How to Make Your Own Duck Decoys

If you're an experienced duck hunter, you've probably bought and used thousands of dollars worth of equipment over the years. Camouflage clothing, duck blinds, shotguns, ammunition and bird calls all add up pretty quickly. It's likely you've already got a duck decoy; many hunters have dozens they like to use because of the slightly different nuances in each decoy's coloring and design. Whether you've got 100 or are just starting to hunt duck and don't have one, you're sure to benefit from this guide on how to make your own duck decoy that's surprisingly simple, cheap and effective.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Aluminum duck mold
• Two-part urethane foam
• Cotton swabs
• Waterproof gloves
• Liquid car wax
• Protective glasses or goggles
• Plastic container or bucket
• Wood paint stirring stick
• Whittling knife
• Assorted paint brushes
• Assorted paint colors
• 3M rocker panel spray
• Flathead screwdriver
• Long screws or nails
• C-clamps

Making a Duck Decoy

1. Assemble all the necessary materials and put on the protective glasses and waterproof gloves.

2. Pour some of the liquid car wax into the aluminum mold; use the cotton swabs to get into every single nook and cranny. This will allow the foam to come free cleanly from the mold later.

3. Pour the two-part urethane foam into the bucket and mix it well with the stirring stick. The fumes from this chemical mixture can be noxious so be careful not to position yourself directly over the bucket. Also make sure to work only in a well-ventilated area.

4. Press the sides of the mold together and secure it by locking several C-clamps along spots where the aluminum lays flat together.

5. Pour the urethane mixture from the bucket into the open spouts in the mold. There should be several spouts, as these molds often have the head and keel of the duck located separately from the duck body. Don't worry about overfilling the mold; pour as much as you can in. Let it sit for a minute, then shake and bump the mold a bit to get the air bubbles to rise up to the spouts and out of the mold.

6. Wait overnight to let the urethane dry completely, then remove the C-clamps and pry apart the mold halves with the screwdriver. Use the screwdriver to pop out the foam pieces.

7. Use the whittling knife to shave off the extra bits of foam from the spouts in the mold. It’s a very easily worked material and should only take a few strokes to smooth the edges of the foam pieces.

8. Fit one of the metal screws into the base of the duck head piece. Just jam it halfway in. Connect the duck neck to the duck body by pushing the other half of the screw into the duck body.

9. Fit another metal screw into the keel of the duck decoy. it shouldn't take much force to push it halfway into the keel. Press the other half into the corresponding back of the duck body.

10. Get out your paint set to paint the fully formed duck decoy. There are dozens of species of duck, each of which has its own coloring for both males and females. If you know what type of duck you will be hunting, simply do a search online to find instructions on how to paint decoys for that species.

11. Use the 3M rocker panel spray to seal the duck decoy. This will preserve the decoy, keep it from becoming waterlogged and sinking, and protect the paint on the decoy. With this done you are now ready to take your new decoy hunting.

Tips & Warnings

• The aluminum duck mold can be purchased at large, well-stocked sporting goods stores. They can also be ordered from the Internet.
• Make sure to use water-based paint, as oil-based paints are likely to eat through the foam of the duck's body.

Resources

• A Site Selling Duck Decoy Molds

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