Pigeon Decoy painting

[Stephenwilko]

Anyone know what kind of paint and colours I'll need to paint full bodied decoys 

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, Contact Tight Choke as he painted some deeks, it need 3 colours and most people buy the sample pots, 

[Scully]

Acrylics will do it. Paynes Gray and white are all you need.

Farrow & Ball make a colour actually called ‘Pigeon’. It’s available in sample pot size, but you’d be better off with the acrylics I mentioned. More variations in tone and tougher. 

Edited April 11 by Scully

[Stephenwilko]

8 minutes ago, Scully said:

Acrylics will do it. Paynes Gray and white are all you need.

Farrow & Ball make a colour actually called ‘Pigeon’. It’s available in sample pot size, but you’d be better off with the acrylics I mentioned. More variations in tone and tougher. 

Cheers thanks 

[Stephenwilko]

20 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, Contact Tight Choke as he painted some deeks, it need 3 colours and most people buy the sample pots, 

Cheers 

[mellors]

Lots of info on previous posts. 

I use rattle can grey primer and matt white emulsion. Works for me. 

Top tip spray the top of your cradles white easier to find if the decoys come off in the crops. 👍

Edited April 11 by mellors
Extra info

[martinj]

I have used spray cans of primer in black, grey and red plus a pot of white undercoat or matt acrylic for neck flashes

I have also bought pots of matt acrylic paints which work better because you can easily mix the colours to suit different areas on the decoy. You can mix acrylics and spray can colours if you have to although it's an art form.

I start with a dead pigeon on my work bench then mix up a colour for the wings for example, matching the dead bird, and paint all of the decoys. Then I'll do another mix for head areas and paint all of the decoys and so it goes on until the job is done. Yes, I do bother to give my decoys rosy breasts; mixing grey and red primer to match the dead bird, it depends how far you want to go.

When the paint is dry I'll add white splashes on the necks about the same size and position as on the dead bird - I don't exaggerate the size, just keep it as near as the real thing as possible, I might add a bit of white on the wing extremities, take a look at the pigeons in your garden and see how much white is visible (if any) as they walk around.

What I try not to do is copy shop bought decoys, the people who paint those have never seen a wood pigeon. Have you ever been to China? I can promise you that there are no woodies there.

[old'un]

1 hour ago, martinj said:

I have used spray cans of primer in black, grey and red plus a pot of white undercoat or matt acrylic for neck flashes

I have also bought pots of matt acrylic paints which work better because you can easily mix the colours to suit different areas on the decoy. You can mix acrylics and spray can colours if you have to although it's an art form.

I start with a dead pigeon on my work bench then mix up a colour for the wings for example, matching the dead bird, and paint all of the decoys. Then I'll do another mix for head areas and paint all of the decoys and so it goes on until the job is done. Yes, I do bother to give my decoys rosy breasts; mixing grey and red primer to match the dead bird, it depends how far you want to go.

When the paint is dry I'll add white splashes on the necks about the same size and position as on the dead bird - I don't exaggerate the size, just keep it as near as the real thing as possible, I might add a bit of white on the wing extremities, take a look at the pigeons in your garden and see how much white is visible (if any) as they walk around.

What I try not to do is copy shop bought decoys, the people who paint those have never seen a wood pigeon. Have you ever been to China? I can promise you that there are no woodies there.

You forgot the most important part of repainting pigeon decoys….the eyes.

[Stephenwilko]

Some great ideas thanks 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

 

[marsh man]

3 hours ago, old'un said:

You forgot the most important part of repainting pigeon decoys….the eyes.

In Kenzie Thorpe book The Wild Goose Man he recommend to cut the eyelids off a dead Pigeon , I know they have got good eyesight , but removing the eyelids is a bit extreme to say the least 

[Old Boggy]

2 minutes ago, marsh man said:

In Kenzie Thorpe book The Wild Goose Man he recommend to cut the eyelids off a dead Pigeon , I know they have got good eyesight , but removing the eyelids is a bit extreme to say the least 

Surely to leave the eyelids on a dead decoy would represent a pigeon having a nap between feeding and be more natural 🐦

I’m surprised you haven’t thought of that John 😂

OB

[yickdaz]

13 hours ago, marsh man said:

In Kenzie Thorpe book The Wild Goose Man he recommend to cut the eyelids off a dead Pigeon , I know they have got good eyesight , but removing the eyelids is a bit extreme to say the least 

Bit of a faff that and pointless

[martinj]

On 11/04/2024 at 16:48, old'un said:

You forgot the most important part of repainting pigeon decoys….the eyes.

Takes a while to do all 60 that's 120 eyes  🙈🙉🙊

[Stephenwilko]

Well that's my first attempt at HD decoys what's everyone's thoughts on the colours 

[Old Boggy]

I think that you’ve made a really good job of that.

Well done.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Great colours, looks lovely, should bring them in.

 

How many will you carry out to the field?

[oowee]

12 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Great colours, looks lovely, should bring them in.

 

How many will you carry out to the field?

Far from an expert but i remember something about pigeons not seeing colours the way that we do?

The 'UVision Decoy Paint' from Sillosocks replicates how birds see colour. Many types of bird feathers reflect UV and contribute to the natural colour of the bird (though we cannot see it).

[Stephenwilko]

1 hour ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Great colours, looks lovely, should bring them in.

 

How many will you carry out to the field?

12 full bodied

1 hour ago, oowee said:

Far from an expert but i remember something about pigeons not seeing colours the way that we do?

The 'UVision Decoy Paint' from Sillosocks replicates how birds see colour. Many types of bird feathers reflect UV and contribute to the natural colour of the bird (though we cannot see it).

I have some uv socks to cover old decoys and they scare pigeons away, I put one of these in my garden and 2 woodies and a collard dove landed and started feeding under the bird table I'll try to get a photo of them

[ditchman]

i know i have said this before .......when you set your deeks out ...put a full bodied crow deek ..about 20 yds away from the pattern......but before you do ..polish the crow deek up with plenty of black shoe polish ...so it glistens............

alot of folk poo-poo me onthat idea...but usually it really works

[Bigbob]

That looks the part mate i think as long as they can see the white on the collar they should work 

[Stephenwilko]

I hope to try them soon the main reason I wanted high detail decoys is I'm now shooting with Air rifle instead of shot guns as my ears are getting worst and I can't wear defenders so Air it is with better field craft 

[enfieldspares]

8 hours ago, ditchman said:

i know i have said this before .......when you set your deeks out ...put a full bodied crow deek ..about 20 yds away from the pattern

I've always thought there is great merit in this as crows being wary birds give the pigeons confidence that all is well.

What I have never done but would like to try is put white reflective paint on the white collar as, so some say, pigeons see the ultra violet of the "collar" and use that to see where fellow pigeons are on the ground feeding. Like old bri-nylon shirts at a 1970s disco. For those of us old enough to remember such things.

https://blyme.co.uk/products/moon-glow-neon-uv-intense-fabric-paint-white-2167?variant=43895253008637&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJastXaEdbisAEOr8ek3yWKN_83HOKpkJuNyFRwJvPLMt3ouH6H2EnBoCCtEQAvD_BwE

Edited April 19 by enfieldspares

[Sweet11-87]

i once painted a bunch of old shells, that were more blue than grey much to the amusement of some on this forum. they worked very well, no idea if it was the spectrum the birds see in, the contrast, just lucky or other factors but the result was good shooting.

the thread will be on here in the search function no doubt.

 

 

found it

 

Edited April 21 by Sweet11-87

[clangerman]

On 19/04/2024 at 19:43, Stephenwilko said:

I hope to try them soon the main reason I wanted high detail decoys is I'm now shooting with Air rifle instead of shot guns as my ears are getting worst and I can't wear defenders so Air it is with better field craft 

with an air rifle I would count using real birds almost essential they give far bigger success rate