Hypa Flap Pigeon Decoys

[Fieldsports]

I thought I would have a go at making some Hypa Flap decoys.
Simply because I need them for my magnet I have just made and had no money to buy some.
So I began by using materials I had lying about and took a chance on making them.
I began by shaping a silhouette body made from some very lightweight 3mm Acrylic plastic that seems to be sandwiching a lightweight foam.
( very durable,lightweight and strong ) I think the others make them from correx sign board material.
I then butchered 2 old plastic pigeon decoys and chopped the head of them to attach to my silhouette body I made.
I then used some weed control membrane I had in the shed and cut 4 "wings and tails all in one patterns" and then
cut some very thin plastic ( 250 micron binding covers ) to fit inside the back and the tail section so that it gave it a slight bit of stiffness.
I them proceeded to sew 2 identical shapes together with the binding cover inside.
I then stitched loops across the wing area to push the 2mm spring steel rods through I had left from my snare making days...
I melted some small holes through the decoy head I used so that the wing wire fed through that.
I attached the material to the silhouette body easily using small cable ties along the back in 3 places.
Put it all together and went in the shed looking for paint
I found some white masonry paint and some black roof sealer primer that has the same base ingredients in them.
Yes now I know they will mix and not react..
So I set away painting them after mixing my blacks and white making different shades of grey.
Maybe not the best of paint jobs going but to be honest when I tried them on the magnet they worked just fine as far as 'flapping goes'.
I have made them bigger than a life size pigeon.
Call me a tight kind of chap but I had no money to buy any so I thought all this would cost is my time..I had a spare day with no work on...It did take me a while mind you
But after I made them and seen them work I am quite happy and quiter happier I did not have to buy nothing to make them.
Here is my effort that cost me £0.00 that is ultra light and actually works. I surprised myself.
PS: took photos a bit late tonight and the greys looks better than the photos show.
Thanks Steve

[fenboy]

Very good effort

[Fieldsports]

Very good effort

Thanks mate I appreciate that !

When times are hard I have to try and make stuff out of rubbish I have in the shed .

 

[deny essex]

A good effort , Im sure they will get some attention.

Satisfying seeing junk turned into something useful and then seeing it work as wanted

[Fieldsports]

A good effort , Im sure they will get some attention.

Satisfying seeing junk turned into something useful and then seeing it work as wanted

Cheers mate.

Lets see how they work in the field I can not see any apparent reason why they will not but I will put them to test in the next few days.

Once again Cheers.

Its terrible been skint when you have to chew on doing this to try any save a few quid.

Steve

[deny essex]

Ive made a lot of my own stuff over the years and still do when I can, some things have worked and some not .

I think that it also helps for a learning curve, seeing the pigeons reaction to an item and learning from it be it a good or bad reaction.

Some days as we all know you could virtually put any old piece of coloured paper out and the birds will come in, another day all the ace number one looking kit and they fly past out of range sticking a middle wing feather up, those are the days both good field craft and setting the right looking kit out be it home made or bought become the challenge in decoying.

Always worth an ask on this site for any excess kit folk dont need if your strapped, a lot of good generous guys on this site only to happy to help out.

good luck

[Davyo]

Mate nothing wrong with making stuff even if not skint,its a reflection of your passion and being skint isnt going to stop you, plus you may of saved your self a few quid, i make loads of stuff.Keep it up.