Waterfowling Decoys

[Archive]

Anyone have any regrets about buying Flambeau brand duck/goose decoys? Work just fine or did you end up shooting them in frustration? Use will be in marsh so weighted keel vs water keel is still a ? What works with less hassle?
I'm in a canoe so gear size is a factor, too much and I can't paddle. Too little and I stay hungry.

Also looking for the difference between the Roboduck and the Skyscraper rotating wing duck, other than $50. Wholesale has the skyscraper for $100 and everyone else (Russells) so far has roboduck for $150+.

Thoughts are welcomed. The tally so far is around $350 so any input that could shave a few bucks off here and there are appreciated.


I plan on putting some confidence into the mix like a heron and/or divers and other ducks (teals and pintails) and such.

 

[Jay]

Archive;

I have had some experience with the robo-duck, it worked like a HOT-DAMN sometimes and not so good other times... When it DID work, it seemed like the birds had not been pressured to much, they LOVED the movement of the wings. I compare it to staring into a camp fire, you just CAN'T help but do it!!! My only complaint about the 2 robo-ducks I had was that the friggen things just crapped out on the charge after one season. It would work fine the first season, providing hours of spinning wing action and then the next year, it wouldn'd hold a charge and spin for more than 1 hour!!! Maybe it was my storage of the unit, but whatever... Oh ya, the other thing is that after a couple years, it seemed like EVERYONE on the St. John river was using a robo-duck and the ducks actually have become shy of them... I just can't figure it out, but my guess is that once they "see" it and are fooled by it a couple times, they circle and circle and "see" that it's a trick... I like the robo-ducks, I just think that decoy shy ducks figure them out...

So, that having been said, I have also had good luck with static decoys of various makers, I try to mix and match LOTS of different shapes and poses so the spread looks more "real"... Static decoys seem to work best when there is some wave action to move them OR in spots where the ducks have seen little to no pressure. I hunted a beaver pond this year and it was a friggen hoot! 6 static decoys and one hell of a night shoot...

I am currently looking at the "feeder" decoys with the shaking motion. If you have ever seen feeding ducks, they sure make alot of water move around them and I believe that decoy shy ducks LOOK for movement in the spread to tell if it's safe... Here is what I am looking at...

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=209644

I am also looking at the spinning wing decoy that needs no battery as it works with a "slight" breeze, or that's what they say anyways... Here is that one...

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=226299

If anyone has any experience with either of these products, please pm me of post here...

Cheers
Jay