Decoy gizmo of choice?? Cheep cheep!

[George1990]

Need some movement in my pattern... but as always am swamped by options. Bear in mind that I am a tighter-than-average student

 

I imagine that a flapper would be best at catching the pigeons eye, as often I am unaware of pigeons in an area until I see them fluttering down onto the ground.

 

However magnets seem to be popular (though more expensive - and much easier to build yourself) but show different pigeon behaviour.

 

 

I wonder has anyone come across a 'flapper' that works like an Air Pro decoy but the wings rotate by wind?? That may be a cheap alternative.

 

 

I'm going to the Game Fair so will take your brilliant advice into consideration when buying!

 

 

Oh and Floaters? Worth picking some up? Can't imagine those metal sticks being more than 50p each (MY ****)

[John_R]

I am certainly wanting a flapper, but more for the rooks/crows here.

 

From my own experience to date, I reckon floaters/bouncers are really good.

[Toombsy]

Hello mate.

 

I have both a flapper and a rotary, and if I had to use only one of them for the rest of my shooting days it would be the flapper.

 

It's lightweight, the battery charges quickly, you only need one bird for it to work, you can vary the height quickly and easily, it looks more natural when it's working than a rotary does, and they don't scare the birds as often as a rotary does.

 

[BSA-airgunner]

K.W.G at handcross do a flocked full body and a set of rotary wings for a tenner

[Cranfield]

If you want to add movement to your decoys as cheaply as possible, then a floater/bouncer or two is the answer.

 

Don't bother with mechanical things for your floater/bouncer or flapper, use a dead bird, they are the cheapest option and they work better than anything else.

[George1990]

Thanks for the replies

 

I'll forget about rotaries for the time being then.

 

 

What's a bouncer by the way? Similar to a floater?

 

Thanks BSA. I'll check em out

[Cranfield]

Some people call them bouncers, some call them floaters.

[mossy835]

bounchers work well, at the moment iv been out on standing barley,and just put out 2 bounchers and the pigeons have come in realey well.

[Greenhunter]

I would say there is a difference between floaters and bouncers, although, as Cranfield says, people use both names for a bird on a long springy stick. A bouncer is good for using dead birds but they will take plastic and foam birds too. Their movement is limited to, as the name suggests, bouncing up and down.

A floater gives much more movement as it can swing left and right as well as flex up and down. These only take plastic birds with foam wings but work really well as I'm sure many on here will agree.

 

 

 

GH

[Cranfield]

I would say there is a difference between floaters and bouncers, although, as Cranfield says, people use both names for a bird on a long springy stick. A bouncer is good for using dead birds but they will take plastic and foam birds too. Their movement is limited to, as the name suggests, bouncing up and down.

A floater gives much more movement as it can swing left and right as well as flex up and down. These only take plastic birds with foam wings but work really well as I'm sure many on here will agree.

 

 

 

GH

 

I am not sure your description is right.

This is what I call a floater and it takes dead birds.

 

 

 

The way you describe a floater sounds like the device where the bird faces the springy stick, rather than faces away as it does on this floater.

This is a bouncer, I believe.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3naN4rjvmE

[Greenhunter]

This could get a little pedantic here Cranfield but at least we agree there is a difference(I think)

But as I see it a bouncer bounces(yours) and a floater floats (mine) and thanks for putting the link in

 

 

 

 

GH

[George1990]

Saw some flappers at the Game Fair and was surprised how slow they flap.

 

I expected them to flap fast to simulate a pigeon landing, but they were really slow.

 

 

Picked up a rotary in the end, as it was only £50 and I went halves.

 

I shall try it soon when te pigeon come back to my permission

[davie mac]

I never tought there was a difference between a floater and a bouncer, i tought it was just the way you mounted them.

 

ya learn something new every day

[herbman]

Have just seen a pecking decoy on a well known internet auction site with a starting price of only £5, I use peckers myself and find they add just the right amount of movement with most pigeons going straight to it.

[Cosd]

An extremely cheap way of adding movement is to put your decoys on springy sticks or wobblers, cost under £10 for 10.

Any slight breeze and all your decoys wobble about, very effective.

[George1990]