Decoys

[Bankermane]

I know it is a common problem that decoys get shot during the hunt. Even when you wait until the birds are off the water(Legal Way). Here is my question. We filled a couple of decoys up with expandable foam and kept hunting with them. The filled decoys don't move as much in the wind because they are heavier.

Does anyone have ideas on how to fix them, or just throw them away and keep buying new one's ever year?

Use the heavy ones on your jerk string.

[Buckwabit]

That's normally what we do, but we already have about 9 Decoys like that. We always wait on them to get up, but when you hunt from a boat and the ducks are far out there, you are automatically shooting down. Decoys take a pounding.

[GordonGekko]

get you some cork decoys...they'll still float after being shot...otherwise throw the decoys away....

ducks are not easier to kill on the water...they're easier to kill right when they jump up after your buddy tries to water swat 'em....

[Blackwater]

Is it illegal to shoot them on the water?

not when your hunting with me its not. it theyre brave enough to sit in the deocys then theyre brave enough to get shot AT while in the decoys

I second that sir.

[pntailhntr]

Hell yea it's Legal to kill em on the water!! Hell of a lot easier to hit, just as hard to kill though!!!!

[cwink]

Them things are like armored tanks once they are on the water.

I agree. Either they get a forcefield around them or I just suck at hitting a smaller target.. Either way I try and get em before landing water, or flush them to get them off the water..

[Anatidae]

Man, y'all kill me with the 'ethics' issues........the way things are going, if a duck lands anywhere close to a decoy, the decoy better fly first.....cause that duck's fixin' to die!

[Wingman]

They are tough to kill when on the water. I think it has a lot to do with their wings being folded beside their vitals (kinda like bullet proof vests).

However, it isn't illegal to skillet shoot 'em.

[KWAKHED]

I personally prefer the old faithful headshot!

[VICKSBURGBOB]

Is it illegal to shoot them on the water?

not when your hunting with me its not. it theyre brave enough to sit in the deocys then theyre brave enough to get shot AT while in the decoys

I second that sir.

kind of depends on how full the ole freezer is.

[rustypjr]

I personally prefer the old faithful headshot!

With a scoped .17. I know what you mean. You can get about 10 before they figure out what is happening!

[hbrown]

First 4 ducks of the year I creamed on the water. I couldn't hit one in the air to save my life, but I'm back on the horse now.

[cwink]

[quote="Wingman"]They are tough to kill when on the water. I think it has a lot to do with their wings being folded beside their vitals (kinda like bullet proof vests).

I am convined that every duck I have ever killed has been scared by the shot whizzing by or bouncing off them, become destracted and fall from the sky and die by blunt force tramua when the hit the ground.

Cause they sure wont die when those wings are folded on the water, I feel like Ralphy from the Christmas Story, and those pellets are going bounce back at me and "I'll Shoot My Eye Out"

[bamahunter]

Cause they sure wont die when those wings are folded on the water, I feel like Ralphy from the Christmas Story, and those pellets are going bounce back at me and "I'll Shoot My Eye Out"

Sounds like some of ya'll need to start shooting a tighter choke, smaller shot size, and aiming for the head!

[h2o_dog]

It's all a big conspiracy...

While I'm not above shooting an unscathed duck on the water (been a long time since I did), I will at least wait until they swim out of line-of-fire with a decoy.

A cripple on the other hand is going to get shot at regardless of whether decoys are in the way.

It all makes sense now...the decoy manufacturer's lobbied the government to outlaw lead shot, so as to make hunters shoot more decoys (and thereby replace them).