How to Make Homemade Goose Decoys
When you are hunting geese, you can attract more prey into your line of fire if you use a decoy. Purchasing decoys can be quite expensive, but fortunately you can make your own for a fraction of the cost. All it takes is some inexpensive materials and a little bit of time and care.
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Things You'll Need
- Large Styrofoam block
- Sheets of heavy canvas
- Black marker
- Hot glue gun
- Fine grit sandpaper
- Scissors
- Knife
- Brown, black, and white paint
- Waterproofing spray
Instructions
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1
Cut out one-foot-by-one-foot blocks of Styrofoam to be used as the bodies for your goose decoys. You will use one block for each decoy you make.
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2
Using the marker, sketch the general outline of a goose body onto the foam blocks. When you are satisfied with your work, trim the foam with your knife until you have shaped the block into a goose body shape.
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3
Refine the decoy's shape by sanding the body with the fine grit sandpaper. Go slowly so you don't accidentally remove too much from the block.
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4
Put the decoy body onto the sheet of canvas, and use the scissors to trim the material around the body. Leave several extra inches of material all the way around to ensure that you will be able to completely cover the Styrofoam with the canvas.
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5
Stretch the canvas flat and cover it with a layer of glue from the hot glue gun. Put the decoy body onto the canvas and stretch the material over the body, smoothing out any lumps or air. Work rapidly so you will finish before the glue cools. Once the canvas is attached to the body, glue the edges using dabs of hot glue. Make sure all of the ends are well sealed.
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6
Paint the canvas-covered decoy body in the pattern of a real goose's body. You don't have to be exact in your artwork, but the more closely you mimic a real goose's coloring, the more effective your decoy will be.
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7
Spray the entire decoy with waterproofing spray so you can float it in water without damaging it. Once the spray has dried completely, your decoy is ready for use.
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Tips & Warnings
Use flat paint rather than glossy when painting your decoy. A glossy coating can reflect the run and may look unrealistic to the geese you are trying to attract.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo: Wikimedia Commons
