Thread: Old decoys help

Gday all I got some 45 odd decoys off trade me for 100 bucks 3 magnums rest normal size they are all missing a lot of paint my question is do I go to the trouble of trying to paint them fully or do I make them a non shiny black if I do make them black that ia the only decoys o have so will be black decoys only what are people’s thought I hunt on the Clutha rivwe

Personally I'd paint most of them realistically, you'd get away with black ducks early season but even then having a whole lot painted black would look unnatural.

Paint half mat black and the other half brown with a white head .......

get into resene and raid the test pottles...... repainting decoys is nearly half the fun of duckshooting. after about ten seasons you will be semi happy with them and just give them a clean before putting them away then a quick touchup before use.
dark colour first then with NEARLY DRY brush lighter coulor GENTLY across the feather pattern so it hits ridges but not valleys....most paint dries darker...coffee type colours and tan... matt black and brighest white you can find.pottle of a bottle green and maybe a purple/blue if you want to do speculums...spaycan of black will dull down any that look too bright when youve finished. biggest tip is less often is better than heap/thick coat at once.
have fun
if you want parries "hairy heath" colour is ideal for female body

Paint them all hen colours of slightly different shades of brown then buy a dozen mallard drakes new to ad some colour.save yourself a lot of time and effort.

but the drakes are easiest to paint by far LOL

Paul Stenning did a great article in NZ hunter a while back. Ive got a laminated copy I can scan to you if required. I followed it to a tee one year annd shot 85 odd ducks on opening day over decoys which were previously "shitters"

as a side note, for all you duck hunters out there using electronic decoys. spray the hinges, dc input socket etc with crc and make sure you dont leaver the power switch on after use. every time this year i have to repair last seasons. and dont ever !! try to quick charge one with a car battery charger. you havent seen flames till you have seen a lithium battery ignite

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

get into resene and raid the test pottles...... repainting decoys is nearly half the fun of duckshooting. after about ten seasons you will be semi happy with them and just give them a clean before putting them away then a quick touchup before use.
dark colour first then with NEARLY DRY brush lighter coulor GENTLY across the feather pattern so it hits ridges but not valleys....most paint dries darker...coffee type colours and tan... matt black and brighest white you can find.pottle of a bottle green and maybe a purple/blue if you want to do speculums...spaycan of black will dull down any that look too bright when youve finished. biggest tip is less often is better than heap/thick coat at once.
have fun
if you want parries "hairy heath" colour is ideal for female body

i use a flat black or white for geese and am gonna after telling my mate that i will try to improve on the parrie dekes he got with some mission brown paint.
the colours as they came from gc is to light plus the beaks seem a bit long
the black of the drakes is a bit shiny so blackboard paint or flat black will fix them to.
i wouldnt even try to paint up mallard, goose and parries are the limit of my abilitys.
like dirty harry said'' a mans gotta know his limitations''.

charcoal grey is pretty darn good for male parries... dont sweat about preportions...I used to shoot parries over lumps of punga log with a crude wooded head tacked on and sides spay painted with white . if setting parries and targeting mallards put parries off to one side as they aggresive and mallards dont USUALLY like to land amoung them.

Originally Posted by Nathan F

Paul Stenning did a great article in NZ hunter a while back. Ive got a laminated copy I can scan to you if required. I followed it to a tee one year annd shot 85 odd ducks on opening day over decoys which were previously "shitters"

I have painted mine for many years. I have found that a quick touch-up is not as good as a complete paint job. I use Paul Stennings colours as well, but do use a bit more flat black on the backs (don't use low sheen - make sure it's flat.) You can get the colours off NZ Hunter website.

Got some of the decoy skins that seem to be all good
https://www.fowlfactory.com/online-s...kins-p50376753

have a look at this, ive just found it

Hunting Calendars

also im playing with an idea....flocking ill post what ive achieved so far

Originally Posted by Lentil

I have painted mine for many years. I have found that a quick touch-up is not as good as a complete paint job. I use Paul Stennings colours as well, but do use a bit more flat black on the backs (don't use low sheen - make sure it's flat.) You can get the colours off NZ Hunter website.

Yeah ive used it religiously . But like you add more black and have shot a heap of ducks over them. Ive got about 70 to waterblast this easter weekend then im going to touch up and have a go at flocking certain parts !

Ive waterblasted a heap and started painting yesterday. Will post some results when done.