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Decoy Talk
By Rick Spoerl
So many types of decoys… regular, magnum, super magnum, roto-wing, flying, swimming and splashing decoys. There are plastic decoys, rubber, Styrofoam, wood, and burlap. There are also weighted keel decoys, un-weighted keel, and aqua keel. Which ones should we use?
In my thirty years of duck hunting I’ve purchased many different types of decoys. Some have worked better than others. The situation itself seems to dictate the type of decoys to use.
Years ago I had a friend who was a huge proponent of super magnum decoys, which, when the ducks were at a long distance, seemed to work well; but when the ducks got close, they seemed a little intimidated by them. Then again, I’ve sat under one of those huge goose chair blinds and fooled snow geese (although, at the time, I was in the middle of a thousand other natural-sized snow goose windsocks). I think it’s easier for the flocks to overlook one or two obnoxiously large decoys if there are enough "normal looking" diversions. The bottom line, I think, is going with decoys of a natural size. If most of your birds are coming in at a long distance, you may want some super magnums to pull them close; but the majority should be average duck size.
Weighted keel decoys cost a little more then the un-weighted type, but are well worth the extra price. It’s much easier to toss your decoys out, rather then setting each one in the water, being careful not to tip them over. You can really launch a weighted keel decoy out and it will always right itself. It seems like every other un-weighted keel you toss out will tip on its side, creating much more work for you. Keel-less decoys can also be used on land, but sit very low in a field. When using them in the water, they look best in calm water.
With all the materials out there to make decoys, which one is the best? Again, that depends on the situation. The heavy-weighted decoys, such as Styrofoam, wood, or burlap, really ride better than the lighter plastic types in rough water, but they do come at a higher price. They also require more maintenance. The paint scratches easily on these and you will need to touch them up yearly.
There are plastic brands, like "green head", that require touch up almost yearly as well. The paint peels off after only one season. But they sure are pretty when you first take them out of the box. The plastic type also rides well in calm water and a slight breeze will move them naturally. They do however seem to bounce a little unnaturally during high winds or rough water. G&H makes plastic decoys with moveable heads that look great and are reasonably priced. Flambeau also makes a life-like looking decoy. And the old Carrylites that have been around forever are still available. Also, if using plastics, weighted keels are a must in my book.
Herters makes hologram decoy’s that look about as realistic as it gets, but the price is pretty high. The original Styrofoam Herters look good and ride great in the water, but are both pricey and start to look pretty bad after only one year, requiring you to purchase their paint kits to continually touch them up. Herter’s burlap decoys are the toughest things out there (they show a picture of a truck tire sitting on their decoy in their advertisements). They ride great in the rough water, but don’t look realistic enough for me and are very expensive. Besides, I haven’t tried driving my truck over any of my other decoys yet.
I won’t even mention the blow up decoys or floating silhouette decoys-- they just don’t look realistic enough for me. If the decoy is hidden by flooded timber and the ducks can’t get a real good look at them until it’s too late, then almost any decoy would work. But in open water where the ducks can see them pretty good, you want something that looks life like.
A great feature of some decoys is the movable head. I like to think this creates an even more life like appearance. You will pay more for this feature, but I have always felt that a few really good-looking decoys are much better than a lot of crappy looking ones.
I like a middle of the road approach to purchasing decoys. I want a realistic looking decoy that I don’t have to touch up every year. I want them to have movable heads and a place to tie line on the back-- decoys that I don’t have to take out a second mortgage to buy. I don’t cheep it out, but I don’t spend two hundred dollars a dozen either.
The first time I used a spinning wing decoy, three wood ducks actually hovered a foot in the air above it. I was amazed! Since then, I have shot ducks over a spinner as well as had them flare on it. I personally don’t think they’re necessary, given the price and extra hassle in bringing them out with you. But, if the law allows it (and for how long we don’t know) and you can afford it, it may help.
Any type of movement gives your spread a little more realism. There are spinners along with swimming, flying, and splashing decoys. Guys used to use pull strings to make several decoys in the spread move-- now they just push a button. Controversy abounds in the decoy world, but, as I said, if you can afford it and it’s legal, decide for yourself?
As far as goose hunting goes, the fairly new decoys with velvet type goose heads really look realistic. Any full-bodied decoy looks pretty good, but to save a little extra money goose shells give a realistic look as a resting goose and some of the goose silhouettes look pretty good too.
On a windy day, windsocks appear very alive, but on a calm day can hurt you. A mixture of different decoys is a good idea, but make sure the majority of your spread looks realistic, as with the full-bodied type.
Finally, decoy line is also something we need to think about. Although the tangle-free line is a bit more expensive, it’s worth its weight in gold. It’s a bummer untangling a mess of decoys at the end of a hunt. With bullet type weights, you can just throw the decoys in the well of the boat or in the decoy bag and go home. The next time you use them they should all fall apart fairly easily.
Generally, I think my spreads look fairly life-like. Once, a loud shot rang out behind me, scaring the pants off me. It was another hunter that snuck up to my decoys and, yes, sunk one.