Decoys

[jerry attrick 264]

is it best to mix decoys up a little rather than just use one species

[zuko 6]

I find its best if your using pigeon decoys to put a crow decoy on the outskirts (maybe on a fence post or tree)

[The one 8,477]

I mix two crow decoys and a magpie decoy as confidence decoys when I'm decoding pigeons

[bbjaccov5 4]

Hello,

 

I will never use a crow decoy in or close to the pigeon decoy pattern as it seems to scare them off (they wont fly over it) So if i use a crow i always make sure it has some distance from the pigeon decoys.

 

I also don't mix different decoy's. Also no dead birds and decoys some pigeon fleed away at the last moment. Its fine to put the decoys at one side and dead birds on the other side or something similar.

I don't know if its just bad luck or that they do see the differance but i don't take the gamble.

Besides if you found the best decoy why would you mix?

Last week i bought new pro attract hd decoys (pictures at my topic) They look very good, i yet have to try them. Maybe tomorrow

 

Gr Jacco

Edited September 5, 2013 by bbjaccov5

[Haggis81 147]

I got 5 crow decoys after reading this topic..

 

Set them up in mixed patterns during the outing.

 

Last pattern was the most effective, 4 crows decoys at the left and 4 pigeons decoys on the right, shot over 30 crows and 12 pigeons

[engraver 44]

Hello,

 

I will never use a crow decoy in or close to the pigeon decoy pattern as it seems to scare them off (they wont fly over it) So if i use a crow i always make sure it has some distance from the pigeon decoys.

 

I also don't mix different decoy's. Also no dead birds and decoys some pigeon fleed away at the last moment. Its fine to put the decoys at one side and dead birds on the other side or something similar.

I don't know if its just bad luck or that they do see the differance but i don't take the gamble.

Besides if you found the best decoy why would you mix?

 

Last week i bought new pro attract hd decoys (pictures at my topic) They look very good, i yet have to try them. Maybe tomorrow

 

Gr Jacco

Sorry mate I don't agree you can use dead birds amongst the decoys , in fact that is exactly what to do to make your pattern more convincing.

 

If you get sunshine, then start to remove your shells from the pattern as you build the pattern up with dead birds.

 

Im out 4-5 days per week, so if it works I don't fix it, there are other shooters on my permission using whirleys and flappers but I still shoot more birds, starting with 12 simple shells and around 10 dead birds mixed in with them, I sometimes use 2 crows to one side of the pattern, if you put the crows too near then this will spook birds, they need to be at least 15-20yrds from your nearest pigeon in my experience, If you shoot 5 or so crows and add them to the pattern watch how the woodies will stop landing as confidently, it seems its one or the other.

 

If I start shooting a lot of crows, I will leave the pigeons out but only the odd one comes in if you have a lot of crows out, but If I start shooting a lot of pigeons I will pull the crows in.

Edited September 6, 2013 by engraver

[bbjaccov5 4]

 

Hello,

 

I will never use a crow decoy in or close to the pigeon decoy pattern as it seems to scare them off (they wont fly over it) So if i use a crow i always make sure it has some distance from the pigeon decoys.

 

I also don't mix different decoy's. Also no dead birds and decoys some pigeon fleed away at the last moment. Its fine to put the decoys at one side and dead birds on the other side or something similar.

I don't know if its just bad luck or that they do see the differance but i don't take the gamble.

Besides if you found the best decoy why would you mix?

 

Last week i bought new pro attract hd decoys (pictures at my topic) They look very good, i yet have to try them. Maybe tomorrow

 

Gr Jacco

Sorry mate I don't agree you can use dead birds amongst the decoys , in fact that is exactly what to do to make your pattern more convincing.

 

If you get sunshine, then start to remove your shells from the pattern as you build the pattern up with dead birds.

 

Im out 4-5 days per week, so if it works I don't fix it, there are other shooters on my permission using whirleys and flappers but I still shoot more birds, starting with 12 simple shells and around 10 dead birds mixed in with them, I sometimes use 2 crows to one side of the pattern, if you put the crows too near then this will spook birds, they need to be at least 15-20yrds from your nearest pigeon in my experience, If you shoot 5 or so crows and add them to the pattern watch how the woodies will stop landing as confidently, it seems its one or the other.

 

If I start shooting a lot of crows, I will leave the pigeons out but only the odd one comes in if you have a lot of crows out, but If I start shooting a lot of pigeons I will pull the crows in.

 

 

Oke with this new decoy's i will give it a go... With my old ones i could not get them to come in good with mixed baggs. but they are not very realistic maybe thats the problem.

 

Gr Jacco

[brucemyster 75]

If your targeting a particular species then decoy for that species, I use full bodied flock decoys for pigeon and crows. Some days using the real birds shot to replace the decoys in the pattern pull more birds in other days if the decoys are pulling them in fully committed then why change anything. I have mixed different decoys in the past but find that it is not beneficial, other than an odd magpie on a post or lofted when decoying corvids

[engraver 44]

There isn't a decoy on the market that is more lifelike than an dead bird, If you cradle it or prop its head up correctly and position it correctly.

 

Dead birds set out correctly will always pull more birds in my experience.

 

If fact I know someone who cuts the wings off dead birds at the knuckle and sticks them to his decoys with spray on carpet glue, he swears by it,