Go For Flocked ?

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

I don't use decoys often.

More often than not I'm walking hadgerows or under a flightline or sitty tree.

I've got some rubber flexicoy full body & some hard plastic shells, good paint colours but about 12 years old.

New & improved isn't allways better.

Just wondering if I'll gain anything from getting flocked decoys for the odd occaision I do use them at harvest time ?

I'm also thinking of putting up a lofter more often so when out for a walk about the high decoy sort of covers the general area.

[kev 1]

If you can afford them then yes,

but also i am led to beleive you can

get some sort of flocking spray from a can wich

should be cheaper....

[Fisherman Mike]

I use full bodied generally which ive " dumbed down " a little as they were too shiny also ive repainted a few with a bit more detail so they look as realistic as possible.

 

In my opinion the key to using decoys is to get some movement amongst them either by using a pecker, flapper, wand or just good quality spring sticks. It also helps if you can shoot in an area where the birds are feeding, I know that sounds obvious but to be honest ive never had much success trying to shoot under or pull birds of a flightline unless it was in fields where they have been feeding regularly. They always tend to just zip over the deeks at about 300 ft well away from gun shot.

 

If a pigeon soars above a field and sees a load of deeks lifeless on the ground then more often than not if its a mature bird it will think they are all dead and probably not stick around to long or possibly circle out of shooting range. Immature birds of course, will probably fly around 20 ft above an old grey sock.! I dont shoot these as its far too easy and not fair game.

 

Shell deeks are fine if you can set them out as realistically as possible, but again ive found them to be a bit shiny and lacking in realism.

 

One of my repainted deeks I put up in the garden last year and there was a male WP circling around it and cooing within a couple of hours. He finally got fed up after about 15 minutes of no response and started pecking at it before taking flight. It must have looked pretty realistic ! unless the bird was short sighted.

 

remember a WP eyesight is apparently amongst the best in the native bird world.