Decoy Molds

Thank you Phil
Just after I posted I came across that approx range in another post. I'm hard pressed at whether or not to take the plunge. I am looking to hunt sea duck and divers more next season and thought foam might be the way to build a rig I'll have to weigh it out cost wise. You guys are producing some great looking dekes and I must imagine hunting over your own is a rewarding task. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for molds to play with.
 
My opinion... If you have the time and desire.... Foam (or cork or wood) is the only way to hunt sea ducks or divers.... Unless you like decoys to be full of water, and often replaced.
 
Yea I've taken to keeping glue sticks and a lighter in my bag. It isn't pretty but it's cheap and quick. I've learned that "don't shoot the decoys" apparently translates differently. But they're cheap plastic and we have a good laugh. In watching cork and foam spreads they also seem to just ride lower and more realistic. I am slowly going to try and buy a small cork puddle spread but for the numbers game of divers old plastic is what I've got. For now.
 
Get out on the marsh this spring after ice out and scavenge the shoreline for foam billets, hit up boat yards & marine contractors for foam they are getting rid of & then carve your own. That is what I have done.
For divers and seaducks, you don't have to be super detailed, just get the shape close and paint them up.
Some cheap pine 1x4x8 for heads, scrap composite deck boards for keels, some tile mastic and cheap paint and you can make foamers cheap.
If you already have basic tools (saws, drills, rasps), you can make them for about $3/each once you find the foam.
Takes me about 5 minutes to go from foam block to "carved body" with a handsaw and rasp. For my wooden heads, I used a scroll saw.

Check out my posts in the February and March Carving Bench Threads.
Foam I found in the marsh:
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Here are some of the first ones I made. They are a little "blocky", I now round them off a good bit more. I coated these with mastic and burlap, indestructible.

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More recent one, rounded more & lower profile. I cheated and used Herters heads. Just mastic on these, want to see how they hold up.
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What is the cost over 10 years.... For plastic?
Click to expand...
Dunno...only been hunting them for 4-5! I haven't lost many but they pretty much all are patched and painted exact for my geese and woodies. Anything that gets put in the bay usually gets shot at some point because a bufflehead streaked on a slow day. whatever real bad gets relegated to the diver spread. I definately believe foam and cork are the way but haven't been able to make the move. I'm starting to get the itch though.

Carl
Those look doable. I always come across errant blocks during the summer, I will have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
 
No problem, your're welcome. Feel free to bug me with questions.
I actually roughed out 4 more today at lunch, took about 15 minutes.
 
I started out carving foam like a lot of guys. I carve wood now but either way I get a lot of satisfaction out of hunting over my own decoys.
 
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