To fool field-bound ducks and geese, you need just the right decoys. Here’s how to choose

SILHOUETTE DECOYS

Silhouette decoys, often refereed to as shadows, are thin two-dimensional decoys in the shape of ducks or geese. Many years ago, hunters made their own silhouettes out of plywood or stiff plastic and painted them black to attract incoming birds. Over the years, however, decoy manufacturers started making silhouettes by screen-printing images of live ducks and geese onto heavy plastic. Today, the images are very lifelike, and printed on durable, corrugated, lightweight plastic. Some manufacturers even offer fully flocked silhouettes that absorb light and resist glare, even under frosty conditions.

Since they are light, compact and easy to carry, silhouettes are the perfect choice when you have to leave your vehicle behind and walk out into a field. They are best suited to early- and mid-season hunts when the ground is not frozen, and during late-season hunts when there’s enough snow on the ground to allow them to stand up.

Given silhouettes are two dimensional, you can set them up at different angles in small groups on dead-calm days. That way, the decoys will give the illusion of motion as incoming birds circle around the spread. Silhouettes can also be strung out in a line along the edges of a spread to force incoming birds into the landing zone.

PROS

Today’s mid-priced silhouette decoys are extremely lifelike, compact and easily transported and stored in specialized bags—several dozen can be carried in the trunk of a small car. When the ground is soft, it’s quick and easy to set them up, and a mild wind will impart an enticing quivering motion. Silhouettes can also be placed all around ground blinds to help conceal hunters, while still allowing open sight lines.

CONS

If the ground is extremely hard or frozen, setting up these decoys can be almost impossible unless you first create holes in the ground for the stakes to go into. And if the wind gets too strong, silhouettes will either blow over or start to wave back and forth in an unnatural motion that can spook birds.