How to choose a decoy

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A decoy is a special device designed to attract a bird to a specific place. Imitating the quacking of a duck, the hunter lures the drakes to the distance of the shot, which increases his own chances of an accurate shot. However, for efficiency, close attention should be paid to the choice of such a device, otherwise the effect will be the opposite.

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The best producers of duck semolina

According to experienced hunters, the best duck decoys are made by experienced craftsmen by hand, taking into account all the nuances of bird behavior in a particular region. However, not everyone has access to such masters, and therefore hunters are forced to use decoys for factory-made duck. Among them you can also find good, really working models that guarantee a successful hunt:

  1. Buck gardner Calls

  2. Carlson Championship Calls

  3. Faulk's

  4. Duck Commander Original

  5. Buck Gardner

Decoys from these manufacturers differ in workmanship and work on birds in any hunting mode. However, before giving preference to a particular model, study its characteristics, as well as the opinion of experienced hunters who used it in hunting and who know exactly how to use this or that decoy to attract the bird's attention.

Types of decoys. What are these devices?

Despite its wide distribution, all the decoys on sale can be divided into two conditional groups.

Wind decoys

Wind decoys

Devices, the appearance of which resembles a pipe of compact size, blowing into which, the hunter reproduces the sound of the required frequency and intonation. The design of such decoys includes special petals, with the help of which sound is created, and depending on how much the hunter knows the technique of work.

Advantages

  • Compact dimensions;
  • Low cost;
  • A large number of different models;

    The ability to imitate ducks of any breed;

disadvantages

  • Difficulty of mastering;

  • If used improperly, it will scare away ducks;

Electronic decoys for ducks

Electronic decoys

Electronic decoys are prohibited by hunting rules, and in the opinion of many hunters, such devices are 'cheating'. The point is to reproduce a digital audio recording of a duck quacking, which makes it possible to neutralize the incorrect operation of the decoy – the reproduced sound is the same. For this purpose, quacking is recorded on special dictaphones, after which it is cleared of noise and digitized.

Advantages

  • Ease of use;

  • Allows you to store records of a variety of sounds for any hunting conditions;

  • Do not require addiction and language 'staging';

  • The resulting sound always has the same timbre and key;

disadvantages

  • Roads;

  • Prohibited by hunting rules;

  • Distortion of the reproduced sound is possible;

  • Minimum control comfort if the device does not have a remote control;

The main criteria for choosing semolina

The material from which the decoy is made

More recently, only wooden decoys could be found on sale. However, at present, the range of materials used has expanded significantly:

  1. Acrylic. Among hunters, it is considered the best option. Provides the correct sound quality, the desired timbre and reproducibility, even for those who have no experience with such devices. There is only one drawback of such a decoy – the price;

  2. Polycarbonate is considered a worthy option in terms of value for money. It has mechanical and thermal strength, is unpretentious in maintenance, and adequately reproduces the sound of a quacking duck. Great for both beginners and experienced hunters;

  3. Wood is a well-known and oldest material for making decoys. When properly made, it shows excellent results, but is afraid of exposure to the sun and moisture, which is why it changes its tone and becomes unusable. It is for this reason that after each hunt, decoys from a tree must be thoroughly dried.

Volume level

This parameter depends entirely on the conditions in which the hunt takes place. The volume of a particular decoy directly affects its effectiveness, and therefore experienced hunters advise to have decoys of various models with you.

  1. Loud decoys (Open Water) are used when hunting for a duck in large open areas, as well as in strong winds, 'drowning out' all sounds;

  2. Quiet decoys (Timber) – the best option for calm and calm weather.

  3. Medium volume decoys are in between the first and second class, and therefore are excellent for open reservoirs of medium size.

Number of petals producing sound

  1. One-petal decoys are considered a hunting classic. They give a bright and rich sound, with a slight hoarseness, however, they require special handling skills. It is very difficult for a beginner to master such a device;

  2. Two-petal decoys are easier to operate and make it possible to achieve realistic sound even for those who have not dealt with such devices. The minus of two-petal decoys is sticking of the petals, which makes the device fail.

Choosing a decoy for a duck depending on the type of bird

Depending on this parameter, all decoys can be divided into three conditional groups:

  1. A decoy for river ducks – mallard. They make a pleasant, velvety, hoarse sound. They are versatile and, if used correctly, are suitable for hunting all types of ducks, without exception;

  2. Decoys for teal, pintail, blacken, wiggle. To attract these birds, you will need a decoy that works in a sufficiently high tone, called a whistle among hunters;

  3. Diving ducks decoys are loud and loud devices used to hunt these birds exclusively.

  4. Do not forget that the tone of the bird's voice changes with age. A soft and sonorous voice is typical for young birds, muffled, with a hoarse voice, for older individuals. This feature should also be taken into account when luring birds with a decoy.

In the following articles, our experts will tell you how to choose an optical sight and the secrets of choosing a pneumatic sight.


Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.

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