Decoys are made to look as close to a genuine duck or perhaps goose as possible, with various degrees of success. For just some hunters, the resemblance of their decoys to a genuine species is unimportant.
Others like it to resemble as nearly as possible, and two sorts of external surfaces may be employed to achieve that authenticity. First, you can utilize a completely flocked and otherwise painted decoy.
Here, we will talk about the top 4 fully flocked duck and goose decoys. The goal is to make as lifelike duck and goose decoys as conceivable.
While we’re in the debate around whether flocked decoys are successful or otherwise, we need first to define flocking. This coating technique includes the adherence of microscopic threads to a surface to create a fuzzy appearance.
This is a pretty frequent technique, and we’ve seen the effects in many ordinary products around the household, such as soft toys, suitcase linings, wall panels, and insulators.
When used to something like a decoy, the outcome is a coating that more strongly resembles the surface of a duck or goose.
What Does It Mean To Have A Fully Flocked Decoy?
Certain businesses sell decoys with flocked heads, whereas others sell prototypes with flocks all over the body. These flocked decoys are known as fully flocked decoys, and their purpose is to create a higher sense of authenticity.
Things To Consider Before Buying Fully Flocked Duck And Goose Decoys
Realistic appearance
While past hunting ducks, lifelike decoys may not be necessary, but We feel they may lead to significant improvements when working with groups of stressed birds. If you want to obtain these kinds of in-your-face shots when hunting hard-pressured ducks, specifically on public property, you’ll need the most lifelike decoys available.
When it comes to catching late-season mallards, using the most realistic decoys will help you out. It’s not only fascinating to decoy ducks up close, but it also provides you a considerably better chance of catching them. In the end, this means we’ll have more ducks in the bag, and this is something we all can be happy about.
Durability
Well, all precision in the world won’t save you if the paintwork on your decoys starts to crumble after a few hunts. Unless you take the effort to place your decoys in distinct slotted bags, they’ll be banged around.
Mallard decoys do not have to be unbreakable when it pertains to sturdiness. Over the course of a season, you might expect a few scuffs or chips. We don’t want decoys that lose their paint over the course of a few hunts rather than seasons.
Weight
Durability and realism will be the most important aspects for certain hunters when choosing a decoy. Nevertheless, if you’re going to hunt on public property, size and weight are significant factors to consider. Decoy weight may quickly mount up, making it difficult to get into those remote, difficult-to-reach spots.
Typically, the birds will congregate in the most difficult-to-reach areas. If you’re hunting a pond right off the road and also the ducks like to be in a back-water marsh a mile away, it really doesn’t matter how realistic your decoys are.
Our Top 4 Picks For Fully Flocked Duck And Goose Decoys
1. Tanglefree Migration Edition Mallard Resters
These Tanglefree decoys are intended to grab people’s attention by being more realistic. They are designed precisely to not flash unnecessarily in the light as plastic decoys do. They also have an edge since they are independently airbrushed throughout the finishing procedure, making them all somewhat distinct from each other as well.
These are fully filled with foam and feature a weighted keel, allowing them to float comfortably while in water. They come in bunches of six decoys with a variety of settings (two upright drakes decoys, two rester drakes decoys, and two skimmer drakes decoys).
2. Higdon Outdoors Goose Shell
These decoys stand out more because of their greater size and blackheads. This draws the ducks’ interest to your spread by making it more apparent. Ducks seem to enjoy landing on these geese decoys for whatever reason.
When there is a lot of stress from other hunters, we suggest using them because they give the ducks a distinct look and therefore can make a big difference in the hunt’s success.
Also, these shells are a great place to begin. They have all of the features of the more costly decoys but for a fraction of the cost. In the outdoors, the heads are flocked, sturdy, and simple to remove and replace.
My decoy heads are easily removed and replaced after every hunt in a couple of seconds. I’ve had no problems with the paint thus far. Because they are not huge, they are less expensive, and so this works to our advantage when it comes to packing them in.
3. Dakota X-Treme Floating Mallards
These decoys are thought of as one of the most genuine and authentic available. These decoys have been created and built with a complete hand-painted touch to achieve the highest degree of realism possible.
There are a number of alternatives on the market right now for the name brand, high-quality duck decoys. While a lot of it boils down to individual choice, you won’t find a better decoy than this. When compared to practically any other form of decoy, the Dakota Decoys will shine out. Instead of being a one-piece construction, these heads can swivel 360 degrees, providing you with the most head positioning possibilities.
Furthermore, the head’s design has a significantly higher profile than previous decoys, making it stand out on the water. These really are, in my view, perhaps one of the most realistic-looking decoys around.
They’ve been coated with a unique flocking compound that prevents the decoy from shining in the sunlight when it becomes wet. As a result, they will look fantastic in any lighting situation. In addition, the heads of decoys may be spun through a complete 360 degrees, allowing them to seem to be in various positions.
The drakes have flocked heads, and there are twelve decoys in this bundle. These decoys have wonderful flocking heads that truly make them stand out. The company also offers a similar alternative with the exception that the drakes are totally flocked.
Take into account that while completely flocked decoys seem nicer than those with merely flocked heads, these are sometimes more difficult to maintain. It’s simple for the flocking to get dirty, so you’ll have to be careful when cleaning it. However, I’ve looked at both painted and completely flocked decoys, and I don’t think you can go wrong with any option.
4. Avian-X AXF Full Body Canada Goose
The Avian-X goose decoys were created using a combination of precisely picked colors, feather texture, and attitudes that are similar to those seen in natural geese to ensure maximum realism. The whole body flocking, which replicates the gloss of live geese feathers, provides the finishing touch.
The heads have a direct connecting mechanism that prevents splitting, as well as the square retractable action bases, which offer the kind of movement you’d anticipate from a goose feeding. They are sold in six-packs and come in three various types: feeders, decoy walkers, and decoy sentries.
Six decoys and a heavy-duty neatly slotted decoy bag are included in this Avian X Full Body kit. Because these are some more expensive decoys, the slotted bag will prove to be very helpful. They do, however, have a rubberized molding substance that is quite good at holding paint.
It won’t be easy to fit all of these in, but they’ll give your spread a great deal of realism. The decoy also stands out more in the field because of the distinctive color scheme.
Full-body duck decoys are most commonly employed for field hunting, but they may also be quite successful in shallow water or even at pond borders. If you could somehow find open water deep into the season, they may also be utilized on ice. These decoys, on the other hand, are supported by stakes rather than stands.
If you need to use these on the ice, try drilling a hole with a quarter-inch drill bit. The wonderful thing about stakes is that they don’t blow over in heavy gusts.
If you hunt in a range of areas or shallow water, investing in some high-quality full-body decoys can help you gain an advantage. I believe you will be amazed by the Avian X Decoys’ endurance and authenticity.
Pros and Cons of Fully Flocked Decoys
Hunters are divided according to whether certain decoys are worth the time and money. Some people who have had success with them loudly praise and recommend their merits, while others are less enthusiastic.
The following are some favorable and negative feelings and attitudes about flocked decoys.
Pros
- Compared to hard-shelled plastic decoys, they appear to be a bit more realistic.
- These are ideal for modest spreads in potholes and forest hollows.
- They don’t sparkle nearly as much, which is ideal for hunting outdoors.
- Between completely flocked or perhaps non-flocked decoys, there seems to be a significant variation in the look on the water.
Cons
- They are substantially more heavy on the pocket than most of the other sorts of decoys, which is amplified if you are operating a huge spread.
- When transporting and keeping them safely stored, you must be more careful so that the flocking doesn’t somehow rub off.
- It’s harder to wash them, especially if they fall off and become dirty.
- The ice that forms on the decoy’s body is extremely tough to remove. So you’ll have to wait till the ice melts before cleaning the decoy.