Decorated ducks?
Does the paint-work on decoys really make a difference? Mine are a bit battered after a lot of use, but I have seen on social media that a lot of people paint them to keep them looking as good as new. Is it really worth all that effort?
I’m sure a lot of my decoys are worse than most because they have seen plenty of action over the
Tom says:
years. Yes, it is important to create a natural image with your decoys to draw incoming birds, but, by the time the ducks are close enough to inspect the paint-work, they will be well in range of the gun, and, if you’re aiming correctly, in the bag!
I do agree that little details can make a difference, but everything depends on how much effort you want to put into your sport. The shape and posture of the decoys you use is the most important thing because you need to catch the eye of birds on the wing from afar – especially so when shooting at low light levels. To achieve this, my decoys have different head positions to reduce the risk of them looking too regimented. In other words, my aim is to create a decoy picture that looks entirely natural with birds at rest, feeding and preening.