# Confused about decoys



## Lvn2Hnt (Feb 22, 2005)

I've been duck hunting for quite some time now, but have never owned decoys. I've either just done puddle jumping or have used someone else's spread.

I'm looking for some direction in what I should buy. I just want to start small and I don't want to take a second mortage out on my house to afford decoys.

It would usually just be me hunting, how many should I have for a decent and effective spread?

Any help would be great!


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## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

It all depends on what type of hunting you do?? Do you hunt fields or water? Thats a good place to start.


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## Curtis (May 5, 2005)

For water- It all depends what you see a lot of- I use mainly hen mallards, and wood ducks in the early season (Hen mallards because the ducks molt.) and then I may throw in the Drake Mallards later in the season. I also see a lot of teal around, but they decoy in with anything. Also we have tons of geese so we use a lot of geese, and less ducks.

Later in the season or when we go further north diver hunting we'll put out our mallard dekes, ringbills, and bluebills. And mainly work the GOOD Bigfoot decoys.

Brands- GHG looks the best and cost with is fablous, but I have 5 out of a dozen crack and break, so I think it was because they were in a bag, But Flambeau I believe has HOT BUY Mallards for liek 18.99 a dozen.........GHG I know has a hot buy as well for around 20.00 a dozen for mallards.

You need to shop around for the ducks you useallys see and shoot and put those dekes out.

Curtis


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## Curtis (May 5, 2005)

OK one other thing- If you see a lot of large flocks, put out a larger spread, but if you see lots of singles and smaller 3-5 bird dlocks put out a smaller spread andmake it look real.

Curtis


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## Springer (Dec 21, 2004)

Buy some canadian honkers and set them up in a field. Just find the right field and they will pour in. Last weekend me and the boys used two doz. shells and six mallard dekes. They got lots of shooting in and ended up with three.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Springer said:


> Buy some canadian honkers and set them up in a field. Just find the right field and they will pour in. Last weekend me and the boys used two doz. shells and six mallard dekes. They got lots of shooting in and ended up with three.


Three Geese...right? :wink:


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Oh wait...I'm stupid...last weekend was youth duck....sorry Springer...gotta get some coffee before I start posting...


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

I am a strong believer of the more the better it just depends on how much work you want to do..bearking ice to pick up or put out 3-4doz dekes by yourself can be a little to much ...as far as buying buy used at auctions,rummages and adds can save alot of money.
I am a decoy nut and keep buying when ever the opp arises ...hell i have 6dz redeads that I bought at a auction 8 years ago for asong that have never touched the water and another 7+ dz as well that I have accumulated in various diff groups that I have never used also. ...When I die I will have good auction and you are invited!!
Anyway buy the best decoy bags possible, I perfer nylon use rap around neck anchors and dont have 50 ft of line on your decoys for 3 foot sloughs and a pair of neoprene gloves will save u from early arthritic problems that I have begun to develop after years of stubborness


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## ripping the teal (Sep 22, 2005)

I suggest green head gear. It's the best and most recently made decoy. I have about 30 greenhead gear decoys. There a great investment


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

i think i just said something in another post about how i used to like to buy expensive decoys but it doesnt really matter, dekes are dekes...but i already changed my mind, go with G&H. youll invest a little more now but they are tough and will keep lookin good. you get what you pay for with duck decoys, unless you get carry lite, then you get someones garbage melted down and reformed with an ugly paint job.


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

one more hint if you plan on packing in a distance buy water keels (lighter) useing a boat or hunting late in year weighted keels float much better and when you pick them up half the lake doesnt run into your boat or onto your frozen clothes or gloves


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## quackattack (Sep 27, 2003)

hey Diver_Sniper, 
I've killed many geese over someones


> garbage melted down and reformed with an ugly paint job.


  Its amazing that with all the technology we have now days, no one can make an awesome looking decoy that is very durable, you have GHG's that look awesome for about a week and then you start loosing paint and flocking. :eyeroll: Then you have Foots that are extremely durable but have had virtually the same body design for the past 7 years. :-? Although carrylites don't look the best, i've had less problems with a dozen hand me down carrylites than I have with a $130/ 1/2 dozen modern dekes.
uke:


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## Lvn2Hnt (Feb 22, 2005)

The one thing you are always gauranteed on this site is great advice, helpfullness, and rarely agreement :lol: But, that's a good thing....everyone can get involved.


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## Dan Bueide (Jul 1, 2002)

Lvn,

If you can't do both right away, I'd avoid the temptation to go big in lieu of quality. If you must, start small but buy good stuff. If you opt for quantity over quality, eventualy you'll end up at quality and will have sunk $ into stuff you'll want/need to replace.

If you're going to hunt fields, and can afford nothing more for the time, start with some fully-body honks - even a dozen or less will work well for field feeding dabblers, and then you'll have them for honk hunting as well. I like BF's, for their reasonable detail and solid durability

If you're going to hunt water, and are only thinking about a dozen for now, I'd go with G&H magnum mallards. G&H makes a great looking and lasting decoy and the magnum series offers a nice sized decoy with swiveling heads. Some of the other decoys may look a little better, but without the variation you get from swiveling heads, they will still look like wooden soldiers. When you can afford more, pick up some more of these same mallard dekes and a dozen or so in a mixture of G&H pins, gads and widgies to make your set look more like what a duck would likely find in a ND slough.

A deep-walled plastic sled is a great device for dragging a bunch of gear to and through a slough.

Good luck!


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## Lvn2Hnt (Feb 22, 2005)

thanks!


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## Vandy (Mar 29, 2005)

I did fine for 6 years with 18 Carry lite waterkeel mallards, that where hand me downs from my uncle Tim. He bought the decoys 30 yrs ago. Then my little sis bought me 6 carry lite mag goose shells(honker) for xmas. I bought 12 econo Nwinds. Field hunting or water hunting, I hardly ever got skunked. And no my limits were not filled by coots, teal and spooners. ND is such a special place you can get by with about anything. If you want to buy some decoys that in my opinion are well worth their weight in gold... GHG hotbuys mallards, Econo Northwinds, and carry lite mag shells. If you are looking at full bodies go with BigFoots. They will last forever..... that would make a simple spread and an affordable spread and you'll shoot birds. Good luck hope the info helped.


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## QuackWhacker (Sep 1, 2005)

G&H, they do cost a bit more but they hold there paint very well. I started with some of the cheaper brands, which worked but they wore out fast. I have five year old G&H's that I could'nt tell from the ones I bought last year if the new ones did'nt have swiveling heads. They can take the abuse.


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## landaujake (Sep 24, 2005)

The best buy for anyones money are Herters. They are as durable as they come, can shoot them and they don't sink, weighted keels, swivel heads all for about $75 doz. This year I finally had to touch up paint on my original dozen mallards I bought 16 years ago. Just had Cabelas deliver another two dozen. Keep your plastics, wouldn't hunt over anything else.


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## theduckrancher (Sep 22, 2005)

Greenhead Gear is the way to go from divers to teal if your going to buy decoys buy quaility and realism


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## KYUSS (Aug 27, 2005)

Go with quality like G & H 's. The GHG's do look great but I have heard that they do have some issues. My spread has carry lite's, Flambeau's and G & H. I have carry lites and flambeau's that are almost 20 years old and they still work great. I have to touch the paint up every few years but I dont care, those dekes are tough, and thats what I like about them. I like having decoys that I can toss up on the shore when I'm done hunting and not have to worry about breaking them.

The Carry lites and the flambeaus dont have the realistic paint job like the GHG's do, but it doesnt matter. The ducks dont care if the paint job is to the T. Decoys are objects on the water or field that look like ducks. Its more important on how a decoy acts than how it looks. What I mean is movement. About 15 years ago I had some rubber Mallard decoys that you drop on the water and they self inflate. On calm days those things worked great. Being so light they were always moving making the decoy spread look real. Those decoys were pretty ugly but the Green Heads didnt care one bit. It was the movement that got them to commit.

So it doesnt really matter how the decoys look as far as cosmetics. Whatever you decide to get, try and get the magnum size, or better yet the super magnums. Whatever your buget can handle, get the biggest decoys that you can. They are easier for the ducks to see and if you put the standard size decoys on one side of your blind and the super magnums on the other side, the ducks will almost always land with the bigger decoys. Trust me, I have actually seen this happen. Its probably the same reason why geese will decoy to goose decoys the size of a small car.

One last thing. I dont have anything against the GHG's, they do look awsome and I plan on picking up some of the oversized Mallards.

Good Luck :beer:


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

maybe i just got a bad bunch of carry lites, i actually had them fall apart on me. like the back of the deke started to rip, because the decoys got so soft and squishy. this was a while ago but that was the last time i will buy their product. maybe what i said was a little harsh, but they are made of recycled plastic in italy.


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## KYUSS (Aug 27, 2005)

Good point about Italy.


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