Who makes their own decoys?

[Frenchieboy]

Here's a quick general question for you all. How many of you make your own decoys and what do you use?

I am on a very tight budget and feel that there is maybe a bit more satisfaction from producing things like decoys yourself. I want to try getting more seriously into pigeon shooting this year and would like to consider making my own decoys so can any of you offer any hints or tips.

I had thought about using papier mache and sealing it before painting to waterproof it but this would meant that they would be of "solid form" and might take up a lot of storage space, do you have any thoughts on this please?

[pigeonblasterian]

Have not done it myself.I have been told that if you cut up the grey drainpipe it makes good shell decoys with a bit of paint.

[rascal_2005]

sorry frenchie fo butting in mate.

 

also what about modding full body/shell decoys to loft/add movement, ad wings, floaters etc.

 

thanks guys

 

john boy

[Frenchieboy]

No problem John my old mate! Any help and advice will go down a treat especially if it can save us all a couple of bob!

[The Essex Hunter]

No problem John my old mate! Any help and advice will go down a treat especially if it can save us all a couple of bob!

 

Just been out in the work shop and you can warm up the grey drain pipe and get it moving with the hot air gun, re set it by putting it in cold water. So that will work quite well.

Depending on how keen you are? A basic pigeon shape out of wood and off you go.

 

Regards

 

TEH

[andy_s]

i've added wings to several full body decoys using blue foam camping mats from tesco. i think the mat was £4 and you can get about a dozen sets of wings and tails from each mat. just paint then to look like real pigeon wings then. the only problem i found was that because i made it myself i wasn't really sure if it looked quite right or whether it spooks the pigeons but that's just down to my paint work and not the foam its self.

 

andy.

[big simmo999]

As well as drainpipe/guttering you can slice a plastic 2 litre pop bottle length ways, shape with scissors and spray mat grey.

Done it all in the past but you cant beat a mix of ####ed shells and some silosocks!

[TJ91]

i was experimenting with a dirt cheap can of expanding foam last week

i think it might do the job on duck decoys

would probably work for pigeon decoys too

 

just get 1 decoy, slice it down the seam (from beak to tip of tail), this becomes the mould.

spray a bit of wd40 on the inside (stops foam bonding to mould), clamp back together and squirt the foam in from the hole at the bottom

 

i just dont know what to use as a keel for the duck decoys

 

but for the pigeons, make a hole in to bottom to stick a peg in, and give it a coat of uv paint

they may be abit bulky for some but i have no problems using full body deeks (i dont use rotary so plenty of room in kit bag)

[vampire]

i've added wings to several full body decoys using blue foam camping mats from tesco. i think the mat was £4 and you can get about a dozen sets of wings and tails from each mat. just paint then to look like real pigeon wings then. the only problem i found was that because i made it myself i wasn't really sure if it looked quite right or whether it spooks the pigeons but that's just down to my paint work and not the foam its self.

 

andy.

Have made exactly same as you from thin cheap yoga mat that i laid some wings on and cut out,sprayed with car primer and white stripe with acrylic primer,cut slits into old solid decoys and siliconed the wings in,mount em by pushing onto a 2' high pole at a slight angle,in windy condition i have nearly shot them they look so real and the birds love em,although they will spook at 3' from the ground if you let get that close

Have also made my own floaters,i used 8mm fibre glass rod off e-bay 5m for £13 ish,ground spike out of copper and foam winged decoys pushed onto rods through a hole just under the beak,just as good as a well known make and much cheaper ,also did a variation where i connected the decoy to the rod with fishing line,this works fantastic if the wind is right

Have made lofters from whole body decoys and bucket handles,cut wire handle in half,bend a hook on one of the halfs then tape to the other one leaving enough above hook to push through and beyond decoy,on the bottom of the wire about 100mm up fold some lead round it,these will be perfectly balanced no matter what,poles can be made from old sectional tent poles and the one that retrieves the bird from the tree i just taped the top off a plastic pop bottle to it so you have 100mm diameter to get the wire in,makes it a lot easier to get it back on the pole

[adam f]

Can you work with glass mat and polyester resin (fibreglass?)

 

If so - wax up a shell decoy and then lay up over that - wait for it to cure then pop it off the mould and paint it up.

 

Adam

[stubby]

click on my username and look in content/posts, Ive had lots of mad scientist moments on saving money with homemade stuff

[activeviii]

I have made my own hyper flappers in crow and pigeon. been using them for 3-4 years and still working well.

 

i have made my own magnets but now i own a pinewood as it was a bargain.

 

i make my own sillosocks that work well in pigeon form. i just have to get my bum into gear and do the crows

 

flock coat my own shells

 

make my own spring sticks and lofting hooks

 

make my own excuses up for missing the easy birds and not seeing the rest.

[rascal_2005]

activii can you share how you made the flappers please?

[activeviii]

their not that easy to make in your shed as you need industrial sewing machine and a welder

 

sewing machine to sew the pockets for the wings and the welder to make the T brackets and connection tube

 

I borrowed a hyper flapper and just copied it. there lots to it but if your the type that can look at something and then go make it then it is very easy. i hate buying things and like making my gear, when it works its a good feeling.

[Rockers]

I have made my own crow decoys from drain pipes and 60 denier black tights to cover them which have worked well. basically i cut the pipe to a rough shell shape, i then sanded down the pipe to take the shine off and then covered in tights. not fishnets for you all wondering.

[Greenhunter]

I've made loads of stuff to do with shooting pigeons and crows. Some worked and some didn't.

Started making foam-winged floating pigeons and crows a couple of years ago. Sold loads to folk off here.

Currently making the 'Nemesis' floaters and landers. Always trying something new and improving things.The Mark 3 is due out shortly.

[dollydip]

has anyone got any pics to follow to be able for us to have a go at making some ourselves guys please

[kent]

Here's a quick general question for you all. How many of you make your own decoys and what do you use?

I am on a very tight budget and feel that there is maybe a bit more satisfaction from producing things like decoys yourself. I want to try getting more seriously into pigeon shooting this year and would like to consider making my own decoys so can any of you offer any hints or tips.

I had thought about using papier mache and sealing it before painting to waterproof it but this would meant that they would be of "solid form" and might take up a lot of storage space, do you have any thoughts on this please?

 

I make my own plywood silhouettes for wildfowling they give a good solid outline but lack visibility from above BUT give the illusion of movement as birds circle you spread (they basically appear then disappear in the birds eye as if they have shifted). I don't shoot woodies though recon a few dozen silhouettes and a few dozen painted drainpipes and you would do just fine, especially adding dead birds as you go along

[Greenhunter]

Here's one to try.....black camping mat ..cut out silhouettes of pigeons. Use metal packing banding bent to make a V. Pop-rivet two silhouettes together at the point of th V. Cut the banding to length so that it sticks in the ground as legs. You could use some white tape to stick the two heads together, cut to look like the white neck patches. Paint the rest in suitable colours using matt enulsion. Test pots are cheap and will do lots of birds.

 

 

GH

[hawkfanz]

had a load of fibre resin an mat left over from a boat repair so tto use it up i wrapped up a full body decoy in clingfilm an used it as a mould left belly open so,s to pull out rubber mould an bonded in a piece of copper pipe to mount em on,worked ok,light but take up a lot of room.

[Bluebarrels]

Frenchieboy sometimes its better to think outside the "box" so to speak,i think pigeons/crows get use to seeing decoys (shop bought) and I agree making something yourself can improve your days over the decoys especially if your perm is shot pretty often,making crow/corvids is pretty basic but when it comes to pigeons I think much more thought needs to go into the colours BB

[HotShot!]

As someone said earlier buy a full decoy.

 

Drill a hole in the middle. Fairly large.

 

Then you need to cut it in half.

 

After that buy some foam spray. Like you see on Top Gear challenges haha.

 

Put the decoy back together and spray the foam through the hole. But keep it tight together !

 

After that take it out and sand with a bit of sandpaper to level off.

 

After that buy some of that UV paint that pigeons see from UK shoot warehouse sell. Bird vision

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BIRD-VISION-WHITE-UV-PAINT-FOR-DECOY-PIGEON-MAGNET-hide-/200389749385

 

You'll need white and grey. Then just paint it like a pigeon and you should have a cheep, light decoy.

 

If you try this let us know how it works.

 

Cheers