krowe79 Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Wot are the best duck decoys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 The new Zink Avians would get my vote. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Duck-Decoys-6-Avian-X-Topflight-Open-Water-Mallard-Decoys-Wildfowling-/381114867844?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item58bc376084 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenntay Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 The best decoys are the ones which retain there paint work, I decoy a lot of pintail tide flighting and best brand are avery pro grade I find with worse been sportplast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony G Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Just got some of the Avian X decoys and they are awesome Rubberised so no paint chipping issues Only downside is cos they are American they don't do Wigeon ! So I use Avery Greenheads for my Wigeon decoys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenntay Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Tony when you say rubberised painted then rubber type coating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony G Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Tony when you say rubberised painted then rubber type coating The decoy itself is rubber bit like the old full body pigeons Not sure how they are coloured or painted but they don't bash together like plastics if you know what mean Hence they don't chip like plastic decoys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 There is a difference between the "best" decoys and the "best " decoys for your type of shooting. If you are shooting on a pond , flashes or shallow flood water then the light hollow keeled type will do the job and have the advantage of being easy to carry if you have a long distance to walk. On the other hand if you are decoying rivers, tidal creeks with strong tides, lakes or big stretches of exposed water then solid keeled decoys will ride better and look more realistic in rough water. You also have to consider if you are going to decoy in broad day light or dusk or on big waters. Magnum decoys have the advantage of being seen better in poor light and stand out better on big waters , but have the disadvantage in being big and bulky so you can only carry a few in your decoy bag. Not so much of a problem though if you shoot from a boat. You also have to consider what sort of duck you are likely to be decoying if shooting in broad daylight. There times when duck will decoy to any decoy species, but many times when the decoys work better it you can match them to the species you are after. For example recently I have been chasing teal in daylight on the tides. I have set out 2 stands of decoys , one of 10 wigeon 30 yards to one side and the other of 8 teal decoys to my right. While the teal did buzz the wigeon decoys they rarely attempted to land with them. In contrast they readily pitched into the teal decoys. There were few wigeon about but the only one I shot at came into the wigeon decoys. I shoot on inland flashes , large coastal creeks some several hundred yards across, large inland rivers and a 60 acre lake. So I have several teams of decoys rigged for each situation. The river and creek decoys are rigged on a mother line the lake and flash decoys are rigged on individual weights. I have never used them but some swear on here by FUD decoys, but I think they are only suitable on small flashes and will not work well in strong tides or rough waters. There are some very good American decoys available on Ebay looking very realistic and tough , but some have the disadvantage of being heavy. These are the ones I use when lake shooting from a boat , Flambue and Green Head decoys. My coastal set up are a mix of Sportplas and some cheap £1 poundland teal decoys. Sportplas were a fair bit cheaper than the American decoys and If I lose one or two its not to important and on tidal creeks you can often get all sorts of rubbish coming in on the tide that may carry your decoys away or on one or two occasions I have misjudged the power of a big spring tide and lost decoys. I once had a boat plough through my rig and cut the motherline. Have a look at Ebay and you will get a good idea of what’s available and see what is likely to fit the type of shooting you have , but for what its worth if you are shooting inland a box of GH or Flambue mallard decoys would probably fit your needs , if coastal think about getting a box of wigeon decoys , again GH do some good ones , but Sportplas seem to work as well and one of the problems with coastal decoying is the decoys get covered in mud then you will lose the effect of the more expensive feather perfect decoys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.