Bouncers, Floaters, Eezzers and some more things

[jfgpm]

Hi,

 

as I already told I am a newby and looking for a nice set of equipment.

A magnet is at the moment not affordable so I stick to bouncers, floaters, eezzers and maybe a flapper.

 

I searched in the PW for those things and read most of the threads.

 

At the end I thought I understand everything. When I googled some online shops I saw adds for floaters and bouncers in the same store.

I thought they are one and the same, with slight differences in the construction and the materials. But in that add it seems that floaters are much more solid and less flexible than bouncers.

Do they have different jobs ? Work in a different way ? ...

 

Please help me out with this.

 

Another question:

To get more movement into the pattern I would like to order some eezzers (bird and spring).

At what wind strength do they start to move ?

 

As I read most of you think that the Air Pros aren't worth their money. Is that right ?

 

Unfortunately we normally have no or very calm wind in our region.

So floaters, bouncers and eezzers would be "out of order". So flappers, magnets are left (did I forgot a product ?)

 

A magnet is at the moment no choice. Maybe I'll build this machine one day.

So I searched for the flapper and I was quite astonished.

Especially in one thread some of you recommended the flapper as a more "have to have" part than a magnet.

That sounds quite strange to me because the magnet is really well known. Much more than the flapper (at least in Germany)

Is a flapper really so good and helpful ?

 

Last but not least the decoys:

I am going to order some fullbodies and some shells. What number is sufficient for a decent pattern ?

Unfortunately I am only allowed to hunt until november to late winter. Most of the pigeons will be gone at that time. I read, that pigeon hunting during winter isn't that easy. (does this effect the number of decoys like: In the winter the more the better ...)

In north Germany some hunters only use 10 decoys. Others told me that 20 would be the minimum.

 

Am I right that a flapper will be integrated in one of the branches of the V or U pattern and the floaters/bouncers more at the end of the branches to on outer side (like simulating incoming birds)?

 

Thanks a lot for your help.

Cheers

Edited September 1, 2010 by jfgpm

[Sinistercr0c]

Hi jfgpm,

 

first Welcome to the forums (I saw your hello in the welcome section). I will try to answer each of your questions from my own experience, but I am sure that others will give good or better advice also.

 

I would say that floaters and bouncers are the same thing.

 

The spring mounted decoys need very little wind if you buy the 'half shell' type. This is because they are very lightweight.

 

I do not like the air pro decoys because I think their wing movement is not realistic (others may disagree)

 

I have no experience of flappers but I have no doubt that others will give their views.

 

I would say that 12 decoys is enough for a basic U or V pattern. You are correct when you say that the floater(s) would be placed at the end of or just outside the line of the pattern to simulate incoming birds.

 

Hope this helps you!

 

Best Regards and good hunting!.....

[Beardo]

i'm always happy to use a flapper - it's a great piece of kit and works very well - it never scares birds and always attracts them with the movement, unlike the magnet which works brilliantly some days and scares pigeons the next!

I always place this at the very front of the pattern.

 

If you want a decoy for magnets and bouncers that works well in any wind condition then the Hyperflap is by far the best.

 

12 half shell decoys will be fine.

 

you can get all of the equipement you need (and with a discount) from our advertiser http://www.ukshootwarehouse.com/

[jfgpm]

Hi jfgpm,

 

first Welcome to the forums (I saw your hello in the welcome section). I will try to answer each of your questions from my own experience, but I am sure that others will give good or better advice also.

 

I would say that floaters and bouncers are the same thing.

 

Hi, thank you.

 

all right. After reading in two diefferent sections of bouncer and floater I was a bit

 

The spring mounted decoys need very little wind if you buy the 'half shell' type. This is because they are very lightweight.

 

So I have to watch out for those nice pieces. Thank you.

 

i'm always happy to use a flapper - it's a great piece of kit and works very well - it never scares birds and always attracts them with the movement, unlike the magnet which works brilliantly some days and scares pigeons the next!

I always place this at the very front of the pattern.

 

Perfect. That was the answer I wish to hear

 

When you say at the very front you place it still in the pattern but more or less pretty close to the peak of the V or the bottem of the you, right ?

 

If you want a decoy for magnets and bouncers that works well in any wind condition then the Hyperflap is by far the best.

 

I red lots about that decoy. Sounds and looks really nice.

Thanks for the link and the tip with the discount. Also noticed that. But to me it is at the moment not that interesting to buy equipment in GB because of the exchange, the shipping costs and the custom fee.

Since some years hunting with decoys becomes more and more popular, but we still haven't your total variety of products. For example in Germany the only shop which sells something like the Hypa is this one:

 

German Style of the Hypa Flap

 

The Hypa looks the same like in your mentioned shop, but on the youtube videos they look pretty different. Are there differences ? (the head looks different)

 

Thanks a lot !

Edited September 2, 2010 by nickbeardo
link to non advertiser website removed

[kdubya]

the hypa's are the same just that the one in your pic has the "newer" head attachment"

 

KW

[jfgpm]

the hypa's are the same just that the one in your pic has the "newer" head attachment"

 

KW

 

Ah, ok. Thank you for the explenation

[UKPoacher]

I would recommend; Twelve half shell decoys, two floaters and two 'angels' (that is short sticks of about 45cm with frames on them so you mount the dead pigeons with wings outspread as though they are just landing). If pigeons are about and feeding that should bring them in.

 

Don't get plastic decoys for the floaters and angels, use dead birds either recently shot or frozen from the last session.

 

 

Just one more thing; You mention high postage costs and customs charges. There are no customs charges for goods shipped within the EU.