Dani,
many believe decoys are not that important. I was one of those people. I always said Location location location. Which is true, if you hunt the X, you will kill them over black jugs. Proven many times. Ive played this game many years, (next season will be 20 in a row for me) and ive hunted over the best decoys one can buy. I had my hunting partner of 13 years move away and he took the decoy trailer with him. 6 dozen avian x ducks, 55 dozen dave smith full bodies (specks, snows, honkers). You do the math, but there was INSANE money tied up in that trailer. We tried flocked decoys over the years, but most big companies use a static flocking. Quick and easy but as we all know, after a season or two, they are pretty mangled and as good as plastic decoys. Especially if you hunt as often and as hard as I do. I just never saw a point in spending money on flocked decoys after quite a few let downs.
So 2 seasons ago, I had to figure out this decoy situation. I had enough to get by but they were old and junky. First time I ever saw a fully flocked mintz decoy was when I was 16 and one of my mentors brought out 6 wigeon full bodies he had repainted by Mr. Mintz. We hunted over 6 decoys and absolutely smashed our wigeon limit in a quick afternoon hunt. I didn't believe in flocking at that point, but I remember being in just awe with how real they looked. Don was always around on another forum I was pretty active on. I always thought about making my own decoys, as im not afraid to get dirty and always need a reason to play in my shop. I came across some posts of him explaining his flocking process. I had my doubts, but I didnt have anything to lose. I didnt have any decoys, and I had 6 months to figure it out. Last spring I came across some decoys unlimited molds, decided on making my own, used his process to a T and I beat the living snot out of the decoys last year. They were bagged for transport, but they didnt have tops. They got snowed on, sun beat, went through rain, and saw easily over 10k road miles in those open bags to the elements. The decoys were unbagged at the boat or truck and dragged, never once did I baby them. I am mentoring a youngin, and he met up with me for my 3rd hunt of the season. We get to the spot in the boat, I pull out 2.5 dozen decoys, about 50 yards of tree line to get to the spot and I just start dragging them and letting them get beat off all the trees. Youngin even says "guess you dont have to be nice to them when you make them". I explained, no way a flocked decoy stands up to what I put them through. Fast forward to last day of the season, I am hunting a big open pond on his property. He brought along some college buddies and he asked if those were the same decoys. They were of course, and he asked right then if he could have them as he was so impressed how well they were still holding up. Don's process is truly the absolute best for flocking.
The big reason why I went fully flocked.... one morning I forgot my gun at the truck. WOOPS! Long boat run too. So I set my buddy up and his daughter and then make the long run back to the truck. On my way back in, about 600 yards away, the sun was hitting those plastic decoys just right and they had a sheen. They were glowing white and had a white shimmer. This is an unrealistic as can be. We all know that ducks on water at 1000 yards are black silhouettes. These 4 dozen decoys we had set out looked like little mirrors on the water. I kind of thought to myself, how many birds are we flaring before we even see them? Seriously, if I can see that at 600 yards, what can they see and are they even coming to us at that point? if you asked me 2 seasons ago what was most important in waterfowl, I would of said 1) Location, 2) calling abilities 3) decoys. As I sit here today, my order now goes 1) Decoys 2) Location 3) calling abilities. let me explain....
last season I had SO many times I didnt even call and birds were falling into my decoys. They surprised me and I didnt do any convincing at all, the decoys did all the work. I have old posts from last season where I hunted the same spot over and over and kept killing my mallard, you can see that from the pics I posted up. Most those hunts I was done well before the big push started to make it back from feeding. Now location was key, but I also didnt hunt the x. Instead hunted about 1/2 mile off the x so I didnt put pressure on the main concentration. I had that spot all season until it froze out in january and I had to figure something out in the last month of the season. What I realized was how good the decoys worked because I pulled those birds away from the X week after week and still killed my limits without much calling and need for convincing. Calling is important, and there were many times I could get them circling and they needed just that little bit of convincing to get down in the decoys.
I hope this helps, many will never believe in decoys the way I have come to believe in them. Many will never stop hunting over black painted jugs, and thats fine. I hunt a lot of public, and I am ALWAYS looking for the upper hand. If I have to make my own decoys, I absolutely will. Don has a system that allows fully flocked to get abused and still hunt. I fully plan on taking these new ones and beating the living snot out of them next season, as I feel my birds are only getting better and better. I did manage to break 2 heads off my very first decoys (I didnt really know what I was doing when joining heads to bodies) and I popped one bill off a wood head I got from a company that sells heads. I have completely changed the process in how I make decoys now and I enjoy making them, but even more, I enjoy the friendship I have created with Don. I will never make decoys for sale. For trade, maybe, as im a call freak and have a collection that is out of hand honestly. So I have nothing to lose by listening and learning and this is a guy who could of been cold, never helped the younger guy out, because he does have a proven system. He didn't need to share with me any of the know hows, or the little tricks around the craft of making these decoys; but, instead stayed beyond patient with me and always help guide me in the direction I needed to go to make decoys that have proven to be more effective than anything ive hunted over.
So.... I will always hunt over flocked decoys and thats why.
. 
