Accidents can happen - others set your decoys

Dave Diefenderfer

Dave Diefenderfer

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The guys I hunt with generally know I am particular about my decoys. I admonish continueally, " don't shoot the decoys", and "if you shoot my decoys, get your checkbook out". Now, what I have still does not compare with what some of the other posters have, but I am proud of what I have collected for my hunting rig over the years. Most are cork or wood, a few better quality foamers.... I use slotted bags, have short droppers and long line clips, and keep the weights seperate both to keep the weight of the bags down, and keep the decoys from getting beat up.

Well last weekend, we had 2 boats. I had my sneakbox, and we had a 16ft aluminum jon. I handed the single lined decoys off for the other guys to set while I set the long lines of cans, bluebills and buffies.....

Last evening, I re-organized the decoys for this weekend and find I am at least 1 decoy short, and maybe a couple more. I am hoping they are mixed in with other decoys in the other boat.... but at least one is not!



This was picked up by a hunter and posted on the refuge forum.... it looks like it got pulled into the prop and then drifted away. I'll try to get it back on Saturday, and challenge John Bourbon to a repair! At the very least the head can be saved? I bought a pair of these some 20 years ago or more on clearance from Cabelas... they were very light, and blew over easily. They had a suck body. I filled the cavity with spray foam, added a piece of lead to the keel, and then coated the entire bottom with liquid nails. They have hunted great ever since, I was pissed last night when I realized it was missing... but as others have commented, these are working stool, and this is part of the deal.
 
OUCH. I've seen cracked and shot up decoys before but that is brutal!
 
In all fairness you only told them not to shoot the decoys. Did you mention to them NOT TO run it over with the boat? Of course I'm kidding, it looks like it took a stray pellet too. That will be one heck of a repair job.


Steve
 
Well they actually shot it too. I have the same prob with my bro in law, he shoots the crap outta my cedars
 
Dave,


Just put a spin on it and say a gator took it out of your hands as you were picking it up. Makes for a better story. ;>)
 
I think that is a TJ Hooker decoy. Cabelas used to sell them a long time ago. I saw one auctioned on eBay a while ago at a ridiculous final sale price. Columbia River Decoys make something similar still;not cheap, but similar. If you have a similar body left in your rig, you may be able to get someone to make you a mold to use to make some replacements. Tom Rowe has an excellent mold making tutorial posted via pin on the Working Decoys Forum.

Most guys will tell you they got into decoy carving because they wanted a rig that wasn't composed of "cooky cutter" plastic decoys. They are all liars! We got started repairing beat-up birds that we couldn't tolerate the sight of in our rig, then the anal side of our personalities took over, moving us to make a decoy from square one to finished bird-once you step over the edge, there is no going back.

Bob Furia once made a statement about his sons reminding him that shooting a hand-carved and painted member of his stool added personality to the decoy and rig. I wonder how they would "spin" this...
 
Rick,
I'd just tell the culprit that I'd be sure and put his initials on that one so it was sure to make it into his "inheritance" pile ;-). ;-)
I'm always been thankful that I have boys who like being out there in the first place, to have the chance to sluice a cripple in the decoys.
Nevertheless, stuff like that is going to happen to decoys. When it does, it's a comfort to know that you have an "in" with the guy who can repair or re-make them.
Anyway, if losing a plastic decoy (even one you modified) is the worst that befall one's rig; you'll still be in good shape.
 
In the early season of friend of mine shot one of my wood teal decoys thinking it was a cripple. The cripple was further to the left. I was torn between pride that he thought it was real and anger that he thought it was real. He could not apologize enough. I finally told him stop apologizing it's okay, sit back and enjoy the rest of the last time you will ever hunt with me.
 
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