Using duck effigies to attract birds while hunting is a long-established technique of experienced hunters. You can buy this curiosity either in a specialized store, or do it yourself. The second option is more economical because most materials are available and don't cost a lot of money. You can make not only simple options, but also complex ones, for example, a mechanical stuffed duck.
What is the use of a scarecrow
This device is necessary in order to attract the attention of birds flying by. It is most practical to use stuffed ducks in spring, because it is at this time that drakes, feeling the call of nature, begin to look for a mate for procreation. In the autumn months, when forming flocks for flights to warm countries, it is also advisable to use them.
In order for the hunt to be successful, it is recommended to follow the following rules:
- The lure must be placed in an open area whereno dense vegetation. This will provide excellent visibility to live ducks.
- When placing a dummy, it is worth considering the location of the shelling. If the purpose of hunting is a river duck, then it is best to opt for shallow water, and if we are talking about a diving bird, then the deeper part of the reservoir is ideal here.
- It is recommended to form a small group of stuffed animals, setting a distance of about four meters between them.
- When landing fake birds, you should also consider how strong and in what direction the wind is blowing, as this will have a significant impact on the place where the ducks will land.
If you follow these simple rules, you can achieve significant success in hunting.
Styrofoam as a stuffing material
To make a stuffed duck with your own hands, you can use the well-known foam. You can find the right material in any construction market, and the production itself will not take as much time as it seems.
Before starting work, you need to prepare the following things:
- foam at least 2 cm thick, because thinner pieces have disadvantages: the plates may begin to crumble, and the floating properties will leave much to be desired;
- super glue (When using nitro glue, damage to the material);
- acrylic paints;
- putty;
- paint brushes;
- simple pencil;
- stationery knife;
- sandpaper.
Step-by-step recommendations
First of all, you need to find a picture of a duck and print it in such a format that it is as close to natural size as possible. Failure to follow this advice will lead to the fact that live birds will not pay anyone attention to the dummy.
- Patterns are cut from the printed pictures. Contours and separately wings are transferred to a thick cardboard.
- Cardboard templates will be needed to work with foam to cut out the details. You need two parts, from which the body and wings will then be formed, also in the amount of two pieces.
- The parts are glued together to obtain a three-dimensional model, then the workpiece is placed under the press. For better bonding, it should be left overnight.
- A stationery knife is needed to give the stuffed duck a more realistic shape. Smooth bends are made in the right places, if necessary, details are added to get the perfect craft.
- To the bottom of the workpiece, you need to attach a keel, a metal-plastic pipe is suitable here. If the need arises, it will be possible to install an additional weight without any problems, which will help the stuffed duck to gain stability in the water.
- Sandpaper will be needed to remove irregularities.
- Joints are removed with putty, and then the scarecrow is left to dry.
- Acrylic paints will help bring the layout to perfection, but you need to use colors that are suitable for the breed of ducks you plan to hunt.
This is the first way to make stuffed ducks for hunting.
Plywood scarecrow
This type of blank is one of the simplest options for making stuffed ducks. However, simplicity is not always indicated by quality, the main disadvantage of such a workpiece is its fragility. This is due to the fact that due to the constant presence in the water, plywood will quickly become unusable.
If you have time, you can start creating several profiles, they will serve as an imitation of various poses in which stuffed ducks and geese will be.
What you need from materials
To make stuffed ducks for hunting from plywood, you will need to acquire the following things:
- thick cardboard;
- with a simple pencil;
- sheet plywood;
- Hacksaw with fine teeth;
- sandpaper;
- linseed oil;
- tassels;
- metal wire;
- wooden pegs;
- gasoline;
- oil paints.
Production technology
Profiles are applied to the cardboard in the required quantity and having different shapes. Then you need to cut out blanks that will serve as templates.
- Templates are laid out on plywood and profiles are cut with a hacksaw.
- All edges need to be properly processed using sandpaper.
- The blanks are processed with hot drying oil, after which you need to wait for it to dry.
- To make the scarecrow realistic, oil paints are used. It is recommended to paint all plywood at the same time for their identical appearance.
- You can neutralize the shine from the paint with gasoline. It is applied to a dry surface in a small amount.
- It remains to provide the profiles with wooden pegs or short metal tubes. For ease of transportation, these parts are made removable, and so that they do not attract excessive attention of birds, they are applied in the same color as the stuffed animals.
- Stability of workpieces is ensured by wire connection.
Conclusion
Every hunter can make a stuffed duck with his own hands, it doesn't take much time. How effective the blanks will be depends on the correctness of the layouts and compliance with the proposed recommendations.
