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October 9, 2003
Charlie Farmer, Springfield News-Leader
Decoys can be a hunter's best friend
It's a good thing that wild ducks and geese are gregarious. And it's an equally good deal that their sense of smell falls drastically short of a sharp-nosed mammal such as the wary whitetail deer.
Ducks and geese can probably match deer and turkeys when it comes to sharp eyesight. Waterfowlers know this fact. Sitting in a camouflaged blind, for instance, the bare-faced hunter who looks up at a flock of mallards approaching the decoys generally regrets that his shiny complexion caused the flock to bolt.
The glint of a Thermos bottle also has given waterfowl a second chance to bolt. A shiny gun barrel or highly polished gun stock is one of a duck's best defenses against ambush.
The equalizer for duck and goose hunters are generous spreads of decoys. This usually works. Hunters see a flock approaching. They reach for their duck calls and sound the hail greeting that gets the bird's attention. For ducks on big water, 50 or 60 decoys spread in a relaxed and natural setting usually hook the birds in for a close look.
There are times when ducks cut right into the decoys and land. Other times, coaxing them with softer "come-in" calls as they circle around the decoys finally puts them at ease for landing.
Without decoys, it would be rare to see flocks land. A dozen decoys can pull in a flock of 30 birds at times. But most hunters, including this one, wants a bigger spread. Ducks like plenty of company. They can be call-shy at times under heavy hunting pressure. But as long as they have an open place to land within the decoy set, they seem comfortably content dropping in on their duck neighbors.
Working decoys often get muddy. Some need periodic painting due to rough treatment and cramped in the belly of a nylon mesh decoy bag. Shotgun pellets penetrate the plastic or rubber bodies of the decoys. Shooting a decoy is accidental. Most fake ducks that have taken a pellet or two can be patched. Others are relegated to garage or basement ornaments. No waterfowler that I know would throw away a shot-riddled decoy. There is too much sentiment attached.
The working decoy, whether duck or goose model, is a far cry for the shiny coffee table art works that get wet, muddy or pull in live birds. I do know that some decoy carvers use their creations for hunting. Mike Kent, a friend of mine, now deceased, was one of them. We hunted together at Stockton Lake one fall. His 12 wooden masterpieces, all different duck species, pulled in mallards that day as though they were tethered on a string.
Working decoys have been around a long time. Wood and cork decoys were trademarks of market hunters in the early 1900's. Rubber and plastic decoys came on the scene during the 1950's. Some of those decoys were Inflatable.
One of the better decoys is made from G&H Decoy Manufacturing Company, located in Henryetta, Okla. The company prides itself in the life-like duck and goose decoys that stand the test of time.
Other companies making both plastic and styrofoam are Flambeau, Outland Sports. Carry-Lite Decoys and Herter's. The first company to sell the the electric decoys was called, "The Real Decoy." Other decoys called "Shakers" that are powered with two AA batteries. The decoys quiver and make their own waves. When there is no wind, the decoy movement can pull ducks into the decoy spread.
The shaker decoy was big news for awhile, but it was overshadowed by an invention called Robo Duck and Robo Goose. Those decoys presented the appearance of a bird flapping its wings while stretching or preparing to land. They were built with a motor and rechargeable 6-volt battery included.
Herter's motion Decoy with spinning wings and paddle wheels can create life-like splashing.
Some state conservation departments considered banning the Robo and Widow Maker because of the their effectiveness.
Contact free-lance columnist Charlie Farmer at 1197 East Court, Ozark, MO 65721 or cjoutdoors318365@aol.com
Charlie Farmer, Springfield News-Leader
Decoys can be a hunter's best friend
It's a good thing that wild ducks and geese are gregarious. And it's an equally good deal that their sense of smell falls drastically short of a sharp-nosed mammal such as the wary whitetail deer.
Ducks and geese can probably match deer and turkeys when it comes to sharp eyesight. Waterfowlers know this fact. Sitting in a camouflaged blind, for instance, the bare-faced hunter who looks up at a flock of mallards approaching the decoys generally regrets that his shiny complexion caused the flock to bolt.
The glint of a Thermos bottle also has given waterfowl a second chance to bolt. A shiny gun barrel or highly polished gun stock is one of a duck's best defenses against ambush.
The equalizer for duck and goose hunters are generous spreads of decoys. This usually works. Hunters see a flock approaching. They reach for their duck calls and sound the hail greeting that gets the bird's attention. For ducks on big water, 50 or 60 decoys spread in a relaxed and natural setting usually hook the birds in for a close look.
There are times when ducks cut right into the decoys and land. Other times, coaxing them with softer "come-in" calls as they circle around the decoys finally puts them at ease for landing.
Without decoys, it would be rare to see flocks land. A dozen decoys can pull in a flock of 30 birds at times. But most hunters, including this one, wants a bigger spread. Ducks like plenty of company. They can be call-shy at times under heavy hunting pressure. But as long as they have an open place to land within the decoy set, they seem comfortably content dropping in on their duck neighbors.
Working decoys often get muddy. Some need periodic painting due to rough treatment and cramped in the belly of a nylon mesh decoy bag. Shotgun pellets penetrate the plastic or rubber bodies of the decoys. Shooting a decoy is accidental. Most fake ducks that have taken a pellet or two can be patched. Others are relegated to garage or basement ornaments. No waterfowler that I know would throw away a shot-riddled decoy. There is too much sentiment attached.
The working decoy, whether duck or goose model, is a far cry for the shiny coffee table art works that get wet, muddy or pull in live birds. I do know that some decoy carvers use their creations for hunting. Mike Kent, a friend of mine, now deceased, was one of them. We hunted together at Stockton Lake one fall. His 12 wooden masterpieces, all different duck species, pulled in mallards that day as though they were tethered on a string.
Working decoys have been around a long time. Wood and cork decoys were trademarks of market hunters in the early 1900's. Rubber and plastic decoys came on the scene during the 1950's. Some of those decoys were Inflatable.
One of the better decoys is made from G&H Decoy Manufacturing Company, located in Henryetta, Okla. The company prides itself in the life-like duck and goose decoys that stand the test of time.
Other companies making both plastic and styrofoam are Flambeau, Outland Sports. Carry-Lite Decoys and Herter's. The first company to sell the the electric decoys was called, "The Real Decoy." Other decoys called "Shakers" that are powered with two AA batteries. The decoys quiver and make their own waves. When there is no wind, the decoy movement can pull ducks into the decoy spread.
The shaker decoy was big news for awhile, but it was overshadowed by an invention called Robo Duck and Robo Goose. Those decoys presented the appearance of a bird flapping its wings while stretching or preparing to land. They were built with a motor and rechargeable 6-volt battery included.
Herter's motion Decoy with spinning wings and paddle wheels can create life-like splashing.
Some state conservation departments considered banning the Robo and Widow Maker because of the their effectiveness.
Contact free-lance columnist Charlie Farmer at 1197 East Court, Ozark, MO 65721 or cjoutdoors318365@aol.com
