Ducks At A Distance

Tag Archives: Duck Decoys

Using Wild Duck Decoys

Every respectable wild duck hunter should have the best duck decoys available on the market. The reason for this is because the chance of catching more ducks using these decoys greatly improves if they are used properly. The main purpose of these decoys is to make a more natural looking environment which will trick the ducks to glide overhead, thinking that it is a very safe place to land, which obviously it isn’t.

 

In the early days of wild duck hunting, tamed ducks were used in order to attract other wild ducks towards an area with water. The pond was manufactured using a wickerwork tunnel that was very long and cone-shaped. Barriers were wisely built to hide a so-called “decoy man” from the birds which were near the pond side of the tunnel, while he was life revealed to the birds that were in the near vicinity of the trap end of the tunnel. The decoy man employed the use of a highly trained dog as well as grain in order to attract the birds towards the tunnel. The second they have entered the tunnel, the birds slowly went away from the decoy man towards the dog. Afterwards, the birds are driven into a small-sized trap set up at the end of the tunnel where they were killed.

 

In the present, wild duck decoys are really toy decoys that are custom made at home or bought from the local hunting store. There are many widely known wild decoy manufactures: Taylor Decoys, Columbia River, E. Allen and others as well. Of course, hunters have the likelihood to buy these decoys not only from local shops but also from the Internet; some of the websites have very excellent prices, even better than the ones in the local shop.

 

In order to give your decoy apply a more natural look, it is highly advisable to use a wide variety of wild duck decoys, such as: Mallards, Canada geese, Drakes, Gadball, Ringnecks and Pintails. Placement of the decoys is critical that is why veteran hunters recommend introduction them so that you make a natural and alluring environment so that the wild ducks won’t find anything suspicious. Decoys should be placed facing different directions ( to improve authenticity ) so that it won’t matter from where the ducks will come, you will have fantastic chances nevertheless.

 

Choosing the most optimal wild duck hunting decoys shouldn’t be a very hard thing to do, you just have to take few things into consideration: motion- the best decoys are those that use bobbing heads and flapping wings as these look more realistic and will attract more ducks; control- decoys should simply be turned on and then left alone to do their job; another wise choice would be purchasing duck decoys that are controlled using a wireless diffident control; power- power is one of the most vital aspects you have to take into consideration before purchasing a duck decoy that is why hunters should always check to see how long will the battery last because a decoy with a low-life battery won’t be efficient because you would have to change the batteries very often which will scare the ducks away.

 


All things considered, with a small bit of research and plotting every hunter will have improved chances of catching more of these birds with the use of duck decoys that are placed optimal so that they can make a natural look that will fool these birds.

 

Razvan Marian Jr. is the administrator of www.wildduckhuntinginfo.com where aficionado hunters can find general information about duck hunting as well as valuable and useful duck hunting tips .

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What do I use for wings on an electronic duck decoy?

I am making some homemade electronic flapper duck decoys (like ROBODUCK). I have everything I need except I’m not sure of the material that they use for wings. Any thoughts on what kind of material to use to make the wings?
Yeah, that plastic cardboard material is exactly what I had in mind, but where would you find something like that?

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Duck Dinner – Entertain Your Guests With A Duck Hunting Poem And An Enticing Recipe!

Duck hunting has been well loved for centuries and is considered a very exciting and rewarding hunt. The avid hunter will spend weeks preparing for the upcoming season. Between training bird dogs, checking gear, purchasing new equipment, and practicing the duck call, duck hunting becomes a passion, not just a seasonal leisure activity. The duck hunter who enjoys duck season spends his time and money on the basics; a shotgun, camouflage clothing, and perhaps a duck call, but the hunter who devotes his life to the sport spends his off-season in preparation for his next chance at the hunt. The avid duck hunter will invest in a duck boat, decoys, dogs, and blinds, and even when he’s not actively preparing for next season, he’s thinking about it. Wonderful tales exist of regal kings and their courts sitting around a lavish dinner of duck and goose. The king’s fool stands and says a few words about the buffet and the group then digs in to buffet. Duck hunting is a long tradition loved throughout history and throughout the world.

For the passionate duck hunter waiting to engage in his sport, he finds many ways to occupy his time. There are dozens of items available, such as books, games, collectibles, decorative items, decoys, recipes, and even creative prose all devoted to his favorite fowl. For the hunter looking to entertain his guests with a dinner of duck and a poem as in the tradition of kings and courts long past, there are many different options:

• A duck hunting poem about the like of the hunt.
• A humorous poem about the rigors of hunting.
• A poem about the beauty of ducks.

Along with the poem, a hunter must find his favorite recipe for wild duck. While there are many available, here is one option:

Tame Rice and Wild Duck

• 1 wild duck, cleaned and ready to cook
• 2 cups minute rice
• 2 cups duck stock
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper (optional)

Instructions:

Place the wild duck in a 4-quart pot and cover with water. Add the onion, salt, pepper and any other preferred seasonings, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and slow cook for 1½ hours. Remove the duck and place it on a warm platter.
Bring two cups of reserved stock to a boil; water may be added if necessary to round out the measurement. Add the minute rice to boiling stock, cover, and let stand twenty minutes. Place the fluffed rice around the duck and garnish with parsley.
Makes three to four servings.

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Using Duck Decoys

Duck hunting is not complete without the use of duck decoys. The purpose of them is to make a more natural looking hunting environment. In turn, this tricks any ducks flying overhead into thinking it is a safe place to land.

Earlier, tamed ducks were used to attract wild ducks towards a patch of water. The pond was constructed with a wickerwork tunnel that was long and cone shaped. Barriers were cleverly built to hide a “decoy man” from the birds which were in vicinity to the pond side of the tunnel, while he was life revealed to the birds that were closer to the trap end of the tunnel. The decoy man employed the use of a trained dog as well as grain to attract the birds towards the tunnel. Once they entered the tunnel, the birds went away from the decoy man towards the dog. Then the birds are driven into a small trap set up at the end of the tunnel where they were ultimately killed.

Nowadays, duck decoys are toys of ducks, custom made at home or bought at hunting stores. Different marks as Taylor Decoys, Columbia River, and E. Allen etc sell different duck decoys. Many website also offer the sale of a variety of duck decoys for reasonable rates.

It is always best to know what flight of birds are expected to choose on the type of duck decoys to use. But it is not advisable to use ducks of only one type. A variety of duck breeds like Mallards, Canada geese, Pintails, Drakes, Ringnecks, Gadball give the decoy apply a more natural look. Confidence decoys like those consisting of crane decoys, swan decoys, heron decoys or curlew decoys can also be used. These add variety to the apply and also build confidence. The decoys should also be apply to make it a very natural and alluring environment.  The location of the apply is also vital. Though some may be placed near the blinds, other should be placed in the open. The open should be  a large area that is visible from a flying duck’s point of view. There is no use of a excellent apply if it is not visible to the flight.
Also, water bodies with high waves do not attract the birds and hence cool waters are to be preferred while attracting ducks.

It is always better to have a excellent decoy apply facing different directions to add authenticity to the set up. This is because all duck decoys facing the same direction gives the appearance of birds that are alert and on the look – out for danger. The additional benefit of having decoys facing different directions is that, for birds flying above in any direction, the visibility of different patterns of colours below. Hence birds above get a pattern to colours of different regions of the birds and assume a natural flight below.

Thus having a fantastic decoy is just not enough to add more ducks to the hit-list. The handling and maintenance of duck decoys is also vital to make a ‘boom’ing success.

Stay our website to shop for duck decoys, and antique duck decoys.

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Duck Decoys

Duck decoys have been used by hunters for years to aid them in their hunting expeditions.  Today, they are even more well loved with collectors.  The purpose of duck decoys is to lure other animals into the range of the scope so that the hunter can shoot the ducks.  In North America, the decoys have been used for over two thousand years or more.  The Smithsonian Museum in the US houses the oldest duck decoys that have been found in the United States, Canada, and other areas in North America.  

The Native Americans made the decoys by hand with wood that they carved into, or they would use straw to make the duck shape.  Many of the decoys that have been found are more elaborate than others, with more colors or details.  The more elaborate the decoy’s are, the privileged the value will be for collectors and even hunters.  Before making a buy, examine the decoy properly.  The earlier duck decoys from the 1880s through the 1940s had a larger amount of point.  The eyes were also made of glass and the bodies were weighted for the perfect amount of buoyancy.  

To find duck decoys, the best place to seek is in online auction shops on the Internet.  Make sure that you double check the seller’s certificate before you commit to the buy.  This is due to the fact that if you are paying for an antique decoy, it could really be a reproduction.  Thrift shops and flea markets are also valuable places for duck decoys.  These locations are usually the best spots for the nicest duck decoys.  Many of the items that you find are from estate sells that the recent owner had no control over.  This is a wonderful spot to find valuable decoys.  

Even though the materials used for manufacturing duck decoys have changed, the thought of the body style has not changed at all.  The modern decoys are just as effective as the antique versions.  When hunting in large water areas, the thought is that the more decoys used the better your chances are.  It is also recommended that you stray away from using the same decoy each time that you go hunting.  

When you are hunting in wetland areas, to ensure that the birds coming your way glide past your decoy, then you should set up your duck upwind from your location.  If you do not try this, then the geese and ducks will more than likely rest on the outer edges and this will limit your opportunities for shooting.  To ensure that the ducks you are hunting will not catch on to your trick, try to group your decoys according to their species.  This is due to the fact that birds typically tend to stay within their own groups when they are resting.  

As you have read, duck decoys are essential for geese or duck hunters, and are well sought after by collectors.  Whether you are collecting them or simply using them for hunting purposes, try to buy a wide variety of styles and colors.  As they say, you do not want to have all of your ducks in one row.

Stay our website to shop for duck decoys and antique duck decoys.

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Duck Decoy Information

The word Decoy is said to be a derivative of a Dutch word – “ende-kooy,” which means ‘the Duck Cage’.   A few also suggest the transition of the word ‘Duck-Coy’ which as years passed came to be pronounced as Decoy. Coy- represents the word cage or net into which birds were spellbound.

Hence it seems pretty sure that duck decoys were used from the earliest of days. A decoy is a way of tricking ducks into ‘thinking’ that the area is safe and hence landing is a good thought. This ensures a good flight settling at the area or water body and a fantastic duck hunt.

Duck decoys come in all realistic colours, shapes and sizes.  Duck decoys always have to focus on the bird types and the respective colours and fine detailing of the external appearance of the bird etc. These decoys can be made at home or bought at stores that provide a variety of decoys. Duck decoys can have functional differences like just a floating decoy to battery powered or radio-controlled movables.  And to make it more realistic there are ones that can change head positions or bodily movements like floating, feeding on land and water, standing or sentry positions etc. These give the decoys a more realistic look and give the user a competitive edge over other hunters.

There are ones which are radio enabled allowing the hunter to get up-close audio on the birds and sometimes even sneak in on other hunter conversations. Video enabled ones also allow the privilege of watching these birds up close. The video camera attached to the decoy is placed among the birds. The decoy can go by diffident control and the videos can be simultaneously recorded. The video is transmitted to a small portable TV. This transmission can take place within a range of few miles allowing the hunter to get close with the birds without being in the marshland themselves.

A few books and websites also suggest the hunter in making their won decoys. The step-by-step instructions to carve a duck decoys are also given.  These websites also suggest the paints to be used and advice on maintenance of worn down duck decoys. Stray hit repairs and re – painting jobs are all clarified.

Types of Foam as urethane foams, burlapped foams, cork or polystyrene are used for the body construction. Wood, foam or plastic can be used for heads. Life good at observing ducks, carving and painting gives the hunter a better edge at making ducks. Alternatively, close up picture shots of the ducks in different angles also helps to examine the morphology of these birds before carving. These pictures can be obtained from any scenery shooting book, ornithologist or website. Getting creative at making the decoys is an option left to the maker. But being as realistic as possible is necessary as a decoy should blend well with surrounding environment. Making a Decoy will surely help to better appreciate the beauty of duck and also be a fantastic pass time during those off – season times.

Stay our website to shop for duck decoys, and antique duck decoys.

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