# Let's talk duck decoys



## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Okay so I have some G&H mallard decoys I bought 22 years ago, actually the first decoys I ever purchased and still have all 12 of them. I have used these on almost every hunt and the paint is still awesome. I throw them in the decoy bag just like I do the rest of them, and they are still some of my best decoys. I have much newer decoys by different makers and the paint schemes look fantastic until a couple of times of use and then the paint flakes or just scratches off. Considering what decoys cost these days you would think companies could use better paint. The paint jobs look fantastic, they just don't stay looking that way for long. I guess that's why companies came out with the slot bags, because they know we will buy them to protect our investment. I have had good luck with some of the more inexpensive decoys such as GHG Hot Buys, the paint seems to stick pretty good on those bad boys. I do have to wonder if the ducks really care what our decoys look like, or if it's just us hunters that think we have to have the fanciest blocks on the pond. I know I have too many decoys, and every year I say "I aint buying anymore" but the decoy addiction kicks in and I end up with a couple dozen more. Anyone else have this problem?


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## wileywapati (Sep 9, 2007)

No problem now that I know that you have the decoy addiction!!! :lol: 

You knew what drew the birds in last year, buy more of them!!! :lol:


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

The first step is admiting that you have a problem. . . . .


I don't have a problem.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Jeff Bringhurst said:


> The first step is admiting that you have a problem. . . . .
> 
> I don't have a problem.


 :lol: Your problem is you don't have the storage room for more. 

This is the first year I have not bought any new ones, but the year isn't over yet! :lol: Isn't the Waterfowl Weekend going on this Saturday at Sportsman's? Wonder what kind of decoy special they are going to have? :mrgreen:


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## huntingbuddy (Sep 10, 2007)

I don't have a problem either I can stop anytime I want.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Jeff Bringhurst said:


> The first step is admiting that you have a problem. . . . .
> 
> I don't have a problem.


BS LOL

The companys would rather make the decoys tuff and put cheap paint on there.I need to start buying more decoys again. went from having 200+ duck decoys down to just over a 100. I guess it time to start picking more back up.Just can't let my wife know.LOL


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## CANTSHOOT (Oct 17, 2008)

I have a problem, the problem is getting the two dozen decoys still in the box ready by next weekend. Oh wait, i am going to cabelas this weekend so that just might change.


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## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

Those G&H decoys are legit. I'm still hunting over a dozen pintails that my dad bought when he was 21, he's now 52 or something? Little tire shine each year to shine them up and clean them off and they are legit.

On a slightly humorous note, I ordered a bunch of decoys from Cabelas and decoy bags. The decoys made it, but the bags didn't. My wife is due with our first kid in January so we have the nursery room all set up, so I thought it'd be perfectly fine to stash the decoys in there until my decoy bags arrived. Got home last night from work and they were all out on the back lawn, the wife said they had to be outta sight by Saturday or she's selling them on KSL. So, if anyone sees a high number of duck decoys for a very low price from cache valley, help a guy out!!! 

My newest learned rule... The nursery does not double as a storage room for the decoys. Dang.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

I bought 4 dozen G&H pintails and 1 dozen mallard decoys about 15 years ago. I still have them and they're pretty much all I use. The paint is fine, no worries, they work like new. I have a few G&H canvasback, too, but just a few. I bought some cheap Averys a while ago, cut off the bottoms to use on the ice. They didn't seem to add much, so I don't bother with them anymore. I don't think I've bought a duck decoy in the last ten years.

It's interesting, our fascination with decoys. Coykendall, in his book,_"Duck Decoys"_, copyright 1955, 1983, talks about how many decoys would be considered an average amount for a spread, and recommends 1 dozen decoys for any given puddler species, and about 5 dozen for divers. I think of it in terms of habitat type. GWT, pintails, etc, generally like open water, so I use a larger spread. There are many hunts where 3 dekes are plenty.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

I dont have,any dekes,left....so mine wont need to be repainted!! :lol: I am seriously considering buying a couple different random half dozens to use,on,some hike in hunts this year but who knows. I,always had fun mixing paint colors to get them just right for the season.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Riley where have you been hiding at??? Ain't seen you on here in a while. How have you been?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

dkhntrdstn said:


> The companys would rather make the decoys tuff and put cheap paint on there.I need to start buying more decoys again. went from having 200+ duck decoys down to just over a 100. I guess it time to start picking more back up.Just can't let my wife know.LOL


My wife buys tons of holiday decorations, that's how I justify it! :mrgreen: 
I gave a bunch of decoys away last season and sold a few too. I'm around 150 ducks again, but when you go with 4 other guys with boats and they bring all their dekes it looks like a new "rest area" has been posted. :shock: Especially when Jeff shows up! :lol:


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> dkhntrdstn said:
> 
> 
> > The companys would rather make the decoys tuff and put cheap paint on there.I need to start buying more decoys again. went from having 200+ duck decoys down to just over a 100. I guess it time to start picking more back up.Just can't let my wife know.LOL
> ...


 :lol:


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

Mojo1 said:


> Riley where have you been hiding at??? Ain't seen you on here in a while. How have you been?


Hey Jimmy... just been kinda keeping my head down man. Fishing a lot more than anything else. Things are good... thanks for asking. Hope you and Mojo are all sorts of fired up for the season already and that things are well for you. Didn't expect to do much waterfowling this year but I can't deny I'm starting to get the itch. When a couple hundred geese drop into the cut corn a block away from my house, its hard not to start thinking with my shotgun.  I may hunt grouse a lot more this fall, and I still am taking my bow for a walk now and again in hopes of crossing paths with a cow elk but I'm sure I'll get some marsh mud on me this year too.


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> dkhntrdstn said:
> 
> 
> > The companys would rather make the decoys tuff and put cheap paint on there.I need to start buying more decoys again. went from having 200+ duck decoys down to just over a 100. I guess it time to start picking more back up.Just can't let my wife know.LOL
> ...


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Riverrat77 said:


> Mojo1 said:
> 
> 
> > Riley where have you been hiding at??? Ain't seen you on here in a while. How have you been?
> ...


I spent the spring and summer shooting sporting clays all over, haven't done more than that but work. I haven't been as fired up to go as in years past but old Mojo is always ready to work, this should be the breakthru year for my young dog. But if season is in, we are gonna go, that's what we do! :lol: 
Good luck on the elk!


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I haven't been as excited to get out this year either. Waterfowl is my #1 hunt, but this year just seems different. Maybe when the weather changes a bit and we get out of summer mode then the itch will kick in. This week will be very busy, my daughter and I have muzzleloader deer tags and will be hitting it hard. I work late Friday night, so probably won't get any sleep before heading to set up the goose spread Saturday morning.


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