Welcome to the Toolies!

One of the problems every waterfowler runs in to is a leaky decoy — either from years of use and abuse or, sometimes, from an accidental shot. That “accidental shot” is precisely what happened to Big Steven and I at our last trip out to the Wister Unit here in Southern California. A nice set of 3 teal burst out of the bush right at water level and flew a few feet over our decoy spread. We both took a pair of shots and Big Steven pegged a couple of our decoys in the process. Of course, I blame Big Steven for hitting the decoys because I’m the one telling the story here. He took down his bird but he also took down a pair of magnum pintails in the process.

After we came back to shore from retrieving both the fallen birds and the fallen decoys, I thought it would be a great topic to talk about here on the Hunting Sensei. It’s something we all go through one way or the other but not everyone knows how to bring a hole-filled decoy back from the dead.

Lucky for us, we both realized our decoys were damaged and I was able to quickly mark the leaking holes while the pintails still had water in them. The holes are always easiest to find right away. However, sometimes you don’t have the luxury of knowing exactly when your son decided to try and fill his limit with your decoys and you need to find a hidden leak.

If you find yourself with a low-riding decoy (or one that has decided to turn itself into a diver!), finding the problem spots are easy enough to find and repair, and the repairs will get your decoys back to working as well as new in time for your next hunt.

Now, the first thing you have to do is to find where the problem is in your leaky decoy. The only effective way to do this is to submerge your decoy in water. Once you’ve got it nice and partially full, take it out and turn it in your hand. Squeeze firmly and you’ll start to notice drips or streams of water if the hole or holes are large, or bubbles if the damage is smaller - such as from a crack in the decoy’s seam from being dropped. Mark any holes or leaky spots and you’ll be good to go to get started on your repair.

Once you have your leaks marked, what you’re going to want to do is take out your handy Craftsman drill with a 1/8″ bit on it and drill out the hole. You’re making the hole bigger so you can squeeze in silicone to make a strong enough patch to last for many seasons to come. You’re also going to drill a hole in the very tip of the decoy’s tail so you can hang it or rack it to allow any remain water to drain out, as well as to let the decoy full dry on the inside.

Probably the best latex/silicone based adhesive out there is Lexel, which comes in squeeze and caulking gun tubes. Now, Lexel is about 3 times more expensive than something like Liquid Nails but is going to be stronger, much more flexible and has a better adhesive strength. Lexel works great in a caulking gun. If you use it in a caulking gun you’ll want to make sure to plug the tip of the tube with a toothpick or metal spur because it the Lexel won’t set up in the tip and will be easier to clear. Finally, Lexel takes paint extremely well after it sets (generally after about 2-3 days).

Once you have the Lexel set up in a caulking gun (my instrument of choice for leaky decoy repair), apply it to all holes and/or cracks you’ve marked, making sure to allow some of the sealant to go inside the body of the decoy to make an interior plug as well. Use a wet finger to finish your mound of Lexel on the outside of the body. After you’ve got all the holes filled, set your decoy out in the sun for the 2-3 days it takes for Lexel to set and you’re ready to recheck the decoy for leaks.

If you have more extensive damage, such as a broken bill or extra large hole, then make use of an epoxy putty. Sonic Weld is a very good expoxy for this task.

Lastly, once you’ve finished your repairs and your decoys are leak free, move on to touching up your decoys…depending upon the damage, some decoys may need a completely repaint.

Now you’ve got repaired decoys that should last as long as any that haven’t popped a leak…or been shot by Big Steven. Now, get out there and use ‘em in your favorite spread.

That does it from the Toolies for today. Until next time, Happy Hunting!

-Steve D., the Hunting Sensei
http://www.huntingsensei.com