Author Topic: New to duck hunting ..What decoy's should I purchase? (Read 21744 times)

ttown · « **on:** July 23, 2012, 02:41:34 PM »

I am going to start this year and we are getting close. My pup is ready.. not sure if I am ready. I was wondering what type of decoy's I should purchase? How many, type etc do you recommend? Is it worth getting them used or?

Prime Time · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2012, 02:51:07 PM »

My decoy of choice has always been Greenhead Gear. How many and species mostly depends on what species you'll be after and how big of water you'll be hunting.

ttown · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2012, 03:04:17 PM »

We are just planning a few trips to potholes..

snowshoes22 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2012, 03:06:36 PM »

I have no complaints with any of my Avery Greenhead gear dekes. The pro grade are awesome. What are you hunting for? Dabblers or divers? I can give you a hundred different answers to the amount. It all depends on where you hunt and the time of year. Start out with what you can afford. 1 or 2 dozen mallards would get you started maybe with a half dozen teal or wigeon mixed in. If you are hunting divers goldeneyes, bluebills and buffle heads with bring them in like magnets.

Glockster · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2012, 04:00:48 PM »

The area you're hunting will determine how many and what type to get. You say you're hunting Potholes....are you planning on hiking in to the small waters or taking a boat and slugging it out with the masses??

Also, as the season progresses, your decoy sets should change. For example in the beginning of the season, there are teal, widgeon, Pintails, mallards etc etc. Later in the season it's mostly mallards with some teal and gadwals.

I would recommend getting 6 teal decoys for the opener and finding some out of the way waters that you can hike in to. Set up a jerk cord where you can make the deeks move. Don't call. Spend alot of time making a great blind to hide you and your dog. Wear face paint or a face mask. You will kill ducks.

ttown · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2012, 04:23:33 PM »

So something like this..? Also does anyone have experience with the people at Duck Taxi over there? I guess they set everything up and drop you off?

johnnyaustin44 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2012, 04:36:21 PM »

Those are blue wings. you want green wings.

Glockster · « **Reply #7 on:** July 23, 2012, 04:42:49 PM »

You want the greenwings and you want to put out mostly hens (because most of them are not colored up by opening day). Basically you want to emulate what the real ducks show you. The ducks will show you how and where to hunt.

You should go with the Duck Taxi fully guided or any other public land guide, just spring for the $'s and go fully guided. ~You'll cut about 5yrs off your learning curve in one day.

Joining Washington Waterfowl Association is also a great way to network and learn some tricks. Good luck, welcome to the addiction known as duck hunting and I hope you have a great season!

duckkillerclyde · « **Reply #8 on:** July 23, 2012, 05:04:51 PM »

G&H are a few dollars more, just as effective and the keels don't break on them.

Most importantly, they are MADE IN THE USA.

Sneaky · « **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2012, 05:39:44 PM »

G&H makes an effective decoy that would be good for the beginning duck hunter. Have shot many ducks over m4sw decoys!

As far as how many you need, I have found that the higher quality decoy, the less you actually need to kill ducks. For example, I would normally run 1-2doz m4sw decoys whereas last season I ran 10 higher quality flocked decoys and had good success the entire season. Its nice to have less to pack with you. Also, as mentioned above, set up a jerk cord to put some motion in your decoys and focus on hiding really, really well.

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2012, 01:44:56 PM »

G&H makes a great decoy as mentioned. Still made in USA. Get two dozen and go from there. No need just to use hens as the birds will still come in, if present. Add movement to the spread and look at getting a wigeon whistle and learn how to use it.

Special T · « **Reply #11 on:** July 25, 2012, 10:08:08 AM »

I think that GHG hot buys with some flat Krylon flat clear spryed over the top is hard to beat for the best bang for the buck.

Especially starting out. You can always add more to that base to adapt to where you hunt by adding more teal widgen, scaup, Pintail Etc depending on what is common to where you hunt... I think there are better decoys out there, but decoys do not do it all for you...
LOCATION, conecealment and presentation are the 3 things necessary to kill birds and it is heavily weighted on Location... Being where the birds want to be...

Curly · « **Reply #12 on:** July 25, 2012, 10:53:31 AM »

These are pricey (too much $ for me) but they do seem nice: Link

Glockster · « **Reply #13 on:** July 25, 2012, 02:36:46 PM »

Listen to Special T....the guy's giving you golden advice.

When you're on the "X" and are well hidden, you will kill birds. Scouting.

Good luck!

brocka · « **Reply #14 on:** July 25, 2012, 03:15:55 PM »

I think the GHG Hotbuys are perfect for starting out as well. Also I couldn't agree more on doing a guided hunt for your first duck hunt. Especially on the potholes. The guys at Mardon have alot of knowledge. You wont be disappointed!

Dhoey07 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 25, 2012, 03:40:42 PM »

Find some older decoys on craigslist. I'd start with 12-18 mallards. Mallard decoys will bring in all dabblers. Make sure that you really like duck hunting with decoys before you go all in

Special T · « **Reply #16 on:** July 25, 2012, 03:44:45 PM »

I have found that in most cases GHG Hot buys aren't much more than most CL decoys and are much better looking... I have talked to a couple of avid hunters that only repaint old decoys to hens because its quick and cheep... I don't think you save that much on repainting old decoys unless you already own them. The time you save on painting could be spent on scouting.

Glockster · « **Reply #17 on:** July 26, 2012, 12:54:34 PM »

A great cheap trick is to buy some used mallard decoys and paint them all black. They show up a long way away and birds decoy just as good to them.

Or buy a bunch of coot decoys and throw 4 or 6 widgeon decoys amongst them...that trick works especially well on the upper columbia river.

If you put out the standard 2 dozen mallard decoys in the split group pattern that everyone else does, you're not going to kill very many ducks after November 1.

Upton O. Good · « **Reply #18 on:** July 27, 2012, 06:13:27 AM »

Greenhead Gear decoys are good, you can buy in at whatever level you want with Hot Buys being the least expensive. If you are going to hunt the potholes I think you should go with a guided outfit the first time so you can get an idea of what is involved. I've had mixed experiences with the Duck Taxi at MarDon.

There will be some waterfowl shows at various sporting goods stores in the next month, try to get to several of them and ask a bunch of questions from the promotional staff that will be at the shows. You may also find some special deals on decoys at those shows.

And please, don't wait until you are hunting to practice your calling, let the decoys do the work.

Welcome to a great sport.

doublenasty · « **Reply #19 on:** July 31, 2012, 10:36:34 AM »

I have 4 dozen for sale if your interested

bone collector 12 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 31, 2012, 01:51:23 PM »

Hot buys work great for the potholes even better for hiking in we have 4 dozen and have been using them for 4 years and they are still in great shape

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #21 on:** August 05, 2012, 09:54:14 PM »

I am picking up my uncles trailer full of decoys to sell in two weeks. It is full 24'. He has cork decoys as well. I will throw them when I have a chance.

wraithen · « **Reply #22 on:** August 06, 2012, 03:16:10 AM »

Double, send me a pm if you're still looking to sell. Got a buddy that is going to show me the ropes. I already sound like a pissed off mallard but I don't wanna jump in with both feet so to speak until I know I like it.

Cougar125 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 09, 2012, 03:28:42 AM »

GHG Hotbuys are relatively inexpensive and you can later repaint them into other species if needbe. Other than that I like my GHG Pro Grades. Species will really depend on what you're after. Teal decoy pretty easily into anything...so do spoonies. Sprig can be picky. Wigeon can be too, but if you throw out some coot decoys, the wigeon will come in easier.

BiggLuke · « **Reply #24 on:** August 17, 2012, 01:14:10 PM »

Get the cheapest ones you can buy. and get mallard decoys.
Almost all puddle ducks will decoy to mallard decoys (i.e. widgeon, teal, pintails).
Plus the mallard decoys are a bit bigger and can be seen from farther off.

I own a bunch of decoys... and the GreenHeadGear are by far the cheapest, and some of the best looking.

Inflatable decoys aren't a bad option either, they're cheap and light weight.
And they are nice if you don't have a boat... since you'd have to walk into your spot.

Both are a great place to start.

But by far...... The only thing you need to consider is.....

GO WITH THE CHEAPEST YOU CAN GET.

Atleast for your first couple years.
And you probly will do just fine with only about a dozen.

Glockster · « **Reply #25 on:** August 17, 2012, 03:01:51 PM »

It's good advice, but think the problem is everyone uses 2 doz mallard decoys in a split pattern just like they see diagrammed in the magazines. Try a bunch of coot decoys and 6 wigeons, a gadwall or two and connect a couple of them to a jerk string, don't call and kill a bunch of mallards in the Potholes. Ooops i did it again. LOL

It's fun to get geeky about decoys and try to set the different species and look different than all the other spreads out there.

quackattack90 · « **Reply #26 on:** August 17, 2012, 06:46:02 PM »

I agree that hot buy GHG deeks are decent cheaper decoys for the begginer waterfowler. However, if this duck hunting is something you plan on persuing I would very much recomend forgetting about GHG. They may look good, but they aren't all that they are cracked up to be. The paint on all GHG decoys are terrible, it will start coming off in large flakes after one season if they last that long. GHG deeks are also heavier than most decoys so if you plan on packing them out on your back keep this in mind.

Another decoy that I have been surprised with is hardcore's mallard decoys. They are lightweight but the paint is awesome.

I personally would recommend G&H deeks. They are by far the most durable decoys on the market. They run $119 a dzn. and will last you for ever. My hunting partner has hunted over his for the past 15 yrs and never had to touch them up until this year, and has killed hundreds and hundreds of ducks over them from here to Minnesota.

For species I would start out with a dozen mallards and a dozen pins. I started using a minimum of 1 dzn pins in my spread a couple years ago and my bird numbers have doubled. Having the bright white pins definately helps.

This is from personal decoy experience and info from other hunters I know. Hope it helps. Good luck!!

D-on7 · « **Reply #27 on:** August 22, 2012, 09:30:31 PM »

GHG are very good looking, great for early season and maybe at the start of the migration, but after the locals get wise and migrates are around there area for a little while and almost become locals I turn to Full curl decoys the have flocked heads and tails this will help full the wisest mallrads around, IT really helps on public land when your trying to set your spread apart from other hunting groups. Also you cant put out less decoys, just my opinion.

BiggLuke · « **Reply #28 on:** August 23, 2012, 09:47:10 AM »

Geez guys....
You forget what this guys question was.
Quit giving him way too much info....
He just needs to know the basics, so he can START beginning to become an experienced decoyer.
He needs to start at the beginning.
He don't need tips about flocked heads and repainting till AFTER he's gone out a few times.
LOL.... don't ovewhelm the poor guy.

Black Plague · « **Reply #29 on:** August 24, 2012, 11:43:47 AM »

most everyones comments are pretty accurate... I am a college student (which doesn't pay well) so getting a good deal is important to me, therefore the hotbuys or used dekes are what I currently use. (also I borrow my dads 8 dozen selection whenever appropriate cuz they are better than mine

) here is a quick craigslist search of used dekes. ....probably not answering the question well but...I need a break and this is fun to do sooo... here you go

... good luck and most important get out there and have a good time.

Spokane.craigslist.org/spo/3201759468.html ok so these are in rathdrum Id ...but....
http://spokane.craigslist.org/spo/3150893759.html spokane
http://spokane.craigslist.org/spo/3103112854.html " "
http://lewiston.craigslist.org/spo/3118558819.html Lewiston Id
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/spo/3224137366.html Edmonds
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/spo/3221358681.html goose shells tacoma ish
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/spo/3215046548.html marysville
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/spo/3220263517.html redmond
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/spo/3218645866.html for the coot lovers... Puyallup
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/spo/3160742496.html kirkland
http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/spo/3213563952.html ... interesting
http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-AVE7000S GHG Hot Buy Standard Mallards...54 per dozen ...finding

anyway...this was fun....its often a little difficult to determine if buying used is really any better than buying new gear, especially when sellers have nostalgia about their precious gear..... good luck !!!

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Author Topic: New to duck hunting ..What decoy's should I purchase? (Read 21744 times)

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