Cody Williams
Well-known member
In my ongoing quest to ever expand my goose floater fleet, I got to thinking about how I could convert the pile of goose shells in my garage into floater decoys. I went over a few ideas in my head and finally decided that the simplest way to go would be the best way, so here's a quick step by step-
1.Trace the bottom of your shell onto some 2" rigid foam insulation, and cut it out with a sheetrock jab saw. Doesn't have to be pretty, just has to fit snugly into the bottom of the shell.
2.Once your bottom is fitted, attach it to your shell with 3" grabber screws. If you want to get fancy, you can add some wood blocks for the screws but I don't think this is totally necessary. Trim off any bits of foam that stick out past the shell. I didn't take a picture of it but my decoy lines are attached through a hole I drilled in the bottom of the head and run between the foam and the shell
3.Float test your new decoys-best way is to take them hunting! The 4 decoys along the bottom in this picture are all converted shells. I don't find a keel to be necessary for these, the bottom is wide enough that they are stable and they are also very lightweight so they move really well in any breeze. High winds may be a problem though.
3.They look just like regular floaters on the water-the geese seem to think the same thing! Test your new decoys for seaworthyness by having a retriever swim through your spread with a goose in tow-if they don't tip over, you're good to go!
4.Enjoy the satisfaction that comes from some good old-fashioned thrifty engineering!
1.Trace the bottom of your shell onto some 2" rigid foam insulation, and cut it out with a sheetrock jab saw. Doesn't have to be pretty, just has to fit snugly into the bottom of the shell.
2.Once your bottom is fitted, attach it to your shell with 3" grabber screws. If you want to get fancy, you can add some wood blocks for the screws but I don't think this is totally necessary. Trim off any bits of foam that stick out past the shell. I didn't take a picture of it but my decoy lines are attached through a hole I drilled in the bottom of the head and run between the foam and the shell
3.Float test your new decoys-best way is to take them hunting! The 4 decoys along the bottom in this picture are all converted shells. I don't find a keel to be necessary for these, the bottom is wide enough that they are stable and they are also very lightweight so they move really well in any breeze. High winds may be a problem though.
3.They look just like regular floaters on the water-the geese seem to think the same thing! Test your new decoys for seaworthyness by having a retriever swim through your spread with a goose in tow-if they don't tip over, you're good to go!
4.Enjoy the satisfaction that comes from some good old-fashioned thrifty engineering!
