Decoy Paint?

[Bama Duck]

I am going to touch up a few of my decoys before Friday and was wondering what kind of paint other people had success with. Any help would be appreciated, just have to find something to do to keep myself busy until Friday.

[alduck]

I repainted 2 1/2 dozen last year. Actually, I gave them totally new paint jobs turning them from mallards into gadwall, and I just used $0.99 flat spray paint from Wal Mart. They still look as good as they did when I painted them. Those gadwall decoys are just too expensive for me to buy a couple dozen. I think I spent $12 on the paint, while new decoys would have been at least $130.

[goosebruce]

Wow, apprently alabama is the decoy painting capitol of the south!

Decoys cost 20 bucks a dozen... 40 for something non-mallardy... I ain't painting no deeks at those prices.

I do hit the white a lick with spray paint on the pintail deeks, but only cause its easier than cleaning them.

Yur that bored passing time till the opener, I suggest porn. Works for me! travis

[fivemile]

If you are painting mallards, Sherwin Williams can mix up flat latex in the colors you want, quart sizes for sure and maybe pints. If you keep the paint in your house, it will last years. If you only need a small quantity, you might try Herter's or Cabela's.

[alduck]

If you can find gadwall dekes for $40 a dozen, let me know where. I will be on my way to Mississippi in a flash. The cheapest I have ever found gadwall dekes is $55 a dozen.

[theduckman32]

I painted all of my Mallards, Pintails and Blacks last year and used the craft paint from Wal-Mart. You can pretty much match nearly every color or mix your own using a brush and piece of cardboard. I only repaint the bills, white details, feet and blue speculums. In any case, this craft paint is water based which means that you have to put some type of finish over it. I used a ultra-flat satin clearcoat and it worked like a charm. They DO NOT shine like a clear coat (which is good) but the paint is protected. They end up looking like a decoy looks when it is wet, except all of the time.

Best thing about it is that the craft paint is cheap and the satin clearcoat is also very cheap. One container of each will go a long way.

By the way, don't try to buy decoys from Mack's, because I just got back from driving over there the other day and they were out of A LOT of stuff and not just decoys.

[theduckman32]

I painted all of my Mallards, Pintails and Blacks last year and used the craft paint from Wal-Mart. You can pretty much match nearly every color or mix your own using a brush and piece of cardboard. I only repaint the bills, white details, feet and blue speculums. In any case, this craft paint is water based which means that you have to put some type of finish over it. I used a ultra-flat satin clearcoat and it worked like a charm. They DO NOT shine like a clear coat (which is good) but the paint is protected. They end up looking like a decoy looks when it is wet, except all of the time.

Best thing about it is that the craft paint is cheap and the satin clearcoat is also very cheap. One container of each will go a long way.

By the way, don't try to buy decoys from Mack's, because I just got back from driving over there the other day and they were out of A LOT of stuff and not just decoys.

[goosebruce]

Gadwall deeks? Yeah man, I furgot ya from alabama... typically, we don't use gadwall deeks... just mouth call them, meek, meek, meek-meek. If ya kill over half the flock, the rest will swing back around to see what the noise was. Works well for me, and seems easier than matching the hatch.

Drab colored decoys pretty much look the same to a duck flying at 30 mph with eyes on oppoisite sides of their heads... If they are close nuff to tell, SHOOT. hehe. Hen widgeons, hen pinnies, gadwall deeks, at 35 yards you cant tell what is supposed to be what... the ducks ceartinly can't nor care.

Ya probably shooting gaddies on open water, in the grass right? Where they're spooky as hell. Coot decoys my man. Watch the gadwalls pile in on a raft of coots. 3 dozen coot deeks, and 3 dozen pepsi 2 liters ought to make a hell of a coot spread, cheap & easy. travis