Keeping the ice off my decoys

Yeah, don't use very many. If it's sunny, use dark dekes. E-Allens seem to ice up the least of mine.
 
Place them in the water, don't throw them. This works if it isn't snowing or raining when you are hunting.

Mark W
 
All of the above especially the dark decoys. They will absorb heat from the sun and will stay ice free better than lighter colored ones. This late in the season it doesn't seem that ducks are as fussy to species.
 
It's a pain to do, but waxing them will help by beading the water off the waxed area, helps with water reflected glare too. You'd have to experiment with the type of wax and application so it looks natural. I used spray can Thompson's waterseal once years ago but I can't remember the details of how well it worked, actually it worked, but I can't remember for how long. Problem is, if you want to re-paint or touch up, you'd have to remove the wax. Like I said, a pain in the neck., lol

Oh, by the way, this is a nice site, just got validated so you'll see more of me bye and bye.
 
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but seriously, putting out less of 'em is about the only thing I thought works OK. I've tried some of the other things (wax etc.) and they either make the dekes too slippery to handle with gloves or make a mess or make the dekes shiny when they're dry...
 
I carry an old wooden broom head with me. I use one side to brush snow off the decoys and the wooden back of the broom head to knock the ice off my decoys. I just pick up the decoy and tap the ice that forms on the decoy with the back of the broom head. Used it a bunch last weekend.
 
Years ago the guys would take a cake of paraffin and a pocket knife and sliver the wax into diesel fuel or kerosene (I can't remember which) until the wax dissolved. I don't believe heat was involved. After the wax was all dissolved the mixture was painted on the decoys and then they were set in the sun so the diesel/kerosene would evaporate, leaving a nice thin coat of wax that kept ice off.

I've never tried it just because of all the mess and odor.
 
The version I heard from around here was a oz. of beeswax, in a quart, (I believe), of turpentine, which was heated on the stove till the wax melted. Fellow said it had to be HOT, then brushed on, to leave a very thin coat of wax but no shine. Also said if you got it to go on fire, it was too hot. lol. Said you might want to do this outside.

This was on cork decoys, don't know if it would work as well on plastic or other material.
Like was said, seemed like a lot of trouble to go to.
 
in all our cold weather layout hunting can't say i ever felt frozen snot off the decoys bill made any difference at all -- bodies never got iced so bad as to make a difference -- and this is in michigan in the winter months of december and november
 
A little snot won't affect the hunting, but when it builds to the point of tipping the decoy up, That is another matter. Or when a quartering wave to the current , continually splashes water that is making ice on one side of the decoy, to the point where there is so much ice on the decoys back and side that the decoys roll over...that is a problem.

Late season, when I'm only using goldeneye and shelldrakes (the little rig), I will try the kerosene/wax treatment for next season.
 
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