# Anyone use cork decoys?



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

All my life I've been using a boatload of G&H's, Flambeau's and I may even still have some Carrylite's. I'm currently sitting on around 15 dozen floaters and it's taking up a lot of room and I rarely use them.

I recently got one of the cork decoys from Taylor Decoys in the mail and I'm thinking about selling all my plastics and going to just 2-3 dozen corks. The detail is incredible and in the bathtub, it floats so much better than plastic I can't even compare.

I know I can't be the only one who's contemplated or have already done this, but I was looking for opinions.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

One of my buddies from Mpls. that I hunt with has 3 dozen Taylor mallards they are the sweetest decoy i have seen. the only problem we have had is determining a decent way to keep them upright in a field spread. spendy though!

Bob


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

I was going through bags and bags of plastic decoys last fall and checking for leaks and looking at chipped paint on about 1/4 of the 8 dozen I have and I was thinking the same thing. I love the look and action of cork dekes. I would really like to carve a spread myself. I love the nostalga of waterfowling and this would be a little throw back to the past.


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

They are nice! What do they weigh Chris?

http://www.taylordecoys.com/


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

$45 a piece x 12 = $495 a dozen.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

4CurlRedleg said:


> They are nice! What do they weigh Chris?
> 
> http://www.taylordecoys.com/


They are heavy for a floater, I can't say for sure but maybe a couple pounds?



> $45 a piece x 12 = $495 a dozen.


They are expensive since they're custom made. But if you take any form of hunting or fishing seriously, eventually you're forced to make the decision of whether or not you want to purchase something once and have it last forever. In my case I've got 7 bags of floaters collecting dust and if I would've done it all over again I would just gotten a couple dozen of these for the same price.

Of course, this is what I tell my wife.   

My .02


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Chris Hustad said:


> They are heavy for a floater, I can't say for sure but maybe a couple pounds?
> 
> They are expensive since they're custom made. But if you take any form of hunting or fishing seriously, eventually you're forced to make the decision of whether or not you want to purchase something once and have it last forever. In my case I've got 7 bags of floaters collecting dust and if I would've done it all over again I would just gotten a couple dozen of these for the same price.
> 
> ...


Would have to recruit Deltaboy to carry the sack!! :wink:

Funny you mention that, I literally have a drawer full of goose calls and now I think I need another for 150 smacks! :drunk:


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## Shu (Oct 21, 2003)

I hunt SW MN divers each fall with a guy that uses his grandfather's canvasback decoys that are literally made out of pieces of telephone poles. They are about 2 1/2 feet long and weigh about 3 lbs each when dry, and about 5 lbs when wet. They are tough to hunt with but you can see the red/white on them a mile away and they pull the birds really well and they ride the waves like no other decoy I've seen. Good things it's only 1 time a year. They almost sink the boat by the end of the day.


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

I hunted with a guy a long time ago that would take out his mason's,and other older wood or cork decoys once a year.The way that they ride the waves was the first thing that I noticed about them.They wouldnt slap the water or bob unaturally.I was impressed.The only problem I would have with the taylors is that I have not hunted water in 4 years.


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## backwater (Jan 29, 2003)

You still have to repaint them after a few years use. The only advantage is you can shoot them and they will still float. So the way I see Herters deks have the best of both worlds. They are cheap and you can shoot them. I made some buralped mallards two years ago and they turned out good, but at 3lbs each without weights it was just to much, even in the boat.


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## Bob Aronsohn (Mar 21, 2005)

The cork duck decoys are quite lifelike looking on the water. I used to use 18 of them for Black Ducks and Mallards on some of the small creeks. You had to be careful you didn't break the tails off of them. I never put em in a sack, just stacked em in the duck boat. I used to mainly hunt the divers on the open bays, man I used to love to splash those bluebills! Bluebills and Can's was the brunt of my hunting.

They have a duck in South America called a Rosey Billed Pochard that decoys a lot like the divers do in North America. The duck hunting down there is like it was in North America before WW ll .

Bob Aronsohn


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## Ramsey (Apr 11, 2004)

Agree, nothing floats better than cork. I hunt over my self-carved on special occaisons or late year, slow spells, when ducks seem more wary. Have been carving them, occaisonally now that there are more pressing obligations, for about ten years. Realism is over rated IMO, I want decoys that look different from the billion or so plastics the ducks have likley seen before arriving to this end of the flyway. 

















That baby's now 7 years old and tried his hand this year and lacks only the paint before season, will post his pictures soon.


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## Chris Schulz (Sep 7, 2004)

i couldnt imagine carrying 3 dozen of those a half mile through a feild on your back ouch!


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Nice stuff Ramsey!! :thumb:


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## charles (Mar 20, 2004)

Chris Hustad said:


> All my life I've been using a boatload of G&H's, Flambeau's and I may even still have some Carrylite's. I'm currently sitting on around 15 dozen floaters and it's taking up a lot of room and I rarely use them.
> 
> I recently got one of the cork decoys from Taylor Decoys in the mail and I'm thinking about selling all my plastics and going to just 2-3 dozen corks. The detail is incredible and in the bathtub, it floats so much better than plastic I can't even compare.
> 
> I know I can't be the only one who's contemplated or have already done this, but I was looking for opinions.


Chris,
Welcome to another level of waterfowling. I recently have sold off almost all of my plastic decoys. I have been in the processes of making my own diver rig. mostly of cork. however wood is great. There is something that is hard to explain about having your own cork rig. If the photo don't show I do have a couple saved in my albumn


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## IAHunter (Sep 1, 2003)

I'm with you, Chris. It is time to upgrade the dekes. I do use Herter's Millennium decoys, the styrofoam with the picture on them. They are heavy also. Kind of a struggle moving 3 doz, 5 doz with a friends, around. But, cork decoys just have that classic feel to them. Only thing better would be hand made dekes using cork or cottonwood.

IaHunter


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## muleskinner (Sep 28, 2004)

Chris,

I have been hunting over corks for 20 plus years and they are do float much better than cork. I prefer the over sized decoys and my rig consists of widgeon, gw teal, mallards and pintails. It has fun buying decoys from carvers across the country. Depending on the carver, some of my decoys have actually gone up in value and they make a great item, to pass along.

You must exercise some care in transporting the decoys. The Avery product with individual pockets works great. These puppies are heavy to lug around and I would not use them for walk in hunting. I actually rigged my boat to carry the decoys, which makes it easy to load and unload from the boat and protects the decoys in transport.

When I hunt in ND, I have gone over to plastic because of the weight and the abuse the decoys take when walking into a pothole.

Good luck in starting your collection. You won't reget it!


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Ahhh, next you will be buying a war eagle boat!!!!!


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

:lol: :lol:


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