Proplex decoys

[Centrepin]

First thanks to @steve_b_walesfor the original idea.

I took it and ran with it. Firstly making Crow decoys out of proplex. So easy to make, carry, use and importantly effective.

I decided to use the same stuff, two sheets glued together @ £2.50 a sheet. Drew two types of pigeon silhouettes and cut them out. Painted with tester pots from B&Q, I had these in stock from touching up my heavier decoys. Coathanger wire and they move in the wind and help to attract. 29 decoys and 17 Crow all fit in a carrier bag and weigh about as much as 2 full bodied or 3 to 4 half shells.

They do work well, that's the good thing.

I would have been into a good day but unfortunately had a fall retrieving shot birds which caused a hypo so came home early sulking. Tired from a long walk and building a new permanent hide.

1st picture, drying in my workshop. 2nd/3rd picture in the field. 4th5th inside and out of the hide, empty can from bringing my blood sugar up😬

 

 

[steve_b_wales]

I'm glad you are pleased with them, and an excellent idea on your part to make pigeon decoys as well. B&Q sell a similar product to Proplex called Hardnox, and The Tool Station sell theirs, which is called Antinox, in packs of 10.

Edited October 25, 2021 by steve_b_wales

[Spr1985]

👏🏻👏🏻 They look great, sorry to hear about the fall and the hypo, hope you’re doing ok now and manage to get back out soon to give them a proper test. 

[aberisle]

They look great and do the job, i am in the middle of making some Pinkfoot decoys from correx the heavier duty stuff  from what you used, and like you said you can make a ton of decoys that weigh hardly anything.

[Centrepin]

It crossed my mind to make a couple of Canadian geese as every day two fly over and a couple of hours later fly back. Usually too far out for a clean kill.

Christmas on the horizon a goose would be nice.

I now have a skip company looking out for sheets of plastic, proplex, house sale signs etc etc. All skip companies employ skip drivers to sort out what comes in for resale. They are quite happy usually to pass on what they can't make big money from(scrap metal & tools) for a small fee. In the last few months I've had 8 hide poles, 3 army cam nets, 1 pigeon decoy, 1 DPM daysack as new, quickly claimed by my son, a full set of 58 pattern webbing with large pack, and lots of odds and sodds they thought I might make use of. Almost everything requires some form of minor repair, nets may need sewing up, or poles straightening or new heads, but not everything. Total cost so far, 4 tins of beer. That's delivered to my home too.

 

[Rob85]

Thats brilliant, its great to see these little cheapie ideas coming out as shooting does get that bit more expensive.

I'm all into the homemade and make do and mend approach. I need to make a start on refurbishing my decoys and hide equipment myself so ill be leaching ideas from here over the winter

I can't wait for next year as a good friend of mine just informed me he seeded out a field recently that I've permission on less than 5 minutes drive from my house 😁

[Centrepin]

1 hour ago, Rob85 said:

Thats brilliant, its great to see these little cheapie ideas coming out as shooting does get that bit more expensive.

I'm all into the homemade and make do and mend approach. I need to make a start on refurbishing my decoys and hide equipment myself so ill be leaching ideas from here over the winter

I can't wait for next year as a good friend of mine just informed me he seeded out a field recently that I've permission on less than 5 minutes drive from my house 😁

Most of my stuff came second hand and needed repairing or repainting except when my son needs something, then it's brand new and shiny. He tells me life is too short for second hand and his time too valuable to waste repairing.

Hence my workshop full of broken tools and various bits to reuse and his houses his whisky collection.

[aberisle]

An 8 by 4 ft sheet of 4mm correx is just over £9 its the postage that adds the cost to it, if you can manage to collect the stuff its an absolute bargain for decoys, i can get 28 pink decoys from one sheet.You can get the sheet in white or black i hate to think how many crow decoys you would get from one sheet it would be a fair stack.

[steve_b_wales]

If you Google Crow silhouettes, there's loads of different shapes and sizes on there.