More Sillosocks

[Highlander]

Maybe not conclusive but interesting all the same…Friday shooting on a bare field that had some sugar beet re-growth that Woody seemed to want. Very high winds straight into the hide set up in a low (8’) fir hedge. Set up a pattern facing away from the hide and into the wind, two loose flocks of deeks either side of a central runway/killing ground. On the right hand side the deeks were all ‘Sillosocks’ on the left all but two were flocked shells. No rotary, bouncers or floaters just deeks on the ground. The ‘Sillosocks’ were visible from a long way off which the flocked deeks weren’t. The bright white detail stands out very well and the movement is about perfick. I’ve said it before that I don’t like the head up ‘Sillosocks’ (they look too much like duck profiles) but the heads down look OK. Personal preference I guess.

 

The birds were coming fast straight into the deeks either from out in front and turning into the pattern right in front of the hide or dropping in low over the hedge we were set up in. Initially the birds appeared to favour the pattern with the ‘Sillosocks’ but as shot birds were added to the left hand pattern (flocked deeks) there appeared to be no difference in the birds choice of pattern. Worth mentioning…I think the birds would have decoyed to pretty much any pattern/type of deeks that day but the ‘Sillosocks’ did appear to have the edge.

 

Do the ‘Sillosocks’ work? I’d say on the evidence of that day YES. Whether it’s the UV print, the bright white visibility or the movement OR all three I don’t know but Woody certainly appeared to favour them.

 

Might have to splash out and buy some of my own soon :blink:

[luckytrigger]

Interesting post there Highlander. :blink:

[Pointer]

Nice post Highlander. I am in the Military and have been away sandy side for a while. I read a couple of reports on the new deeks whilst away( wife sent out 'sporting gun' bless her) and having just got back I have been reading post's with interest. To be honest, from what I have seen in the pictures of magazines/net they look like they were made by my 3yr old daughter (no offence Will) but obviously they really are the "mutts Nuts". I was going to treat myself to a new batch of flocked deeks but it looks like the money will now be getting spent on the latest "must have".

 

Rgds

 

Pointer

[Blackpowder]

Maybe not conclusive but interesting all the same…Friday shooting on a bare field that had some sugar beet re-growth that Woody seemed to want. Very high winds straight into the hide set up in a low (8’) fir hedge. Set up a pattern facing away from the hide and into the wind, two loose flocks of deeks either side of a central runway/killing ground. On the right hand side the deeks were all ‘Sillosocks’ on the left all but two were flocked shells. No rotary, bouncers or floaters just deeks on the ground. The ‘Sillosocks’ were visible from a long way off which the flocked deeks weren’t. The bright white detail stands out very well and the movement is about perfick. I’ve said it before that I don’t like the head up ‘Sillosocks’ (they look too much like duck profiles) but the heads down look OK. Personal preference I guess.

 

The birds were coming fast straight into the deeks either from out in front and turning into the pattern right in front of the hide or dropping in low over the hedge we were set up in. Initially the birds appeared to favour the pattern with the ‘Sillosocks’ but as shot birds were added to the left hand pattern (flocked deeks) there appeared to be no difference in the birds choice of pattern. Worth mentioning…I think the birds would have decoyed to pretty much any pattern/type of deeks that day but the ‘Sillosocks’ did appear to have the edge.

 

Do the ‘Sillosocks’ work? I’d say on the evidence of that day YES. Whether it’s the UV print, the bright white visibility or the movement OR all three I don’t know but Woody certainly appeared to favour them.

 

Might have to splash out and buy some of my own soon

Have been unable to find Sillosocks on any sites. Who sells them Highlander.

[mossy835]

www.ukshootwarehouse. sell them.

[Blackpowder]

www.ukshootwarehouse. sell them.

thanks mossy835 will look into that cheers Blackpowder

[mossy835]

i must get another 10, just got a field of peas, drilled yesterday.going out tomorrow.

[bobby dazzler]

i have just brought 22 of these new sillosocks they are great do pull them in a lot better than normal decoys

[Will Beasley]

One little trick Ive found is that you can make your Sillosocks move even more if you want to by putting the spring steel mounting rods into the decoy at 45 degrees. It works best with the feeders and you need 10mph + wind but watch what happens when you try it. Cracking!

[Danger Mouse]

One little trick Ive found is that you can make your Sillosocks move even more if you want to by putting the spring steel mounting rods into the decoy at 45 degrees. It works best with the feeders and you need 10mph + wind but watch what happens when you try it. Cracking!

 

Will, I'm not quite sure what you meen by this, can you put up a picture or drawing to show us please? Or do you meen the rods that you get with them, if so do you put the rods going under or away from the body?

[mossy835]

do you think the rods would be better of glued in the sillosocks, any one done it.

[Will Beasley]

One little trick Ive found is that you can make your Sillosocks move even more if you want to by putting the spring steel mounting rods into the decoy at 45 degrees. It works best with the feeders and you need 10mph + wind but watch what happens when you try it. Cracking!

 

Will, I'm not quite sure what you meen by this, can you put up a picture or drawing to show us please? Or do you meen the rods that you get with them, if so do you put the rods going under or away from the body?

 

 

Push the rod into the decoy so that it goes away from the body at roughly 45 degrees. Then push the rod into the ground so the bird sits normally. Once the wind hits it it creates a violent side to side and up and down motion and they move much more than normal. However one thing you do loose is the ability for the bird to weathervane into the wind when mounted like this. If the rods are mounted into the decoys at 90 degrees ( i.e vertical) then the Sillosocks will always weathervane into the wind. Mounted my way they wont so if the wind changes you'll need to be on top of it and move them by hand. In an ideal world I mount some the proper way and some the new way so you get a bit of both. Its worth experimenting with the rod positions as its quite amazing what you can get these little fellas to do. I'm using Sillosocks exclusiveley now as they have saved me so much time even compared with shell decoys. I can set the Sillos up quicker, they move better and stand out 10 times better than any other decoy I've tried. Champion.

 

do you think the rods would be better of glued in the sillosocks, any one done it.

 

 

You can glue them in, in fact I plan on glueing all of mine in. You dont NEED to glue the rods in for normal use and even in high winds the rod stays put. The only reason I'd glue mine in is because in my Land Rover I've got enough kit for 6 hides. With all the nets and sharp snaggy bits in there sometimes rods or the decoys themselves can snag on something and pull out and I think it would just save a bit of time I think if the fixing were permanent.

[BTMS]

Does that meen we have to pass a Blue Peter badge test before we buy???

 

Two thumbs

 

Brian

[Danger Mouse]

do you think the rods would be better of glued in the sillosocks, any one done it.

 

 

You can glue them in, in fact I plan on glueing all of mine in. You dont NEED to glue the rods in for normal use and even in high winds the rod stays put. The only reason I'd glue mine in is because in my Land Rover I've got enough kit for 6 hides. With all the nets and sharp snaggy bits in there sometimes rods or the decoys themselves can snag on something and pull out and I think it would just save a bit of time I think if the fixing were permanent.

 

If you were to glue them, would'nt this affect the movement? correct me if I am wrong but the deeks spin on the rod and not the rod in the ground!

[Will Beasley]

do you think the rods would be better of glued in the sillosocks, any one done it.

 

 

You can glue them in, in fact I plan on glueing all of mine in. You dont NEED to glue the rods in for normal use and even in high winds the rod stays put. The only reason I'd glue mine in is because in my Land Rover I've got enough kit for 6 hides. With all the nets and sharp snaggy bits in there sometimes rods or the decoys themselves can snag on something and pull out and I think it would just save a bit of time I think if the fixing were permanent.

 

If you were to glue them, would'nt this affect the movement? correct me if I am wrong but the deeks spin on the rod and not the rod in the ground!

 

 

I think the rod just spins in the soil.

[Malc]

Maybe not conclusive but interesting all the same…Friday shooting on a bare field that had some sugar beet re-growth that Woody seemed to want. Very high winds straight into the hide set up in a low (8’) fir hedge. Set up a pattern facing away from the hide and into the wind, two loose flocks of deeks either side of a central runway/killing ground. On the right hand side the deeks were all ‘Sillosocks’ on the left all but two were flocked shells. No rotary, bouncers or floaters just deeks on the ground. The ‘Sillosocks’ were visible from a long way off which the flocked deeks weren’t. The bright white detail stands out very well and the movement is about perfick. I’ve said it before that I don’t like the head up ‘Sillosocks’ (they look too much like duck profiles) but the heads down look OK. Personal preference I guess.

 

The birds were coming fast straight into the deeks either from out in front and turning into the pattern right in front of the hide or dropping in low over the hedge we were set up in. Initially the birds appeared to favour the pattern with the ‘Sillosocks’ but as shot birds were added to the left hand pattern (flocked deeks) there appeared to be no difference in the birds choice of pattern. Worth mentioning…I think the birds would have decoyed to pretty much any pattern/type of deeks that day but the ‘Sillosocks’ did appear to have the edge.

 

Do the ‘Sillosocks’ work? I’d say on the evidence of that day YES. Whether it’s the UV print, the bright white visibility or the movement OR all three I don’t know but Woody certainly appeared to favour them.

 

Might have to splash out and buy some of my own soon

 

I've tried out some Sillosocks for the first time today and I totally agree with all Highlander has said. I don't rate the head up "sentry" type, but the head down type and the Sillosock jackets placed over shell decoys are very good. They are visible over far greater distances than flocked shells and even dead birds. The metal support rods are a bit too basic though. The Sillosocks just slide down the rods and rest on the ground. Glue would help this problem but then you would lose the advantage of them being compact enough to carry in your pocket. Also, I think the rods would easily get bent when packed away. All in all, they are a good product.

 

Malc.

[Will Beasley]

The Rods are made from spring steel so should last a while assuming they dont get lost of course.

 

The Head Down Sillosocks have to be mounted slightly more carefully than the head up ones. On the head down ones the corrugations go vertically.....not ideal as the rod just slides up through and out the other side. The golden rule when using these is to make sure you PUNCTURE at least some of the corrugations and to do this you need to force them in at a slight angle....not just slide the metal rod up through the corrugation and rest it against the white neck bar piece. If you do it that way the rod will quickly wear a hole through it and youve got problems. Just make sure you puncture some of the corrugations and you'll be away. The head up ones have the corrugations running horizontally so you have no choice but to pierce them when mounting them.

 

 

Hope that helps.

[mossy835]

Maybe not conclusive but interesting all the same…Friday shooting on a bare field that had some sugar beet re-growth that Woody seemed to want. Very high winds straight into the hide set up in a low (8’) fir hedge. Set up a pattern facing away from the hide and into the wind, two loose flocks of deeks either side of a central runway/killing ground. On the right hand side the deeks were all ‘Sillosocks’ on the left all but two were flocked shells. No rotary, bouncers or floaters just deeks on the ground. The ‘Sillosocks’ were visible from a long way off which the flocked deeks weren’t. The bright white detail stands out very well and the movement is about perfick. I’ve said it before that I don’t like the head up ‘Sillosocks’ (they look too much like duck profiles) but the heads down look OK. Personal preference I guess.

 

The birds were coming fast straight into the deeks either from out in front and turning into the pattern right in front of the hide or dropping in low over the hedge we were set up in. Initially the birds appeared to favour the pattern with the ‘Sillosocks’ but as shot birds were added to the left hand pattern (flocked deeks) there appeared to be no difference in the birds choice of pattern. Worth mentioning…I think the birds would have decoyed to pretty much any pattern/type of deeks that day but the ‘Sillosocks’ did appear to have the edge.

 

Do the ‘Sillosocks’ work? I’d say on the evidence of that day YES. Whether it’s the UV print, the bright white visibility or the movement OR all three I don’t know but Woody certainly appeared to favour them.

 

 

 

 

 

Might have to splash out and buy some of my own soon

 

I've tried out some Sillosocks for the first time today and I totally agree with all Highlander has said. I don't rate the head up "sentry" type, but the head down type and the Sillosock jackets placed over shell decoys are very good. They are visible over far greater distances than flocked shells and even dead birds. The metal support rods are a bit too basic though. The Sillosocks just slide down the rods and rest on the ground. Glue would help this problem but then you would lose the advantage of them being compact enough to carry in your pocket. Also, I think the rods would easily get bent when packed away. All in all, they are a good product.

 

Malc.

 

 

 

[ronny]

I found on the head down ones to stop the rod coming out of the top of the white neck bar, glue a small fishing bead near the top of the rod about 3 centimeters down, also allows them to turn with wind (superglue)

[Popgun]

I found on the head down ones to stop the rod coming out of the top of the white neck bar, glue a small fishing bead near the top of the rod about 3 centimeters down, also allows them to turn with wind (superglue)

 

Great tip

[Malc]

Yep, great idea Ronny!

[starlight32]

These silsocks- are the steel mounting rods very high to take them aboove the rape or is that something we will have to improvise with?

There is someone selling them on e-bay I see as well- but they seem alot more expensive on there.

Regards Starlight32

[Highlander]

As with most things pigeon shooting you need to be capable of a little DIY or you're bxd

[pavman]

I found on the head down ones to stop the rod coming out of the top of the white neck bar, glue a small fishing bead near the top of the rod about 3 centimeters down, also allows them to turn with wind (superglue)

 

yes thats a crcking easy peasy tip ronny, nice one

[Will Beasley]

As it says in the Instructions......you can raise the height of Sillosocks by taking some garden cane in the required length and mounting the cane in the ground then pop the spring steel rod in the cane. Cheap and cheerful but it works.