Bittersweet...

P

Pat Gregory

Well-known member
Been a long season. I started on September 1st and finished this weekend. Thankfully, I shot my last bluebills on Friday and my last goldeneyes on Saturday.

This week, I begin the drill of breaking down my rig. For my diver rig, all the decoys come off the longlines, get touched up if needed and a light coat of Finish Feeder to give some luster back to the paint to keep it from drying out.

Some scaup from the late 90's getting spruced up before getting put away...

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I shelf some of my rig but, hang others by their droppers...

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The sweet part is, I pulled the plugs on my 870's and added the extension as it is snow goose season. With it being so warm, snow geese are already showing up in good numbers in Illinois. Time to get out to chase these wiley rascals.

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How do you store your rig after the season? Do you touch up your decoys? Any tips to share?? Post them up!

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Most of my rig is black cork so I put mine on shelves and let them dry out . I do repairs mid summer on rainy days. Wish I could hang mine but the droppers are much longer than yours so the dogs don't get caught in them. John
 
Its is a bittersweet feeling to pull the blind off the boat, put up the decoys and clean the shotgun one last time until September, isn't it?

The blind will come off the boat this weekend and the trolling motor mount re-attached.
My decoys will also get sorted this weekend. Ones needing repair will get set aside.
I know I have a good bunch of old G&H gadwalls and redheads that still look great but have cracks where the head/neck meets the body. Since G&H no longer provided replacements heads for free (now cost $7 per head), I will be fixing those in the next few months. After trying many different glues/sealants, I am going with 2-part expoxy.
Have some other decoys that need pellet holes plugged, lines and weights replaced, etc...
After quick repairs, they get put back in their bags and stored in the shed until fall.
Hope to get all this done before fishing turns.
First cool, low humidity days of early fall, I will get them back out and do touch up painting.
 
don't forget the time honored ritual of putting the spinner battery on trickle charge for the off season!
 
I store mine in the rafters of my garage and storage shed. Yes I do some touch up work during the off season. I am amazed at how much of a beating my decoys get. I had four new deeks I made from tan cork and at the end of the season ( I got ouy eighteen times ) they need to be repainted, heads and lower body.
 
Kris - I do not. I still have a couple of cans left. Unfortunately, last I heard, they stopped making this product. Too bad. Great for gunning decoys that get heavy use... pg
 
Great post Pat, I,m much in the same boat for decoy repairs , my only tip I can think of is don,t wait til August to start doing all this ,which I have done lol
All the Best John
 
For a long time, Finish Feeder was sold by one of the top end antique & decoy dealers. When I went to the decoy shows I would buy it from him.

It's a mixture of Turpentine & Beeswax, 18th Century Formula as stated, sold in 16oz cans. Highly Combustible, and no doubt classified highly toxic by today's standards. Made for all types wooden antiques, it migrated into the decoy community easily as it was made in Maryland.


Pat - I'm thinking you picked up upon it's use on Decoys from your mentor and dear friend, Jim S.

I also apply it to my wooden and canvas decoys at the end of the season, after they have dried well.

A decoy historian, author and restorer told me that Turpentine & Briwax work just as well. My finding was it does, but you had better be sure your oil paint is well cured, and the mixture does not contain to much Turp. Or you will not be happy with the results.
 
I found a product similar to finish feeder I use on my rig. Again a mix of beeswax and coconut oil I think. I will post up the brand name when I get back out in the shop
 
Vince - Jim used to do this drill with his decoys. Having linseed oil in it, it actually creates a nice, hardened finish on your decoys.

I just touched up some old and faithful redheads from my diver rig yesterday. They got spruced up with a light bath of Finish Feeder. Don't let the gloss bother you. Like putting Armor All on your tires or dash, it settles down after a while.

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Pat - Jim told me about it when we would to talk. Gawd I miss that man, there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of him. Funny thing is I was doing the same thing to my decoys. I found out that dead flat decoys held water on their surface for a long time, and threw one helluva shine. Way worse then decoys with a slight gloss. Jim was a Big Water Gunner and I a Marsh Hunter, but we understood each other very well.

The title of your post sez it all. It is "Bittersweet" to stow your rig at the end of the season. Each decoy you touch holds memories of, past, present and God Willing, future hunts. The places, birds, men, boats, dogs and days you spent doing what you so dearly love and enjoy.

The more seasons that one puts in, and the more friends and gunning partners that have "Walked On". The more going through the ritual becomes Bittersweet.

Thank you for sharing that, and starting this post.
 
Vince- not to hi-jack this thread, but your statement


"Each decoy you touch holds memories of, past, present and God Willing, future hunts. The places, birds, men, boats, dogs and days you spent doing what you so dearly love and enjoy."


Really hits a note with me. I hope you don't mind if I re-use it.


Jon
 
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Vince- not to hi-jack this thread, but your statement


"Each decoy you touch holds memories of, past, present and God Willing, future hunts. The places, birds, men, boats, dogs and days you spent doing what you so dearly love and enjoy."


Really hits a note with me. I hope you don't mind if I re-use it.



It hits me too...Yes, indeed....that sums up the "why I hunt" question in many ways. well stated.



Jon
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