Decoys
Our hunting decoys cover four birds: ducks, geese, turkeys and doves, along with the line, weights and stakes that keep a spread where you set it. Higdon carries most of the shelf, with MOJO, Zink and Avian X adding motion units and floaters. Pick the species first, then the ground you hunt. Water means floaters and rigging. Fields mean full-bodies, shells or silhouettes. Turkey and dove spreads run small and simple.
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duck decoys · goose decoys · mallard decoys · motion decoys · silhouette decoys · turkey decoys · dove decoys · decoy rigging
Choosing Hunting Decoys by Species
Ducks get the deepest bench here. Higdon's Standard, Magnum, Legacy Magnum and Battleship lines cover puddle ducks and divers species by species: mallard, pintail, gadwall, wigeon, teal, wood duck, shoveler, canvasback, redhead, bluebill, ringneck, goldeneye, bufflehead and even coot. Zink floaters add mallard, green-wing, wood duck, black duck and gadwall. If you hunt one species hard, start on the mallard decoys page and build out from there.
Geese split by species and by setup. Canada, snow, blue and specklebelly decoys come as floaters, half-shells, full-bodies, socks and flat silhouettes, so the field spread and the water spread can share a color scheme without sharing a decoy. Turkeys run in single digits: a hen or two, maybe a jake. Doves are the lightest lift of the lot, a few MOJO units clipped to a fence or a dead limb near the water hole.
Floaters, Full-Bodies, Shells and Silhouettes
Decoy style follows the ground. On water you want floaters with keels and a line to an anchor. In a cut field the choice comes down to how far you walk and how many you need to carry. Full-bodies give the most realism per decoy and take up the most room in the trailer. Shells stack. Silhouettes stack flatter still and set up fastest, which is why many goose hunters mix a core of full-bodies with a wide skirt of flats.
| Decoy style | Where it works | On this shelf |
|---|---|---|
| Floaters | Marsh, timber, rivers, big water | Higdon duck and goose floaters, Zink floaters |
| Full-bodies | Fields, sandbars, shorelines | Higdon APEX and Alpha Magnum, Magnum mallard |
| Shells | Fields where storage space is tight | Higdon half-shells, sleeper packs, full-form shells |
| Silhouettes | Big field spreads, walk-in hunts | Higdon FLATS and FLEX |
| Hard-body turkey | Field edges, food plots | Higdon hens, jakes and strutter |
Adding Motion to the Spread
Still decoys on still water look like a parking lot. A little movement fixes that, and the shelf gives you several ways to add it: MOJO units like the Mallard Machine and Triple Whammy, Higdon's Pulsator PRO and Battleship Swimmer PRO, the Flasher PRO, and the Battleship Jerk Rig for hunters who would rather pull a string than charge a battery. Our motion decoys page collects the moving options in one place. A few states limit powered motion decoys during part of the season, so check your state wildlife agency's regulations before you plug anything in.
Rigging, Bags and the Rest of the Setup
A floater without a line is a donation to the next county. Strap, egg and J-style weights, braided and PVC line, crimps and Texas rigs live on the decoy rigging shelf, along with stakes and ring bases for field decoys. Slotted and mesh decoy bags sit with our blind bags and decoy bags. Once the spread is out, the birds still have to hear something they like and you still have to stay hidden, so pair it with duck calls or goose calls and a spot in our duck blinds and layout blinds. Spring hunters should look at turkey calls and turkey vests to round out the decoy bag. Finish with waterfowl choke tubes matched to your shotgun.
Hunting Decoys FAQs
How many duck decoys do I need?
Fewer than you think on small water, more than you own on big water. A dozen or two works in timber holes and small potholes. Open water and late-season birds that have seen every spread in the flyway usually call for a larger, more varied set with some motion.
What is the difference between shell and full-body goose decoys?
A full-body stands on its own base or stake and shows a complete bird from every angle. A shell is the top half of the bird, sits on the ground and nests inside other shells, so you can carry more of them in the same space.
Are decoys legal for every species?
Rules on decoys, motion decoys and electronic devices vary by state and by season. Check your state wildlife agency's current regulations for the species you hunt before opening day.
Can I mix brands in one spread?
Yes. Birds care about posture, spacing and movement far more than the logo on the keel. Matching paint schemes for the same species helps the spread read as one flock.