Toughest Duck Floaters

Duckslayer100 · Aug 4, 2016

I'm seriously thinking about unloading a few dozen of my floaters to invest in just 12 super high quality, high realism decoys for my little solo death marches when time and resources are limited.

My knee-jerk reaction would be to buy some Dakotas, however are there other one's comparable that are worth looking at?

Please don't try to sell me on GHG...I have enough all-black mallard decoys now to know they're about as scuff proof as tissue paper.

Jigaman · Aug 4, 2016

Duckslayer100 said:
I'm seriously thinking about unloading a few dozen of my floaters to invest in just 12 super high quality, high realism decoys for my little solo death marches when time and resources are limited.

My knee-jerk reaction would be to buy some Dakotas, however are there other one's comparable that are worth looking at?

Please don't try to sell me on GHG...I have enough all-black mallard decoys now to know they're about as scuff proof as tissue paper.

you mean coot decoys?

Fly Carpin · Aug 4, 2016

G&H. American made, bullet proof paint, swivel heads for variety. If you're dumping your old ones and investing in 12 high quality dekes, I'd pick G&H. Wait, no what I meant to say was HOW DARE YOU HUNT WATER YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING SO AND SO. You should be shooting those gadwall, wigeon, and teal over full body field decoys only. Friggin roost busters.

Kurtr · Aug 4, 2016

Fly Carpin said:
G&H. American made, bullet proof paint, swivel heads for variety. If you're dumping your old ones and investing in 12 high quality dekes, I'd pick G&H. Wait, no what I meant to say was HOW DARE YOU HUNT WATER YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING SO AND SO. You should be shooting those gadwall, wigeon, and teal over full body field decoys only. Friggin roost busters.

this made me lol and flash backs of the time i was on the waterfowl hunting websites alot. You mention water hunting and it gets people going like slot limits and closing fishing during the spawn or deer license.

Duckslayer100 · Aug 4, 2016

Haha I like you guys!

Seriously, I used to be a "one of those guys" who thought anyone who hunted water was a POS Sconi...

But I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I've humbly come to accept the fact that water hunting is some of the easiest and funnest ways to hunt now. Especially with dogs! And for a guy like me who has very, very limited time to scout, I can pick from a half dozen sloughs that I've hunted in the past, look at the next morning's wind predictions, and then know where and what I need to do. And 9 times out of 10, I come home with something feathered.

Plus, with every gung-ho college kid squabbling over the few unposted fields holding birds, the sloughs are pretty much untouched. Hey, more for me!

I do have a bunch of G&H decoys, and I'll agree they're darn good blocks. But I'm always looking for something else. Even though, at the end of the day, the ducks probably don't give two shits.

Kurtr · Aug 4, 2016

I love water hunting a dozen old bomb decoys the roto duck and my 2 dogs made for alot of fun now ad in the boy can start shooing he loves watching the ducks splash down

Duckslayer100 · Aug 4, 2016

I've been doing some research. Really, weight matters. Especially when you're alone. I just stumbled upon these from White Rock. I'm leaning toward the Nomads. They have a keel design that allows you to open them up as a water keel, or fill them with stand and screw the end cap on. I LOVE water keels, and it pains me to no end that the only ones I own are Carry-Lites from the 1990s.

The Pool 7s look nice, too, but the kicker is that keel on the Nomad. On those light-wind days, the slightest fart of a breeze will send a deke scooting across the surface.

http://whiterockdecoys.com/floater-decoys.html

guywhofishes · Aug 4, 2016

if/when you pull the trigger I want to come over see/squeeze them - seriously

Duckslayer100 · Aug 4, 2016

guywhofishes said:
if/when you pull the trigger I want to come over see/squeeze them - seriously

You're welcome any time, guywhofondlesdecoys!

It would give you the excuse to try on my WingWorks vest, too.

guywhofishes · Aug 4, 2016

p.s. I will gladly help sherpa a whopping three decoys for you if our schedules allow this fall

Duckslayer100 · Aug 4, 2016

guywhofishes said:
p.s. I will gladly help sherpa a whopping three decoys for you if our schedules allow this fall

I'll hold you to it! Might give me an excuse to invest in those Supersized Swan decoys everyone is talking about. I think they're only 15 or 20 pounds a piece, so three decoys might be all you can handle, anyway

guywhofishes · Aug 4, 2016

Thumbs Up I actually want a swan on the wall

how much are swan flying mounts BTW?

Duckslayer100 · Aug 4, 2016

guywhofishes said:
Thumbs Up I actually want a swan on the wall

how much are swan flying mounts BTW?

I'm not sure. We should call up Rick Acker at Roughrider...I hear he's really easy to get ahold of.

NodakBuckeye · Aug 4, 2016

I really enjoyed hunting some small potholes last fall. No competition and the exercise did me good. Water keels are nice for a long walk.

Traxion · Aug 4, 2016

The Avian X birds have been pretty tough from what I have seen. Decoys are getting crappy expensive. I bought some cheap Flambeau mallards about 5 years ago from Cabelas to use as fillers. Put a clear coat over them and they have been tougher than nails! I am impressed for $20 a dozen LOL!

White Rock makes good stuff. They will be the best thing for walk in hunts!

Fracman · Aug 4, 2016

Migrator Man · Aug 4, 2016

Get fully flocked ones that are foam filled. Stay away from active poses if possible especially the Dakotas. They look like birds on alert.

Iceman · Aug 5, 2016

Check out higdon decoys foam filled on Rogers sporting goods some nice sales going on

KDM · Aug 5, 2016

guywhofishes said:
Thumbs Up I actually want a swan on the wall

how much are swan flying mounts BTW?

IF, and I do mean IF, an artist will take the job, you will be looking at an expensive mount. IMO, about 2k. Chris Cantler at Aber taxidermy won't touch one for less. They are apparently the epitome of "pain in the azz" for waterfowl to deal with as far as taxidermy is concerned and without a primo specimen with zero pin feathers and fully mature, they apparently don't look very good when complete. The greasy fat and other oils they have combined with sheer size and difficulty to work with makes him queasy just thinking about them. Basically, he refuses to "put his name" on one unless it will make a good mount. When I asked him about doing one, he got pretty spun up about why he doesn't like them.

dean nelson · Aug 6, 2016

Duckslayer100 said:
I've been doing some research. Really, weight matters. Especially when you're alone. I just stumbled upon these from White Rock. I'm leaning toward the Nomads. They have a keel design that allows you to open them up as a water keel, or fill them with stand and screw the end cap on. I LOVE water keels, and it pains me to no end that the only ones I own are Carry-Lites from the 1990s.

The Pool 7s look nice, too, but the kicker is that keel on the Nomad. On those light-wind days, the slightest fart of a breeze will send a deke scooting across the surface.

http://whiterockdecoys.com/floater-decoys.html

Soon as i read your post these decoys poped in my head but would not recommend them yet till i see one first hand. These decoys are not a special material they are just super then. That means sure they seem nice and collapsible when new and its warm out. But my gut says they will turn to shit as soon as they get the lest brittle either from age or cold temps.

As for swan mounts you can get them for $750 and they dont take up near the room most would think. I have two with one flying and one standing.

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