Our top pick duck decoys for the 2021-2022 waterfowl hunting season.
Ever shoot a decoy, or run over one, or stomp on one in the boat? It’s almost impossible not to at some point, with low-flying birds, swimming cripples and setting up in the dark. Need an abuse-able decoy guaranteed not to sink? That’s the FlexFloat floating mallards from Lifetime. The secret lies in the hollow body design: These decoys do not require an airtight seal to float. The dual keel design and removable swim keel drops overall weight from 19 to 11 ounces per decoy. They don’t weigh much more than your Crocs! Pack them in, throw them around, stomp on them, hunt them!
The Deadly Decoys® Mallard Decoys come in a six-pack with three head positions. They have wicked detail not traditionally carved into gunning decoys. Add in a fantastic paint scheme and keel design. These are the newest bad boys in mallard floaters. World Champion Master Carver and competition judge Laurie J. McNeil shows what is possible in these EVA plastic decoys!
Field duck hunting is nothing new, hunters have been capitalizing on these prime feeding areas for decades. Ducks and geese love some waste grain in their bellies when temperatures plummet and that high-carb food source is the only game in town. Dakota decoy has made some sharp looking and highly effective mallard field decoys in the past, now they have upped their game with the new X-Treme full-body pintail. Pintails love the fields and often join the geese on the feed. Hunt ‘em with goose decoys, hunt ‘em with ducks, just hunt ‘em! Soft EVA plastic construction resists cracking, and the decoy sits on 21” fiberglass stakes. Packs include 4 drakes and 2 hens.
$170 per 6 | dakotadecoy.com
Enticing decoy sets need one thing above all else, motion! Nothing will send ducks and geese flaring out faster than static decoys. Watch a flock and it’s easy to see why; real birds seldom stop moving. Lucky Duck is in the motion business, and their latest creation is called the Lucky HD Floater. Hunt deep water? Need it. Hunt moving waters? Need it. It’s a good old oversized mallard with the solid weight and durability that’s tailor-made made for big waters. Not that it can’t find a home in the shallows, it will do that too. Runs on 4 AA batteries and is remote kit ready, both sold separately.
We have all killed a lot more birds because of MOJO. Confidence is defined as the state of feeling certain about the truth of something. Ducks and geese that don’t have confidence that your decoys are real will never cross into gunning range. Mojo has now given birds a warm and fuzzy feeling with their Coot Confidence 6-pack. Why coots? Coots don’t stick around to see if you are a threat or not. Ducks know that and some species like wigeon and gadwall will actively seek coots to steal their food. Kit comes with 2 Ripplers and 4 static coot decoys running on 4 AA batteries.
$100 | mojooutdoors.com
Spinning wing decoys entered the market in the late 90’s and duck hunting has never been the same. That flashing action was deadly then and still attracts birds by the thousands into decoy spreads today. Avian-X has been an innovator in the decoy world, no time to stop now. Here comes the PowerFlight Mallard, their new offering in the spinning wing market. What’s the big deal? Well it sports an exceptionally realistic body and a patent-pending “Angel Wing” design that spins 360 degrees at actual duck wing speeds. It comes with a remote that works up to 60 yards out with two modes, intermittent and full spin.
Water motion on calm days is critical to decoying success. No wind, no ripples, no movement, no ducks! Higdon has a nice tool for the job, the XS Pulsator. It’s the ultimate feeding decoy, splashing and tipping to simulate ducks filling up on groceries lying just below the surface. It works in as little as 6” of water and runs on a 12V internal lithium ion batteries with fast 3-hour recharge time. Need longer life? Add an optional 2nd battery for double the runtime.
Have you ever run into this situation? A big storm filled up a low spot in the field and ducks are pouring in and hitting the fresh water and feed with abandon. That’s the X, just need to get in there and easy limits should follow. But wait! All you have are standard floating decoys and this water is too shallow to float them. Could go with expensive full bodies but that’s a lot of money for one hunt. What to do? Pick up some BB Waterfowl Duck Poles, that’s what! This ingenious set-up slides over the decoy’s keel, instantly providing a foot base and turning that floater into field specialist!
Lynn Burkhead, OSG Senior Digital Editor
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