that wears the same clothes everyday for 2 months without washing them gotta be pretty pungent.


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## Burritoboy (Oct 15, 2009)

PaulD said:


> It's like watching all 4 sides of the light turn green all at once.




Best description of this forum I have seen in quite some time.  Thanks for the chuckle.


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 15, 2009)

dawg2 said:


> Did  you not see post 9?  Yes they can smell but do not use it for food.



That post wasn't aimed at you Winky.  Thanks for the reply.


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## Nicodemus (Oct 15, 2009)

Enough of the argufyin`.


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## stuckonquack (Oct 15, 2009)

powdered molasees works very very good


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 15, 2009)

Nicodemus said:


> Enough of the argufyin`.



The argufication is over!  Still like to know if I should shower before waterfowlin or not.  I think that's why I always liked it more than huntin deer!


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## Nicodemus (Oct 15, 2009)

Depends on whether you want to be a waterfowler, or a waterfouler.


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## little rascal (Oct 15, 2009)

*Bingo!!!!!!!*

We have a winner!!!!


> The Idea is to spread it out into an area that is "already holding ducks", the current ducks interact with other ducks



Some of ya'll need to pay attention here, "already holding other ducks"!
Ducks look for other ducks! They don't smell, they don't reason, they don't logic, they have wings and fly, and webbed fet to swim. They look for other duck's, because, where the duck's are, is where the female's and the food are!
For what it's worth, the molasses and corn, an abundance of acorn' etc., under water, makes a slick or a film on the water that can be seen from above.
A duck ain't smart, he/she just see's real well!!!


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## Timber Cruiser (Oct 15, 2009)

Bingo my butt.  Don't come in her at the last minit actin like you'uns knows sumthin about sum dux!


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## duckman15 (Oct 15, 2009)

the mollasses works because it sticks to their feathers and when they go to roost they pick or preen each other and they follow those ducks to feed the next day.  regular old cane syrup does the same thing.   i dont know if ducks can smell or not but that is how mollasses works


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