Decoys

[cueball]

Just wondering where people bought their decoys from and how much they spent. I have been looking around at various duck decoys and wanted to know what people find work.

[Stonepark]

Have a look at Decathlon for some basic inexpensive one which still work at £2.50 each i.e. for flighting around dawn/dusk but not best during full day light, if you want realistic, usa is the place to look at and then source uk e.g. Avery Greenhead which are good and £10/decoy or if money no object Dakota's Xtreme £16/decoy

[dawntredder]

I bought mine from a place 30mls from my hometown called Weldon gun room...wigeon £25 for pack of four mallard £18 four and pintail £20 for four,the teal were more @ £38 :-/ they are a good make and probs deliver if your looking for some but was a while ago,but I've had nee probs and I tideflight on the foreshore! Atb DT.

[fenboy]

I use GHG ones , mostly wigeon and teal .

[xav]

Some Flambeau mallard x 6 are available on the net for £38, they're well made and the paint will last a few seasons. The Decathlon are not too bad for the price but not as realistic, still good in most conditions but better to buy only the hens.

[TONY R]

Assorted decoys from various manufacturers mostly greenhead gear, about 50 in total gathered over the years often second hand.

If i were buying new now dispite the fact some say they are unrealistic i think i would go FUDS they are compact and light and if you need to walk in a fair old distance to your shooting possition they are practical to use.

[fenboy]

Assorted decoys from various manufacturers mostly greenhead gear, about 50 in total gathered over the years often second hand.

If i were buying new now dispite the fact some say they are unrealistic i think i would go FUDS they are compact and light and if you need to walk in a fair old distance to your shooting possition they are practical to use.

They are also pretty hopeless in water .

[TONY R]

They are also pretty hopeless in water .

Basically read the instructions and they handle ok, i see a friend use nothing else and he has them off to a fine art.

[fenboy]

Basically anything other than a slight ripple and they do a titanic even after reading the instructions , utterly useless for the foreshore

[Grandalf]

Pound Land used to sell mallard as Garden Ornaments. Bought 30 and they are still going strong. Been horrible abused but only one started to leak.

[kent]

Best buy a mix avoid the ones all with high heads high head signifies a nervous duck

Colour is mainly secondary often the best is all black at evening flight as it gives a better silhouette of a duck shape this is often all the duck need

A few drakes with washed out or worn colours are better early season when most real duck are not fully into breeding plumage

A few plywood silhouettes on land and in shallow margins are good also

You don't need spend a lot and local is often better if you can collect as carriage is costly due to bulk more than weight

I carry teal and silloutes if I am walking a fair way about half a dozen but could have 30 out on some venues

Position of the spread and landing zones is still the most critical aspect of it all

Remember keep still and let them come in!

[cueball]

Cheers for the info folks, think I will get some ghg decoys that seems to be the consensus on the thread and some other places I have looked. They appear to be best value/construction available in uk

Best buy a mix avoid the ones all with high heads high head signifies a nervous duck

Colour is mainly secondary often the best is all black at evening flight as it gives a better silhouette of a duck shape this is often all the duck need

A few drakes with washed out or worn colours are better early season when most real duck are not fully into breeding plumage

A few plywood silhouettes on land and in shallow margins are good also

You don't need spend a lot and local is often better if you can collect as carriage is costly due to bulk more than weight

I carry teal and silloutes if I am walking a fair way about half a dozen but could have 30 out on some venues

Position of the spread and landing zones is still the most critical aspect of it all

Remember keep still and let them come in!

Thanks that's good advice

[dawntredder]

Basically anything other than a slight ripple and they do a titanic even after reading the instructions , utterly useless for the foreshore

yeh I let a lad shoot with me one tideflight, he was a novice and a 1st season lad and bought fuds they were OK until the weather turned and wind became a sou'easterly and they were under the water alot...nee good for coastal fowling!

[Penelope]

I have a mix of cheapo Sportplast water keeled mallard jobs, Sportplast weighted keel mallard, teal and wigeon, Avery/GHG mallard and wigeon, Flambeau mallard and Avian X teal, about 50 in total.

 

The Sportplast are 30 years old, robust, still going but have been repainted a few times, but not overly realistic, the Avery/GHG (Hot Buy, Life Size and Pro-Grade) look good and paint adhesion is ok, although they are a little worn what with banging about in the bag.

 

The Flambeau Stormfront drakes are a little bright in colour and although new'ish I don't think the paint jobs will last as well as the Avery/GHG.

 

The best are the Avian X, although new to the market I feel the semi soft body will take knocks and the paint job will last better that all of the others, they also look the most realistic.

 

As with all decoys, they pull fowlers better than fowl.