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Seems like I read someplace that you can clean up the decoys and spray some clear coat on them to add a little shine when they start fading. Any of y'all do this?

Dr. B

Never. Shiny decoys flare ducks.

But, if others think spraying them with poly is the key to their success, I certainly won't argue.

Detail on duck decoys is highly over-rated (IMO)

If you clear coat them use a flat or matt clear.......

good point. thanks!

Dr. B

I don't know that you want them to shine--but you want them clean. I used to try to clean decoys in the car wash at the end of the season, but it never brightened them up or took the scum off them. The very best thing I have ever found is spray tire foam. Buy the aerosol can, not the pump/squirt bottle. Spray a decoy until it is covered in foam, and it looks like brand new. One can will do about 75 decoys. I will never clean another decoy again.

Anatidae has a real nice and shiny decoy. Just one, but it's all he needs.

Flocked decoys are selling like hot cakes for a reason.
They don't shine.

^X2

Just sold all my stuff and bought all dakota decoys.........

3 doz Mallards
1 doz Sprigs
1/2 doz Geese
1 doz Teal

Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic flat #3530 also designated as #53530 is what you want.

greenheadgrimreaper wrote:Anatidae has a real nice and shiny decoy. Just one, but it's all he needs.

Yeah, I found one that somebody left while we were picking-up all the hulls and trash they left. Funny, I've tried to give that decoy away......but nobody wants it.

Those 2 guys shot 3 boxes of shells (when I started counting the number of shots) and only got a 2-man limit of gadwalls, merganzers, and ringers that day. I can't say whether it was the 'poly', or the hulls, their set-up, or all the muddy 'trails' they left by the longtail, in a shallow area they should have been 'poling' into (as not to disturb the water) that caused those birds not to finish.......or whether that's just how they 'roll' (skybusting).

But Hey........I like it when someone keeps the birds moving by flaring them out of a spot. They just keep flying around until they find a set-up that looks natural - and they're completely comfortable with. I just hate it when they cripple and educate birds that could otherwise have been 'killable' given more attention to detail and not relying on firepower.

Top: Poly-treated decoy
Bottom: 10-year-old decoy cleaned only with water and a light scrub brush.



With that, I highly recommend treating your decoys with clear poly.

Anatidae, I still laugh thinking about you picking that thing up and saying," This decoy belongs to John SoandSo, whoever the hell he is."

I have gotten to where I look at my decoys with a sense of loathing: disgusted, wondering, pondering, paranoid that they are not working for me but actively scheming against me.

I love Dakota Flocked Heads, and that is why I always try to make friends with folks who have them.

The only problem I have found with Dakotas is when the owner becomes disoriented and begins to believe- with conviction- that the flocked heads are made from the eggshells of a California Condor, instead of plastic covered velvet. Some Dakota owners fall apart or, at best, gets crotchety if the decoys land in the water less than unimpeded.

I know they are expensive and the flocking flocking is more delicate than the cold, lifeless, colorless heads on my dekes. Also, I always respect someone else's belongings. However when tossing out the Dakota, in the unfortunate event that it intersects and collides with a wind-blown blade of grass, for the love of all that is good and kind, we mortals really are downtrodden by our moronic mistake.

And so if you are a Dakota owner, please do not make demands of blood sacrifices to atone for our pitiful and disgusting physical defects of the muscular system. (Obviously any piece of filth that would allow said collision to occur has character defects as well.)

If you are not like that, then I have 24 brown decoys (formerly flambeau gwt), and a bad a ** dog named Meat Dog, and I will travel, friend.

(I think I am about to buy some Dakotas)

greenheadgrimreaper wrote:Anatidae, I still laugh thinking about you picking that thing up and saying," This decoy belongs to John SoandSo, whoever the hell he is."

I have gotten to where I look at my decoys with a sense of loathing: disgusted, wondering, pondering, paranoid that they are not working for me but actively scheming against me.

I love Dakota Flocked Heads, and that is why I always try to make friends with folks who have them.

The only problem I have found with Dakotas is when the owner becomes disoriented and begins to believe- with conviction- that the flocked heads are made from the eggshells of a California Condor, instead of plastic covered velvet. Some Dakota owners fall apart or, at best, gets crotchety if the decoys land in the water less than unimpeded.

I know they are expensive and the flocking flocking is more delicate than the cold, lifeless, colorless heads on my dekes. Also, I always respect someone else's belongings. However when tossing out the Dakota, in the unfortunate event that it intersects and collides with a wind-blown blade of grass, for the love of all that is good and kind, we mortals really are downtrodden by our moronic mistake.

And so if you are a Dakota owner, please do not make demands of blood sacrifices to atone for our pitiful and disgusting physical defects of the muscular system. (Obviously any piece of filth that would allow said collision to occur has character defects as well.)

If you are not like that, then I have 24 brown decoys (formerly flambeau gwt), and a bad a ** dog named Meat Dog, and I will travel, friend.

(I think I am about to buy some Dakotas)

Well son when ya decide you want to get stupid with me and do what I SWORE I NEVER WOULD DO! Then holler at me all mine will be here Friday and Wed of next week. And Marsh Mutt is running a deal on them.......

I've been telling myself for a couple years now that I'm going to try flocking some of my decoys myself. It only costs about $30 to flock the heads on 4 dozen mallard decoys yourself. I want to flock the heads and the black areas on the mallards, and flock a couple dozen scaup and canvasback decoys. But once again, I didn't do it before this season. Too low on the priority list with everything else going on. Oh well. For $100 and about 8 hours of my time, I could have a very nice looking spread using decoys I already own.

Where do you get the flocking?

Anatidae wrote:Where do you get the flocking?

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/14X22/ ... Green.aspx