Duck Decoys: History and Theory
Apparently, duck decoys have served a purpose for longer than most of realize, some even dating back to as early as 1924. Eleven duck decoys, handmade out of reeds, bulrush and authentic duck feathers, were unearthed by archaeologists. Dating back to around 200 A.D., these ancient duck decoys are currently the oldest ones known to mankind. A gentleman by the name of Joel Barber was handed the title of “the father of the decoy”, largely based on his exhibitions and collections.
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Live ducks are attracted to the duck decoys used by hunters, thus giving them a better chance to shoot and collect. By placing the duck decoys in a strategic manner, a hunter can create an open invitation to live ducks to join the floating group. One theory is that if you have done your job well, other ducks will land thinking it’s a secure, safe area.
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To use another example, think about restaurants; would you rather go to a place that has a parking lot filled with cars, or one that has only a few visitors? Surely the sight of a packed place must mean that the food is better, right? As for the hunter, the hunting becomes increasingly better when you have more ducks landing near your duck decoys.
Although these theories of duck decoys may hold some truth, there are probably just as many far-out theories in duck hunting as fishermen have fish stories. No matter what origin the hunter may hail from, they all have their own ideas of what works for bringing in the ducks. Some hunters believe the larger number of decoys on display will always draw in the most ducks.
Even the type of duck decoy can be a preference; some hunters will only use the wooden duck decoys that are painted to look so life-like. In the case of the “more decoys, more ducks” hunters, their belief lies in using only the duck decoys made of a light weight plastic.
Plastic decoys do offer the benefit of being lightweight and easy to transport to difficult locations. No matter what materials are used to produce duck decoys the final effect must be realistic sizes, shapes and colours. The more effective the decoys, the more successful the hunt.
