Hand carved decoys
 

I'm almost finished with my first decoy. Here it is. http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...29382331_n.jpg

Buffleheads are a fun bird to hunt and they like decoys specific to their species. If you want to shoot more drakes use mostly hen decoys. The drakes are very harem oriented, even in the winter. A bunch of ladies will draw the drakes a lot better than a bunch of what they consider competition.


Destry

Hmm... I didn't know that. It was going to be a teal but the blank I got had a diver profile, so I made a bufflehead. I plan on putting it off to the side of the mallards, between the mallards and the blacks. Maybe toss him in the landing zone to look like a new arrival. We don't have too many here, but I have killed one. I figure the black and white would make a nice contrast and add visibility.

You can never go wrong with white in a decoy spread. Even marsh hunting, I always put out a few ringneck decoys just for color. Same deal with them, they love shallow water but will usually only buzz a mallard rig. You get a few of their own kind off to the side though, they'll come in feet down. They aren't so worried about drake decoys though, 50/50 for them is just fine.

I remember a particular hunt when ringneck decoys made for a quick shoot. Dad and I were gunning on Mermet Lake one opening day and the lake was black with them. All the other hunters were picking up a few but just shooting them on the fly by. Dad and I had a limit down in 20 minutes, every one shot right in the blocks. I had half a dozen of my ancient Herters tenite bluebills off to one side that I'd repainted as ringnecks years ago.

It was one of the few times in my life I couldn't seem to miss with the gun. I think I killed my five ducks in 6 shots. Dad was on them that day too, I think he shot maybe 10 times. Good memories.....


DLH

Thanks for sharing that story, sounds like you had a great time! :)

Here's a set of birds I made about 30 years ago

very nice birds...i have a few old wood decoys given to me by my dad they came from wisconsin. they look like like your decoys there they are real lite dont know what kind of wood but they are lite... charlie

For wooden decoys, these are relatively light - white cedar bodies and basswood (Linden) heads

I was reading a decoy book from the 1940's and was surprised to find advice regarding shiny bright decoy paint. It was said that high contrast and brightly colored was desirable, but then, a few paragraphs later, the author proceeded to describe hanging decoys outside for a few weeks to 'dull 'em down' before the season opener.

What gives? Can both be accurate?

Oh, almost forgot....nice decoy and really like the photograph. Is that an old duck boat in the background?

If it's mine, then yes it is. It's my dad's old Starcraft. Thank you :) if it's brightly colored that's ok, but shiny=bad. Ducks have white, but they don't shine

Big D those are amazing. I wish I had the patience to do that kind of work

I entered this pair in a working decoy competition - they were the first birds out of the tank (ie the worst birds there)

How? Did they not float right? Mine's real low in the water. It's not a bad thing, I guess, since it's a diver, but I had to add more white.

They floated well. They were just ugly, in the eyes of the stupid, blind, uninformed judges.

Dallas,

If I could paint decoys that looked like that I'd actually be a decoy carver. I've had good luck shaping and making a good form but my painting is strictly hunting style meaning very basic and plain.


Destry

I agree. The paint doesn't look like that of a working decoy.

My working birds are cork-bodied, and have a lot less detail

"Working Decoys" for contests are a lot different than working decoys for the water. I don't know what the exact qualifications. But I believe they pretty much just have to be keeled and weighted as part of the judging is how they ride. I think they can be painted as detailed as the artist is able to do it.


DLH

You have a Crowell on one side and a white milk jug on the other. Both have been known to attract the birds.

Eh. If they do attract birds, I think a spread of even plastic decoys would look better than that :rotf: but what do I know? I'm not a duck

I've forgotten the rules for the contest, except that the birds had to right themselves when thrown in the tank. As a result, they had elaborate or outsized keels. Also, there could not be any raised wingtips. There may have been other restrictions, (ie no feather carving) but i don't remember

That's weird. They look good to me, at least :) shoot anything over them?

Not this pair. They have never been in the marsh. They reside on top of a bookcase in our cabin. The cork birds - yes. Am now working on another set of cork birds which will be made with a denser grade of cork

I have several dozen L. L. Bean corks. They're nice.

I have not hunted ducks since my retriever passed away in the very early nineties, been back to upland dogs and grouse/woodcock ever since. But the 12 bore D has me thinking about waterfowl again. All the decoys and stuff went to my son, But I still have the patterns (I did a few for decorations) and was thinking the patterns should work on cork. I found a couple of supplier online, so - there is another project for the list.

I might start making corks