The Benefits of Duck Decoys: Why You Need Them
Written by John Wren|
Decoys give passing ducks a reason to finish. Full-bodies and floaters each have a job; lines and motion matter as much as the plastic.
Key takeaways
- Another type of decoy is the full-bodied decoy, which is designed to look like a full-sized duck. These decoys are more realistic and can help attract more birds, but they are also heavier and more expensive.
- When it comes to duck decoys, there are several brands that stand out. Here is a list of some of the best selling ones out there.
- Another popular accessory is a decoy line, which can help you set up your decoys in a neat and orderly pattern. Decoy lines come in a variety of lengths and can help you create a realistic-looking pattern.
A duck spread you will still pick up is a handful of honest mallards, a call you can use quietly, and waders that stay dry — not a hundred-decoy circus you mailed because a catalog said confidence. The short answer: keep the spread small and moving, buy a Duck Commander-class call we photograph, and wear Frogg Toggs Amphib if the levee is already wet. The plastic birds stay a waterfowl shop. The shotgun stays a dealer.
Short version. Waders is the dry layer. Turkey decoys is the spring cousin. Pair with public land. Check live prices.
This page is why decoys work and how few you actually need. A book reprint titled like a decoy pack is not a mallard. A paperback reprint is not a mallard.
Decoys pull birds into a hole you can legally shoot
Ducks want company and a reason to land. A small, moving spread on the water they already use beats a parking lot of faded plastic on a sandbar they abandoned in October. Early teal is the September version. Do: spin a bird, add a jerk cord you already own. Don’t: a late-season mallard circus on a teal opener.
The shotgun and steel stay a licensed dealer. An M3500 sit if the other Saturday is already an inertia gun. This page does not crate shells.
The plastic birds stay a waterfowl shop
Flambeau, GHG, and Avian-X still sell mallards a hunter can see. Confirm flocked versus painted, weighted keels, and a bag you can carry. A live Amazon photo we cannot match to a decoy pack is not a card we will fake. Buy the birds where you can hold one.
Flambeau — current waterfowl decoys
Do: six to a dozen you will pick up. Don’t: a “four dozen starter” you will leave in the mud. A duck kayak if the hull already has to carry them.
A call you can use quietly closes singles
The Duck Commander Classic Series call is the live double-reed we named. Practice in the truck, not a blast over a working spread. Check live prices.
Do: one or two soft quacks. Don’t: a contest routine on public marsh. Turkey calls is a different mouth. Late ducks if the birds already have a PhD.
Dry legs are how you finish the pick-up
The Frogg Toggs Amphib bootfoot is the live wader we named for most marsh mornings. A belt. Hang them to dry. Check live prices.
The wader page is the longer fork. Do: a leak check in the tub. Don’t: a wet ball in a truck bed until March.
| Want | Honest tool |
|---|---|
| The birds | A shop mallard dozen you will pick up |
| The close | Duck Commander-class call, quiet |
| The walk | Amphib bootfoot, a belt |
| The gun | A licensed dealer |
Small spread. Moving water. Check live prices.
Motion is the confidence. Faded plastic is a warning.
A jerk cord, a spinning wing where it is legal, or a breeze on a keel still sells the hole. Do: read this year’s WMA rules on motorized decoys. Don’t: a illegal spinner because a video from another state looked cool. Public paper still wins.
If you cannot pick it up, you brought too many
The honest test is the walk back to the truck at 9 a.m. with ice in the grass. A kayak full of decoys you cannot restack is a swim. Kayaks if the hull is already the cart. Leave two dozen in the garage until you hunt a hole that wants them.
Match the bird to the month
Teal want small, dark, and early. Mallards want mallards. A giant Canada pack on a puddle duck hole is a joke the birds already heard. Teal week if the calendar is already September. A first sit thinking scales: one job, one spread.
A small moving spread, a quiet call, dry waders
That is why decoys earn a bag. Check live prices. Come home with birds you picked up, not a circus you abandoned.
If you cannot pick it up, you brought too many
Six to a dozen shop mallards you will still carry. Duck decoys. A duck kayak.
The Duck Commander call we named still wants soft quacks. Check live prices. Early teal. Late ducks.
The Amphib waders we named still want a belt. Check live prices. Waders.
The shotgun stays a dealer. An M3500 sit. A pump.
Motion is the confidence. Faded plastic is a warning.
A jerk cord you already own beats a parking-lot flock. Duck decoys. Public land.
Read this year’s WMA rules on spinners. Early teal. Last year’s screenshot is a rumor.
Waders. Hang them to dry. A wet ball is a leak in March.
Turkey decoys is a different bird. Don’t mix the bags.
Match the decoy to the month
Teal want small and early. Mallards want mallards. Early teal. Late ducks.
A giant Canada pack on a puddle hole is a joke. Duck decoys. Public land.
The call we named. Quiet. Check live prices. Turkey calls is a mouth, not a duck reed.
Quail with kids thinking: short sits, a cancel when the birds already left.
Hold a keel at a shop. A book reprint is not a mallard.
Flambeau and GHG still sell birds you can see. Duck decoys. A paperback reprint is not a mallard.
Do: weighted keels you can still throw. Don’t: a four-dozen starter. A duck kayak.
Waders. An M3500 sit. Steel stays a counter.
Last line: small moving spread, quiet call, dry legs. Early teal.
The walk back at 9 a.m. is the test
Ice in the grass. A bag you can still lift. Duck decoys. Leave some gas.
The Amphib we named. Check live prices. Waders. First aid.
Recovery thinking scales to a bird you must find. A hunting lamp.
A safe that closes. Unload for the blacktop. The gun stays a dealer.
Guests will try to blow a contest routine
Say the rule: one or two soft quacks. Duck decoys. Public land.
The Duck Commander we named. Practice in the truck. Check live prices.
Kids outside if a child is already the sit. A blast over working birds is a wall.
Late ducks. Educated ducks already heard you.
Paper first. A spinner from another state is not your method.
Public land. Florida hunting if the swamp is already the job. New York woods if the hardwoods are.
The shotgun stays a shop. An M3500 sit. Ear protection.
Waders. A belt. A way out.
Come home with birds you picked up. Duck decoys. Early teal.
Write the hole and the count on a card
Tired you will bring too many. Tape will not. Duck decoys. A duck kayak.
Check live prices on the call and the Amphib.
Waders. An M3500 sit. Public land. That is enough.
A circus in the mud is not confidence. A small moving spread is. Late ducks.
Late birds already have a degree. A contest routine is a wall.
One or two soft quacks. The Duck Commander Classic we named still wants practice in the truck, not a blast over a working spread. Check live prices. Duck decoys. Late ducks. Early teal. Public land. Last year’s screenshot of a spinner rule is a rumor. Print this year.
Six to a dozen shop mallards you will still pick up. Motion is the confidence — a jerk cord you already own, a breeze on a keel. Faded plastic on a sandbar they abandoned in October is a warning. A duck kayak. If you cannot pick it up at 9 a.m. with ice in the grass, you brought too many.
The Frogg Toggs Amphib we named still wants a belt and a hang to dry. Check live prices. Waders. A wet ball in a truck bed is a leak in March. The shotgun stays a licensed dealer. An M3500 sit. A pump. Steel stays a counter. A safe that closes. Unload for the blacktop.
Do not mix the turkey bag and the duck bag. Different birds. Different months.
Turkey decoys. Turkey calls. A giant Canada pack on a puddle-duck hole is a joke the birds already heard. Match the decoy to the month. Quail with kids thinking: short sits, a cancel when the birds already left. Leave some gas.
Hold a keel at a shop. Flambeau and GHG still sell birds you can see. A paperback reprint titled like a decoy pack is not a mallard, and it does not belong under a bird heading. Duck decoys. Waders. First aid. A belt on waders might save you.
Write the hole and the count on a card. Tired you will bring too many. Tape will not. Public land. Florida hunting. New York woods. Come home with birds you picked up, not a circus you abandoned. Check live prices on the call and the Amphib.
A jerk cord you already own still sells the hole. A faded flock does not.
Walk the water they already use at last light the evening before. A parking-lot circus on a sandbar they left in October is how you educate every bird on the refuge. Duck decoys. Early teal. Late ducks. Public land. The Duck Commander we named still wants a quiet close on singles. Check live prices. Waders. The Amphib we named. A belt. Hang them. A duck kayak. If the hull already has to carry them, fewer birds. An M3500 sit. The gun stays a dealer. Steel stays a counter. A safe that closes. Ear protection. First aid.
Species match the month. Teal want small and dark and early. Mallards want mallards. Quail with kids thinking: leave when they have already left. Turkey decoys is a different strap. Don’t mix bags. Leave some gas. Write the hole and the count. Tired you will bring four dozen. Tape will not. Come home with a bag you lifted, a call you did not blast, dry legs. Check live prices. Duck decoys. Waders. Florida hunting. New York woods.
A belt on the waders is not costume. It might be the way you stand up.
The Amphib we named still wants that buckle before you step off a levee. Check live prices. Waders. Duck decoys. First aid. A kayak full of decoys you cannot restack is a swim. A duck kayak. Pick up what you set. Public land. Leave some gas.
Also in the magazine
Keep going with waders, turkey decoys, early teal, and public land. Check live prices.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need duck decoys?
They pull birds into a hole you can legally shoot. A small moving spread on water they already use beats a faded circus.
How many decoys?
Six to a dozen you will pick up. Add more only when the hole and the walk back still make sense.
Which decoys should I buy on Amazon?
None for the plastic birds — buy those at a waterfowl shop where you can hold a keel. We name a Duck Commander-class call and Frogg Toggs Amphib waders.
What call?
Duck Commander Classic Series we photograph. Soft quacks. A contest routine on public marsh is a wall.
Do I need waders?
If you will set and pick up in water, yes. Amphib bootfoot we named, with a belt.
Can I buy a shotgun here?
No. Licensed dealer. Steel stays the counter.