2023 Heyday Outdoor | All Rights Reserved. Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. Of Decoy Flocking Kits in the USA. No chipping or peeling. She used the cover of a grass waterway in the field to help hide her outline, and stalked 250 yards to . FEATURED PRODUCTS Out of stock Puddle Duck Decoy Kit $ 150.00 - $ 165.00 Details Out of stock Goose/Brant Decoy Kit $ 156.25 - $ 171.25 Details Super Magnum Decoy Kit $ 156.25 - $ 171.25 Extra Features. All of this natural movement enhances realism making HEYDAY decoys more effective. For the stake, use. Hardens nicely and makes them very durable. In all applications, paint or prime the entire decoy in one color, likely white or black depending on the outer color of the finished decoy; i.e., a white base for canvasbacks and black for black ducks. Carved from foam. For many waterfowlers, carving their own duck decoys is something they have contemplated but never put into action. It's easy to hook up your Texas Rig decoy anchors to your Heyday Decoys thanks to our built-in stainless steel, reinforced Easy-Attach Eye Bolts tested to withstand in excess of 165lbs. So clear your Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Next comes the tricky part. My wife had the decoy in the blind, so as soon as she stepped out she was covered up by the silhouette of the decoy. Like on a pontoon, Heyday decoys two keels work together to replicate true duck behavior and keep the decoys swimming straight without the unnatural side-to-side drunk duck darting that is characteristic of single keel decoys. It is important to remember that defects will become more visible once paint has been applied, so take some time to check and double check that every area of the decoy is silky smooth. We set the decoys in a warm well ventilated area, and let them set and dry for 48 hours. These five homemade decoys are perfect for the waterfowler on a budget. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. The Fool 'Em Finish - yet another reason Heyday's lifetime duck decoys work so well. Whether cork, wood or even foam, the tooling list for most decoy medias remains consistent. Like I said I have never made any decoys with it but I think it should work just fine. If you are interested I may be able to get the diver mold I used back and loan it out. A real gobbler fan costs nothing and packs easilyand can be as effective as the full-blown fake. That doesn't sound like much of a big deal, but if the wood expands, it can cause the decoy to split, crack, or even rot depending on how much moisture finds its way inside. Drape Cape If you like easy, simply plunk down a credit card at a major sporting goods store for a Turkey Skinz. You can also pour lead into holes drilled into the bottom to help the decoy self-right, or attach a lead weight to help accomplish this task. A video teaching you how to burlap foam decoys. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Camo Timber Neck Gaiter $19.99. ), Sealer: (wooden decoys- Traditions Multi-Surface Sealer, cork decoys- Traditions Cork Sealer). For a more pleasing look on the water, the decoy should be rounded at the bottom, starting up about 2 inches from the bottom. Mark Kayser I may try it out on a cheapo and bust it open to see the results. Can patch the hole in the head with apoxie sculpt if you want or just shape the foam. Foldable plastics. If you have any questions just shoot me a PM. Welp, go to Big lots in the summer and buy a case of the pool noodles, bundle them together and VOILA safety at its finest. This enticer employs feathers mounted to a stake that raises and lowers a convincing tom fan with the tug of a string. I want to start building a foam decoy spread and steadily replace my plastic decoys with them as I get groups of them completed. Heres how to put a birds tail feathers to work for you. And, even with the weights, a Heyday Decoy is still lighter than a traditional decoy. You will see it change from an amber brown to a light yellow. This is the same material (a closed cell EVA resin) used to make Crocs. Dixie Decoys, LLC is proudly owned by an active duty Marine. If you run gang rigs and one sinks no biggie its attached to the line. This texturing creates realistic shadowing for a more natural looking decoy. Then, skin the turkey out. At the point it's still pourable but you don't have much time left. Haven't done it myself but a hunting buddy hasn't had any problems with it. Cut out a foam or wooden head and neck and attach it to one side of the buoy. Paint it and away you go. :thumbsup: I do own a few dozen foam filled decoys, they are in the shooting pocket, all the rest are elsewhere, seems to be working well. 1. Cut a keel from the furring strip and epoxy in place. That way you can save your hard-earned cash for all that ammo youre going to need this season. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Camo Timber Hat $29.99. First, acquire a freshly killed turkey. All media carves differently, with cork being the easiest for newcomers to start with, and foam being the cheapest but requiring the most work after carving to create a rugged outer shell. Hunting. You must log in or register to reply here. Removing the UpRight Weights transforms the decoy to an unprecedented level of ultra-light. Front and rear stainless steel Easy Attach Eye Bolts that will never fail. Its just $1 per month . Homer Decoys are proudly manufactured in a small community located in Piqua, Ohio. Once the head is nearly complete, using Apoxie Sculpt, set the eyes and then finish smoothing the head and blending transitions. Primos Photoform Leading Hen Decoy. Banded Birds - Black Ducks - 6, Mallards 19 (3 Jack Miner) BW Teal - 2, Wood Ducks - 1, 1 Ross and 1 snow Goose (Both reward bands) , Canada Geese - 15 (2 neck collars), Morning Dove - 1. The fun thing about the foam trend is that you don't have to be too precise and it's super-affordable to DIY, yet it still looks like a very original, unique statement piece. Blending coats and white. I have quite a pile of leaky plastic decoys (G&H M4Ms). This is also a good time to at least begin fitting a keel, if desired, to the bottom of the decoy. DIY styrofoam decoy - aminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. Once you get the amounts dialed in you should be able to mix and pour and have it out of the mold in 30 minutes or so. This site also has many instructional articles to help sort things out, should you get stuck. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Here are step-by-step instructions for how. Overall, have fun, get creative, and work to get better. Our mission is to inspire the preservation of the sporting tradition. The economy is bad, but the duck hunting this season should be goodreal goodif you can afford to hunt it. Sunday is gonna be good. Slowly and meticulously, begin separating the skin from the meat. Once you get onto the process the carving part, basically the artistic part will take about 15 minutes per decoy, the rest of the process is more or less just knowing how and doing it. Thread starter jeffc; Start date Apr 6, 2018; Apr 6, 2018 #1 J. jeffc Senior Refuge Member. Scuff the PVC with sandpaper and spray-paint it a dull color, like matte black. I'm with Wildlifer about the foam though. [2] Drill four 1/8-inch holes in the butt end. The goal is to have an all foam spread within two years. A guide at Turkey Trot Acres in New York, Jerome uses a mounted, full-strut jake combined with one or two taxidermy-quality hens to lure mature toms even without calls. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. The decoy doesn't move, making it slightly less appealing to real crows than motorized ones. If you like easy, simply plunk down a credit card at a major sporting goods store for a Turkey Skinz. http://www.nchuntandfish.com/forums/showthread.php?111654-Freshly-painted-redheads&highlight=foam+decoys, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rctVw5MkgvUkskrRtid5TA00Q&bvm=bv.137132246,d.eWE. Another advantage of Heyday's HydroFoam construction is the fact that, unlike plastic, the foam allows for dimensional, carved-in detail. Gee String Actual Hen image printed on to durable 3DFoam. After caping the turkey and removing all fat and meat, stretch the hide out on a sturdy piece of cardboard using tacks or pins. The reason for this is simple: They dont know where to start or where to get materials, and eventually their time gets occupied with other projects. With a roughed-out or cutout kit, most of this work has been done for you. If you have been hunting long enough you probably have some old decoys laying around. This ready-to-use cured skin wraps around most foam decoys to give any faux bird the look of a shimmering, fully feathered hen or gobbler. Decoys can be made with lots of detail, or rather basic, letting the paint do the detail work. Designers and DIY . The foam expands and seals, deterring moisture (which can create mold) and pests from eating through your walls. Drill a couple 1 1/4" holes in the bottom of the decoy with a hole saw (fore and aft), and a 1/2" or so hole on the bottom of the head, figure out how much foam you need with the expansion rate, pour it in, trim off what comes out of the holes. They also clean up with water, making them easier to deal with, and mistakes can be easily wiped away. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Multiple positions; contented, feeding and breeding. Heydays symmetrical dual-keel hull allows decoys to deploy on the hard ground of a river bank, field, ice, or sand as tides let out without the lean you get from a single keel decoy. Before he died, Chuck asked me to help clean up his shop and disposition a lot of his carving stuff once he passed. Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. In the past I have used a hot glue gun to patch holes with limited success. [1] Remove the entire fan by cutting around the fleshy base of the tail. Combined with a light weight body, the rounded Dual-Keel design instead of a straight single keel allows a Heyday decoy to move much more freely when subjected to even the slightest breeze or current. Motion. :thumbsup: I've also seen the $3 regular spray can foam from Walmart used. You can shoot it, step on it, run it over with your truck, and our HydroFoam duck decoys will NEVER SINK because, unlike other decoys, every decoy in the HydroFoam line is hollow and does NOT rely on an airtight seal to stay afloat. Extremely lightweight, flexible, and portable. Next, add white paint on the upper rear tail feathers. (2) Gee String Cost: $9 per decoy for a dozen or more You need: Pink insulating foam board, epoxy, burlap, mastic, basswood, furring strip How-to: Laminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. Most of the difficulty in making your own hand carved foamer decoys is in the knowing how, you can find that at ded outdoors. Most of the difficulty in making your own hand carved foamer decoys is in the knowing how, you can find that at ded outdoors. I only use UV paint for decoys. Youre almost finished. We did the molded decoy thing, but quickly grew out of that and progressed into carving decoys out of foam and wood. A single 1/4" hole under the tail feathers. 2 part urethane used for molding decoys. The shape of the keel can be as basic as a rectangle or as detailed as a half-moon, but the important thing is that its size fits the bird. While carved decoys are certainly more expensive than manufactured plastic decoys, they add some nostalgia and a personal touch to an otherwise standard decoy rig. Give 'em the ol' Texas trash bag treatment. 1. I went back on my old foam decoy thread and realized I never did a step by step like you mentioned in that thread. Just $1 per month . Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tips, tricks, optics, hunting, gunsmithing, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more! What makes HEYDAY decoys unique is the HydroFoam construction. Cut one end at a 45-degree angle so you can easily drive it into the ground. Thats why the current craze in decoysfield-ready taxidermy mountstrumps any store-bought foam decoy. Removing the UpRight Weights transforms the decoy to an unprecedented level of "ultra-light." Front and rear stainless steel Easy Attach Eye Bolts that will never fail. Proprietary Photoform process using actual imagery of a turkey. I plan to burlap these before painting and will attach a small keel just for a little weight. Power is provided by a rechargeable battery with a run time of up to 12 hours. While fine feather details are great in hand, from a distance, they make absolutely no difference to the birds so dont get hung up on them if things arent perfect right away. www.foamdecoys.com Though I'll stick to carving mine from the foam shipping blocks tsc gives me. The splashing element, created by a hidden bilge pump, is adjustable via control flaps. It doesnt matter if its a gobbler or a hen; just make sure its legal. You just mix it 50/50 and pour it in and the stuff goes a long way. While decoys can be made a variety of ways, for the purposes of this instruction, the equipment list below focuses on generally available tools that you might already have around the garage, helping to minimize initial investments. This foam is far superior to the EPS type foam. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Decoy kits include items to create high quality work. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tips, tricks, optics, hunting, gunsmithing, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more! | For most new carvers, it takes some time to figure out the perfect amount to remove with each pass, and this skill will be developed over time. Draw a line around the center of the duck decoy. To touch up a mallard hen, use a small brush to lengthen and widen the two white wing bars on each side of the body (bordering the speculum). http://www.amazon.com/Pourable-Flotatio B0047R4AQW, Shotshell, Reloading, Ballistics, & Chokes. Some sealers may raise the grain slightly, so make sure to knock it back down with small-grit sandpaper or even steel wool before priming. Joined May 14, 2001 Messages 540 Reaction score 160 Location Chillicothe, MO. Thanks for the information. Only weighs 7 Oz. Just $1 per month , Lure in big gobblers using a home-made turkey fan decoy, By Published Aug 28, 2012 12:09 AM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Using three long heavy T-pins, tack the fan onto a large cardboard box, and push the pins all the way through for a secure hold. |, Lynx Trail Cam Video: A Sound Like Youve Never Heard Before, Waterfowl & Retriever 2023 Ultimate Gear Giveaway, Whitetail Journal 2023 Ultimate Gear Giveaway, Bowhunting World 2023 Ultimate Gear Giveaway, Predator Xtreme 2023 Ultimate Gear Giveaway, Great Gear: Howa Hera H7 Bolt-Action Rifle. Because the HydroFoam material itself floats, and because it's so durable, weight is further reduced by hollowing out the entire decoy body. But theyre also pricey and a pain to carry. Just $1 per month . Ask Gabe Jerome. Decoys can also be textured using a comb and some gesso, should that look be desired. I will check the site out. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Chuck was a great friend and unfortunately passed away a few years ago. No external heat source is required when making decoys of this material. However, I work at a taxidermy supply company and we make forms from two part expanding foam and the stuff is pretty easy to use. For new carvers, acrylic paints are the cheapest and easiest to work with, as oils require mixing, cutting and other aspects that require more extensive knowledge. Be especially careful when carving the head, especially around the bill, as it can easily start to look odd and can turn from duck bill to crow beak in just a few quick passes. Using mostly garage or shop items, most carving newbies have everything they need already, keeping initial investments to a minimum. Thanks. Once the two components are solidly attached and the glue has dried, use Apoxie Sculpt or another type of sculpting material to help blend the neck and body joints and touch up any big divots in the body. How-to: Laminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. 2023 Grand View Outdoors All Rights Reserved Once it's mixed you'll have a few minutes before it starts to go. Homer Decoys Bodies and Heads are made using all recycled materials in the United States. Published Mar 8, 2010 9:02 AM EST, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. But if you want to become a puppeteer, incorporate a stake that allows the decoy to move realistically when you pull a string, and be ready to defend your creationtoms will literally try to climb aboard. Start on the top of the head, go down the neck and back and all the way around to your starting point. If you don't want to bring your iPad into the bathroom, we can send you a magazine subscription for free! Step 1: Preparation Whether cork, wood or even foam, the tooling list for most decoy medias remains consistent. Homer Decoys can proudly say that we offer the most durable decoys on the market today. Turkeys dig them. You are using an out of date browser. Pretty neat project Henry! Turn a Heyday floating mallard decoy over and you'll immediately notice the HollowCore body. Homemade duck decoys can be painted to attract different varieties of ducks. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Pretty Crafty there. Ask 10 different carvers what type or brand of paint they use and you will get 10 different answers. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Whether it is the first time applying flock to the decoys or to complete touche ups, these kits will meet your needs. JavaScript is disabled. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. To take it hunting, fold the fan in half or thirds lengthwise and stuff it in your vest. A forum community dedicated to duck hunters and hunting enthusiasts. Sorry this is long, but I wanted to share a little project I am working on. Make floating decoys from foam buoys by cutting the buoy in half and attaching a wooden keel to the bottom to keep it floating properly. Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. Dixie Decoys Utility Pants $39.99 $79.99. M.D. For the stake, use an 18-inch length of 3/4-inch PVC pipe. Great stuff is open celled foam and will eventually absorb water no matter how you cover it up. A forum community dedicated to duck hunters and hunting enthusiasts. Decoys two and three are always better than the first. Duck hunting decoys dont have to cost you $150 per dozen. Learn More . Once dry and set, we started the painting process. Michael R. Shea The less dense the foam is the quicker is expands. First, drive the -inch conduit into the ground until sturdy. Wrap a layer of. Spring gobblers acute vision is legendary. Join other outdoor enthusiasts who already get great content delivered right to their inbox. It doesn't take as much as you'd think either. Finally, take your favorite decoy and adhere your dry skin to the outside using an all-weather adhesive such as Gorilla Glue. Spray foam is a type of insulation that expands after you spray. I put coat of titbeond 3 on the foam, and a few sifted coats of sawdust. Cut along the underbelly, making a slit from the anus to where the feathers end just below the beak. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Timber Camo 1/4 Zip. Place one pin through the base of the tail and one each through the middle of the quills of the left- and rightmost feathers. Think about a Croc that you can hunt over. Carve a duck head from the basswood or find a plastic head online. Inflatables. Every Heyday Decoy comes with a pair of UpRight weights which can be installed into the bottom of each decoy. Roughed Out Decoy Cutouts or Cedar/Cork Blanks, Bandsaw (necessary for those starting with a true blank), Dremel Tool w/ Multiple Bits and Sanding Wheels, Apoxie Sculpt (Used for blending joints, filling in mistakes, etc. With over 20 years making decoys the hard way we understand what is it takes to create and make a durable economically priced foam duck decoy the right way. I started the heads while the mastic and burlap were setting, coating them in ultra-flat black, and hitting the beaks with flat white. I've got guys I've helped making some pretty incredible stuff after just a few months. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Be like shooting any other foam filled decoy. Having the same tin soldier look in a spread can leave it looking lifeless, we call it a "dead spread". [3] Flip the fan over and secure it to the stake with two 8-inch cable ties threaded through the holes drilled in Step 2. Wrap a layer of burlap over the foam. 2. Stand-still. The warmer it is the quicker it starts to go. I redid an aluminum boat couple years back and tried replacing the floatation foam. Published Apr 3, 2012 11:50 PM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Next, join the 10-foot sections of conduit using the butt-end connector. I am looking at buying molds for making my own foam decoys. Because these weights are positioned both low and wide, they make the decoys self-righting every time and offer maximum decoy stability in extreme weather conditions. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Regrettably, taxidermy-quality decoys cost nearly as much as a finished mount youd display in your trophy room. Once all details have been completely drawn out, drill the holes for glass eyes using a drill bit that is very slightly larger than the diameter of the eyes intended to be used, making sure they are parallel side to side and front to back. On sale. I am trying to think about the time it will take to get the top placed on the mold. Chris Philpot [2] Drill four 1/8-inch holes in the butt end. One of my friends that learned how to make foamers here at my shop won a decoy competition at rappahannock this year with his 20th foamer decoy. UpDate 3 on the "MINI" ScoterZillias: Something new, something different for the 2020-2021 Special Seaduck Hunting Season here in Maryland Seaduck Duck Hunt. 2. This allows the carver to have a better bill-to-head size reference and the head shape to be representative, allowing the bill to essentially flow out of the head. You can attempt to keep the wings attached to the entire skin or remove them prior to skinning. | The weight of the foam decoy is less than half a pound. Youre now ready for the field. Ten dollars apiece, and ultra-realistic true-to-life faux hens costing $130 or more. Not long. These decoys are great for hunting crows, but many people use them in their backyards and gardens. Start this step by using 80- or 100-grit sandpaper to smooth the decoy, making sure to get inside all the nooks and crannies to contour the decoys shape. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Your mold is awesome though and I bet you won't have to worry about it blowing away.lol. Michael R. Shea/ Outdoor Life Drill a couple 1 1/4" holes in the bottom of the decoy with a hole saw (fore and aft), and a 1/2" or so hole on the bottom of the head, figure out how much foam you need with the expansion rate, pour it in, trim off what comes out of the holes. These centerlines keep things proportional by providing a good reference line so parts dont become asymmetric. Trim the flesh and fat, being sure to remove the milky-white oil glands. Homer Decoys gives you a step by step how to burlap foam decoys. Assemble at the hunting site. BB - one of the best canvas decoy makers our state has ever known was Dr. Chuck May out of Murrells Inlet. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. We are proud to be the official decoy of GameWay Farms. Learn More . Lance shows how to paint decoys to bulk up your spread for the fall. Collapse it, fold it, carry it. While you're at it pick up some self hardening clay - the kind that will harden without needing to be heated in an oven. While aesthetics are important, dont get too wrapped up in making the perfect decoy the first time it takes lots of practice to turn a vision onto reality. Series 72 Decoys While paying homage to the past, we take burlap wrapped foam decoys to a new level of excellence by using our tried and true wooden decoy heads, signature keel, and an upgraded airbrush paint job. While experts can make the details look easy, novices will find that painting intricate detail can be frustrating. Tighten securely and wrap joint. As the wood smooths, start decreasing the grit size incrementally down as low as 250 to ensure that small defects and scratches have been removed. JavaScript is disabled. I have never used any two part foam to make decoys, I carve mine from foam and then burlap them. Duck Hunting - FOAM FILLED DECOY ( DIY ) True Southern Waterfowlers 1.92K subscribers 3.7K views 2 years ago #duckhunting In this video I fill my older decoy with foam to help make them. A lot of the reason I got into carving my own foamers was back in those days all decoys were the same. Feb 3, 2019 - Explore Colin Davis's board "Foam decoy carving" on Pinterest. First, hit the craft store and get a Styrofoam ball about the size of a deer's head. Once sanding is complete, seal the decoy with an appropriate sealer for the media (see list above) with a minimum of two coats before moving onto paint. Learn more. Sign up for our newsletter and receive insider only updates and special offers. It also holds paint well. The cost of buying molds and the foam is going up everyday, but the cost of making your own carved foamers is still relatively inexpensive and for the most part can be done with materials you can buy or acquire locally. For the waterfowler on a budget, these 5 decoys you can easily be made at home.
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