Mike Perry
Member
Any one have an opinion on if they float better / worse/ more " natural" than conventional no foam filled? Worth the $ for big spreads in larger body of water that is typically windy with a chop?
Foam filled decoys
- Thread starter Mike Perry
- Start date
Al Hansen
Well-known member
Mike, this is for what it is worth----I don't hunt large water but I can remember buying Herter's #62s and then their #72s. I have kicked my backside ever since for not buying more of them. They withstand a ton of punishment and perform exceedingly well in the winds down here.
Al
Al
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Mike,
[/font][font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]conventional [/font]
: used and accepted by most people : usual or traditional
: of a kind that has been around for a long time and is considered to be usual or typical
In this particular instance "conventional" is going to include two distinctly different decoy materials. The traditional decoy material that has been around a long time is wood, and no, it is not typically foam filled. Sometimes it is hollowed out and other decoy carvers will leave their decoy solid. Personally I like the way wooden decoys ride the water.
Solid foam decoys have not been around nearly as long as wood decoys but IMHO do a fine job of riding the wind and waves in a natural motion.
Plastic blow molded entry level decoys are just that, entry level decoys. Will they work? Of course they work, just not as effectively under all conditions. Again IMHO a hollow plastic decoy does the worst job of replicating the way a duck rides the water. Yes a plastic decoy can be molded and painted to replicate the visual look of a duck but it still will not ride the water like a duck.
If you want a decoy that looks like a duck and rides the wind and waves like a duck, you will be better served by a wood or solid foam decoy.
Mike,
[/font][font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]conventional [/font]
: used and accepted by most people : usual or traditional
: of a kind that has been around for a long time and is considered to be usual or typical
In this particular instance "conventional" is going to include two distinctly different decoy materials. The traditional decoy material that has been around a long time is wood, and no, it is not typically foam filled. Sometimes it is hollowed out and other decoy carvers will leave their decoy solid. Personally I like the way wooden decoys ride the water.
Solid foam decoys have not been around nearly as long as wood decoys but IMHO do a fine job of riding the wind and waves in a natural motion.
Plastic blow molded entry level decoys are just that, entry level decoys. Will they work? Of course they work, just not as effectively under all conditions. Again IMHO a hollow plastic decoy does the worst job of replicating the way a duck rides the water. Yes a plastic decoy can be molded and painted to replicate the visual look of a duck but it still will not ride the water like a duck.
If you want a decoy that looks like a duck and rides the wind and waves like a duck, you will be better served by a wood or solid foam decoy.
Al,
I feel your pain. Right about the time I had the money saved up to buy a bunch of Herter's bodies and heads to remake my diver spread, Cabelas bought them out and stopped production. Prices doubled and I was out of luck. I regret not buying a pile sooner too.
I feel your pain. Right about the time I had the money saved up to buy a bunch of Herter's bodies and heads to remake my diver spread, Cabelas bought them out and stopped production. Prices doubled and I was out of luck. I regret not buying a pile sooner too.
Phil Nowack
Well-known member
Make your own foam decoys 5# foam.. no more expensive than others....
As a quick expansion of my spread for diver hunting I once bought a couple of bags of foam filled plastic decoys. I killed a lot of ducks over those things. They floated more naturally in waves than the standard plastic ones.
Phil Nowack
Well-known member
You killed ducks, Paul?
Yup... proud to say so. I love duck hunting. I love everything about it... the sunrises, the traditions, the dogs, the experience of being on the open water and the fellowship in the blind. Sometimes I kill ducks. LOL