Flocking a mallard hen

M

Mike Perry

Member
Looking at actual phoitos and better brand decoys I see a lot of definition and detail in the detail of the feathers. Lots of small black lines and several various shades of brown.
Flocking a hen looks like a major undertaking to get that level of detail.
For hunting only, is it worth the effort? I have experimented the last few weeks with fullt flocking a couple dozen drakes and they look real good. Wondering for just hinting if it is worth the effort to flock a bunch of hens or jjst stay with decent factory decoys.
 
Mike~

The trick to painting any hen gunners - in my opinion - is to develop a simplified pattern that suggests the mottling and streaking on the real bird. I tried to do that in my re-paint of some Bean's Coastal decoys earlier this year: http://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=252449;search_string=beans%20coastal;#252449 (It's a TUTORIAL in the Carver's Corner)

Most of the painting is done with fairly large brushes (1/2" or 3/4" flats) - and the only fine details are on the head.
13FourMallards-shopfloor_zpsc0864026.jpg


I have not done any flocking - but I hope this approach might work for you.

All the best,

SJS
 
I would do what makes you happy and looks good to you. A duck flying by at 20 mph won't notice the fine detail.For those of us who carve our own decoys there is always the problem of when to stop adding detail, do the ducks care probably not. Does the guy getting ready to drop a $ 100 bill on a cork or wood bird want detail , yes indeed.
 
Mike,
You said, " I have experimented the last few weeks with fullt flocking a couple dozen drakes and they look real good." Did your experimentation take you out into the duck slough so that you could see the results of your work via the ducks in the area or was this just what you looked at in the shop?

I was wondering if you had two different setups with decoys----some the old regular style and the others your newly flocked drakes? Were the ducks in the area new arrivals or maybe those wily veterans that haven't moved out yet and know all about gunning?

Just curious.
Al
 
I agree with Phil . Most of the detailing if done for the duck hunters eye of view . Birds can notice the fake blocks if the paint is shine but they won't notice the details . I have spent hours on fine detailing my birds for my on view and my own enjoyment of looking at the decoys if is that what you like to do . Enjoy it and good luck .
 
Those mallards of Steve's look an order of magnitude better than any Bean's decoys ever did off the shelf, even back in the good old good old days of George Soule.

The off the shelf decoys have been fooling ducks for generations of hunters. Many Maine gunners I know don't even bother with mallard decoys--the mallards toll to black duck decoys just fine. Those who do have a mix of mallards and black ducks mostly got whatever was available at yard sales or through Uncle Henry's (the local classifieds rag). I think I'm the only one of my crew who has spent the time to repaint my corks, and only because mine were pretty abused. Mine sure don't look like Steve's, but the ducks don't seem to mind.
 
I do think flocking is worthwhile in reducing glare of the decoys on sunny days. I flock my hen mallards in a solid brown with some tan sprinkled in the heads. I agree the solid whether black or brown works fine for fooling the ducks and that detail is for the hunter. I have flocked drake mallards and drake pintails but thoise are labor intensive.
For early season I use all solid brown and black decoys anyway, since our drakes have very little color. I flock my teal season teal decoys brown and use 90% hens. Late in the season I use 90% drake teal decoys. Haven't flocked a drake teal decoy yet. Probably work on that this winter.
Mike Braun flockes with detail and I have no idea how he gets the great results he does. I have several dozen of his black ducks and they were my first experience with flocked decoys. Right now that my preferred decoy other than when I use my corks, which I'm thinking can be flocked just as well.
 
The best working mallard decoys that I own, that are flocked, are my Big Foot goose floaters with flocked heads. They will pull the mallards off the duck decoys almost every time and they will even decoy Canada geese.
 
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