The Ultimate decoy

[buckshooter]

Hey guys I would like to make a decoy, because I don't want to buy one, because I don't not have enough money to buy one.  I would make one,but don't know of any good home made decoys that work well. 

Your opinion is greatly appreciated

Buckshooter   

[hillbill]

squirrel tail on 100 yards of fishing line? throw it out, when you get a yote or fox coming in , give it a wiggle

[Ladobe]

The mechanized store bought decoys, electronic calls and camo clothing are just hype for predator hunting IMO, and to line pockets with your cash by folks who know there is a fool born every minute.

What I have always used for a decoy (when I felt the need for one) has taken a heck of a lot of predators over many decades of predator calling, and of all species.   I use feathers tied on a short piece of string or fishing line and hung from any handy bush/tree branch near the ground upwind in plain view.  It works very well even in the slightest air movement, the decoy tends itself, doesn't need batteries and fits any budget because the materials are usually free.   I use 2-3 medium to medium large white feathers with a single slightly smaller dark feather as that changes the "flash" quite well when they move, simulating even more movement.   I also tie each feather with its own very short piece of string before tying the "group" together by their strings to the hanging cord.   That allows the feathers to move independent of each other as well as together, requiring much less air movement to get them working.   This decoy can also be affixed to any handy small stick picked up on site and stuck in the ground for stands where no natural branches are in the place you want the decoy set up.

Won't cost you much if anything to try it, and it does work very well.

Have fun,

L.

[Glanceblamm]

The mechanized store bought decoys, electronic calls and camo clothing are just hype for predator hunting IMO, and to line pockets with your cash by folks who know there is a fool born every minute.

What I have always used for a decoy (when I felt the need for one) has taken a heck of a lot of predators over many decades of predator calling, and of all species.   I use feathers tied on a short piece of string or fishing line and hung from any handy bush/tree branch near the ground upwind in plain view.  It works very well even in the slightest air movement, the decoy tends itself, doesn't need batteries and fits any budget because the materials are usually free.   I use 2-3 medium to medium large white feathers with a single slightly smaller dark feather as that changes the "flash" quite well when they move, simulating even more movement.   I also tie each feather with its own very short piece of string before tying the "group" together by their strings to the hanging cord.   That allows the feathers to move independent of each other as well as together, requiring much less air movement to get them working.   This decoy can also be affixed to any handy small stick picked up on site and stuck in the ground for stands where no natural branches are in the place you want the decoy set up.

Won't cost you much if anything to try it, and it does work very well.

Have fun,

L.

+1

I do believe that when the predator belly's up to the open cover, It wants to see something out there before exposing itself too much. It may decide not to show itself at all in the case of an older wary Coyote.
I do not take a decoy every time but make sure to use my full pheriprial vision to look at everything in general, and nothing which will really enhance ones ability to pick up movement. I dont see the movement all the time
But the versitile Howler call can make up for this when you are getting replys. At this time, light calling and coaxing can often be enough to get a shot opportunity.

My own decoy is a plastic bodied Great Horned Owl. The round base at the bottom is bolted to a 6"  U shaped pipe hanger, that pipe hanger will accept a piece of all thread (or threaded rod) which is great for sticking into the ground.
The cavity of the pipe hanger is a great place to suspend thin strips of foam rubber with some cotton and even yarn attached that move well with the breeze. My rod is long enough that I can get this setup above any exisiting grasses, corn stubble, or
Such and you can bet that this makes for a great silly-wet that can easily be picked up and stalked by the predator.

I agree with Ladobe on those store bought decoy's with that $50.00 Ridgor Rabbit being among the worse for not getting near the advertised movement out of the thing. Some of the mechanical decoys such as produced by Foxpro
Work much better but at a cost...One homemade that works well is a $5.00 Weasel ball (kids toy) that will move well in a circular motion when attached via cord to a short, strong spring such as a weed whacker type.
Simpler Really Is Better. When You Are Ready To Go It is a great advantage not to have to worry about batteries, motors and the like. You just cant beat suspended feathers, fur, strips of cotton, and such to work well all of the time.

[prairiedog555]

Every year I get coyotes and bobcats stalking my turkey decoys.  So now for varmint hunting I put out my turkey decoy with one of the kids stuffed rabbit toys placed right by it. 
I use a rabbit call.  It works pretty good.  I reasoned that it looks like a turkey or a hawk killing a rabbit, and the coyote knows he can drive off a hawk for a free meal.

[Ladobe]

Well, if you simply have to go with store bought, but don't want to spend the high cost for manufactured decoys and don't want to deal with batteries...

For a couple of years I hauled along a fairly large Alf stuffed doll my son had out grown.   Had long scraggly hair (fur) that easily moved in the wind that I lightly spotted here and there with black dye and bleach to make it blotchy instead of all red brown.    Drug it through the dirt a few times to age it.   With the long tan snout and big eyes if was certainly something weird.   Was easy to just sit on the ground in full view upwind or prop up against something if wanted.   It didn't move as much as my feather decoys do, so I added a small white feather necklace.   It worked fine to get and hold their attention once seen.   It did tend to make them hold up when they saw it, some to even bark at it or pace uneasily.   But that was never a problem except when I was calling with one of my small bore traditional muzzleloaders.   Hung up probably because they could not recognize it as any prey critter they had ever seen.   Few could be coaxed any closer either, I think they were almost afraid of it.   Some wouldn't take their eyes off Alfie even if I barked or yelled at them.   Now that's being hooked!

Point is, if you only hunt alone with mouth calls like I do, especially if like me you also do not wear camo, anything that will distract their attention away from you (the sound source) is worth the small effort and cost to try it.

Still comes down to proper setup, setup, setup.   Nothing can make up for the lack of it.   But decoys can help and be fun to play with thier minds with.

Larry

[Ponydog]

Well Ladobe, that Alf does look pretty mean.......if I was a coyote..I'd have to do a double take as well........you mentioned you do not wear camo....any reason ?    Maybe it is just me, but I wear as much as I can, face mask...gloves.....as natural a pattern as I can get........I buy brown camo for fall, green for spring and summer...and even toss a white sheet in the truck, when there is a hint of snow on the ground.....just to blend a bit better............I try the turkey feathers tied to a stick as my inexpensive decoy..........it gets the hawks to notice really quick.....then I knwo the coyotes might follow.......I also read that chickens seem to be the end all- do all for a coyote......made me wonder about trying to find a stuffed animal rooster.....and MP3 or rooster calls........what is the worst that could happen...

[Ladobe]

Ponydog,

No camo is just my personal preference.   I've hunted predators and varmints for about 5 decades, started out not wearing camo for most of those years, did wear it for a few years (more as a "required" fashion statement for the ranchers/farmers I was doing so much ADC for at the time), then went back to not wearing it again about 5-6 years ago.     With proper set up and if you can keep movement to a minimum you just don't need it, at least not out here in the west.    Saves hundreds to thousands of dollars in gear made to appeal to the buyers of it, not the predators.   

Went back to not wearing camo mostly because I also went back to calling only with small bore traditional sidelock muzzleloaders as I had done in the 70's, wearing my rondy leathers and only using mouth calls I make myself.     Adds greatly to the overall experience of pitting my skills against theirs for me, and gives them a more than fair chance by not using modern laser-guided missile launchers to shoot them with.    Called in close enough for the MLer's they are still usually dead.

Sport hunting for predators offers a lot of personal enjoyment for anyone who gets into it, but does not require a lot of expense to do it.   I started out just using my deer rifle, calls I made myself and nothing else.    Over time I learned from my mistakes, the ways of the predators and got more successful.    But if you prefer to use camo, cover scents, electronic callers and decoys, special firearms, etc to gain that enjoyment, then have at it.   Doesn't matter to me, I just choose not to use any of them anymore and am successful enough without them.   

L.

[Ponydog]

Ladobe,

I understand completely ......my use of camo is limited to a few patterns......and I have not come close to the thousand of dollars in monies spent on camo...but I do have some that I have accumulated over the years........I do not buy scent protection additives.........I have been close to so many different types of game after eating a huge bacon abd egg breakfast in S Texas.......and it never seemed to bother the deer that came within 50 yards of me....maybe varmints do mind it...but I just always thought it was a gimmick......I hunt varmints with a CZ 204 ruger varmint rifle......32 grain ....not exactly a heavy cast.....but it has been very sucessful for me......in my situation , in my part of the world......so for me , that is what counts.....I buy my ammo bulk out of Montana....and it has served me very well.....I too, try to make it as inexpensive as possible.....home - made decoys......feathers and stuffed critters......I have only been at the varmint hunting for about 4 or 5 years.......so I am still new at it...but I learn more every time I go ...

[Glanceblamm]

Ladobe, that is quite the decoy...I sure can see where a Coyote might be reluctant to just grab the thing and immediatley head back to the woods with it like they do with a smaller stuffed animal.
Sometimes I will take my Great Horned Owl decoy which is mounted on a pipe hanger with some extra's like foam strips & yarn hanging from the cavity but sometimes I will take nothing at all.
If I got another decoy it would have to be a Turkey and I would use a double Kee kee call with it (young turkey in distress) cause you can start with simple, clean clucks but then get the thing going really high pitched and really fast.

My most imprompto decoy would be a small sapling (a wispy 6' to 8'footer) that I will operate with my foot while blowing on one of the MR. Squirrel calls. This can make for some fast action (specially right inside the woods) and may be better suited for the Shotgun than a rifle but those rifles are more fun!. A lot of times I will hear a stick snap or see a flash of fur and can shut up to slow things down a bit.

Ditto on that Camo, I use some in the early season but have to switch to Brown coveralls only when it gets cold as it can be hard to find the camo that will fit over coveralls when you weigh 260lbs and stand 6'-3" tall.
I do not thing that having no camo on is a dis-advantage if you are blended in well in earth tone colors with something at your back to break up the outline.